One of the most eagerly awaited follow-ups of action thrillers right from ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’, ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ and ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, the action and the music can never get out of our mind. So is the case with 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' that promises nail biting action and sound effects that are a theatre buffs delight.

More recently the release of Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny on 29TH June was welcomed after a long break. Fans have thronged the theatres to watch this action flick.

But this film review is about the film ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ that is set in the middle of the Cold War where the Americans and Russians are vying for nuclear and world supremacy.

Dr Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is trying to out beat a brilliant and beautiful agent Colonel Dr. Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) for the mystical, magical and omnipotent Crystal Skull of Akator - an object of great archeological fascination, that is suspected of having strong and rather unique qualities. This time out Dr. Jones is joined by a young dropout leather-jacketed biker Shia LaBeouf (Matt Williams) who travels with comb and switchblade only to be reunited with his mother and Jones’ old love Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), as they look to keep the crystal skull out of the hands of the Russian muscle lady Spalko. The duo travel all the way by air to Peru, where the action hots up in a creepy-crawly cave where they lay their hands on the crystal skull, an oddly shaped clear cranium that has no human origins. But Spalko , who believes the skull possesses psychic power that would prove decisive in mind warfare snatches it from the duo thus creating a flutter of climaxes in the end.

Not to be missed are scenes of the race through the jungle as the good guys and bad guys jump between vehicles, great car and bike chases,  mind blowing scenery that is a spectacle to watch, fists fights, sabers and machine guns, assaults by monkeys and ravenous giant ants and the spectacular drop down three imposing waterfalls all make this a thrilling experience. 

For pure action thrills, this is one film to be watched on a good home theatre system - 5.1 Dolby Surround for all its fantastic sound effects and breathtaking shots. Bonus features include ‘The Return of a Legend’ an 18-minute look at not only the making of the film but also something of a retrospective on the series, while ‘Pre-Production’ speaks for itself and is a behind-the-scenes peek at the film's production before filming actually began.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, Shia La Beouf, Cate Blanchett.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira