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(About Our Ads) "INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL" (2008) (Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Moderate Extreme *Moderate Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy None Extreme None Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Minor Minor Mild Moderate *Extreme QUICK TAKE: Action/Adventure: A famed archaeologist must contend with Russians and double-crossing as he and his new partner attempt to find and return an ancient crystal skull to a long lost, mythical city of gold. PLOT: It's 1957 and archaeology professor and explorer Indiana Jones (HARRISON FORD) has just been unceremoniously dumped, along with his friend 'Mac' George McHale (RAY WINSTONE), from a car trunk onto the ground outside Hanger 51 at a U.S. military base in Nevada. They've been brought there by Irina Spalko (CATE BLANCHETT) who once worked for Stalin but is now employed by the KGB to try to find a way for the Russians to win the Cold War. She thinks the answer lies with paranormal powers and thus is searching for a legendary crystal skull reportedly stolen centuries ago from the long lost mythical city of Akator somewhere in the Amazon jungle. Rumor has it that if the skull is returned, it will give its possessor untold powers. Under duress, Indiana helps her get a step closer to finding what she seeks, but he manages to escape. The fact that Mac has turned sides, however, has the FBI suspicious that Indy might be a commie sympathizer, and that results in a coerced, indefinite leave of absence for him from his college. On his way out of town, he's stopped by Mutt Williams (SHIA LaBEOUF), a young biker who informs him that their mutual friend, Professor Harold Oxley (JOHN HURT), has been captured and is going to be killed. Indy learns that Harold was also after the legendary crystal skull, so he and Mutt end up headed for Peru on a rescue mission. There, they not only run into Irina and her team of Russian soldiers, but also Marion Ravenwood (KAREN ALLEN), Indy's long-ago past love. From that point on, they try to rescue Harold, who's fallen under the crystal skull's powers, and elude Irina and her men, all while attempting to return the skull to its rightful home. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? It's quite likely many will, especially if they're fans of any of the previous "Indiana Jones" films. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For adventure violence and scary images. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: HARRISON FORD plays a sixty-something professor and archaeologist who sets out with Mutt on a rescue mission to find Harold and then return the legendary skull to its rightful home. He fights various villains, partakes in various potentially dangerous stunts, uses a little profanity, and is surprised to learn about personal family matters. SHIA LaBEOUF plays a younger biker/rebel who's a school dropout, uses some profanity, and finds himself a bit in over his head when he becomes Indy's unlikely partner in their quest to find Harold and the crystal skull. He's also surprised by a personal family revelation. CATE BLANCHETT plays a KGB agent who's searching for the legendary crystal skull in the belief that it will give her and thus the Russians a powerful, paranormal advantage over the Americans in the Cold War. She fights with various characters and is responsible for the deaths of others. KAREN ALLEN plays Mutt's mother and Indy's long lost past lover who's reunited with both and joins their quest. RAY WINSTONE plays Indy's friend who double-crosses him and is working with the Russians, but only for his own personal financial gains. He smokes a few times and appears a bit intoxicated in one scene. JOHN HURT plays Indy's friend and fellow archaeologist who's been captured by the Russians and is now under the powers of the paranormal skull that has seemingly left him mentally impaired. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this action/adventure pic that's rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 2 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are present. A man's bare chest and back are briefly seen as he's scrubbed down by men in radiation suits. Violence includes all sorts of fighting and many people being killed and dying by various means, but none of that's played as graphic realism, and instead comes off in the mode of action and adventure. Even so, there's some blood, and some of those scenes and various moments of potential peril, along with various visuals (including that of skeletons and corpses, and ants consuming rapidly consuming people, etc.) might be unsettling and/or suspenseful to younger viewers. The various stunts, action and other behavior might be enticing for some kids to imitate, while the villains all have bad attitudes. There's brief smoking and drinking (although one character appears somewhat intoxicated while carrying a bottle of liquor), and there's some tense family material, but that's mostly played lightly and/or for laughs (regarding a father and son just learning they are that to each other). If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's briefly some of that from lightning, while there's also some flicker in a cave. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Indiana has a glass of wine in front of him and the dean of the college holds one, but neither drinks any. In a restaurant, Mutt grabs a beer off a waitress' tray (intended for someone else), followed by Indiana placing it back there (with the server being unaware of what just occurred). Mac holds a bottle of liquor and appears to be somewhat intoxicated. BLOOD/GORE We see the frozen hand of what initially seems to be a mummy of some sort. Indiana has some red marks on his face after fighting various Russians, as well as a little blood in the corner of his mouth. A miscellaneous man has a scrape/abrasion on his arm. Indiana opens the wrappings on a mummy and the corpse inside looks fresh. Exposed to air, however, it instantly decays/decomposes. He then opens another that's already in that state, but the mouth is wide open in a ghastly fashion. Indiana makes Mutt hold an ancient, skeletal corpse. Irina manipulates an alien corpse that appears to be charred or just blackish from being dead. We then see her opening some of the skin, revealing part of the crystal skeleton beneath that. After fighting Irina, Mutt has blood from his nose and some on his forehead. The good and bad guys find themselves in the midst of large, ravenous ants. One crawls up Irina, but she squashes it (with goo coming out). She then does the same to another (between her knees), while a man falls back into the ants that quickly cover him (including going into his mouth and nose). Indiana has some blood around his nose and mouth following a fight. Too much paranormal power causes a woman's eyes to suddenly catch on fire, followed by her entire body that quickly dissolves away. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Irina and her followers (Russians and KGB agents) all have bad attitudes (including that of killing others). Mac turns out to be working for the Russians, but only for his own personal financial gain. Regarding Mac being a turncoat, some FBI agents then accuse Indiana of being a commie. Mutt dips his comb into someone else's soda and then runs that through his own hair. He then grabs a beer off a waitress' tray (intended for someone else), followed by Indiana placing it back there (with the server being unaware of what just occurred). Mutt asks Indiana, "What, are you like 80?" and later tells him, "You're one crazy old man." FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" and "Blood/Gore" may be unsettling, suspenseful or maybe even scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material, but probably few others (notwithstanding the "fun" roller coaster type moments played as entertainment). Trying to elude the Russians in a Southwestern desert, Indiana enters a house, only to find it populated with mannequins. He then goes outside to find more of the same, and then hears a countdown begin. Russians speed off a in car, while Indiana scrambles to figure out what to do, realizing he's in a nuclear bomb test zone. He ends up racing to empty and hide in a lead-lined fridge, just as the nuclear explosion rips through the fake, but scale-size town, obliterating everything in it. The explosive wave then catches and incinerates the Russians' fleeing car, while sending Indiana's fridge flying through the air, with it then smacking and bouncing across the desert floor (he then comes out, banged up, but okay). We see various skeletons and such along walls in an old cemetery that Indiana and Mutt have entered. We then see various figures (including one in what appears to be some sort of skull mask) zipping about and around them. After an encounter with them, the two enter the enormous crypt where we see lots of cobwebs and plenty of mummies, skeletons and such. During this, a scorpion ends up going up Mutt's sleeve, followed by others crawling all over him. Indiana opens the wrappings on a mummy and the corpse inside looks fresh. Exposed to air, however, it instantly decays/decomposes. He then opens another that's already in that state, but the mouth is wide open in a ghastly fashion. The crystal skull (elongated, large eye sockets and exposed teeth) might be unsettling or even scary to younger kids, especially when seen looking directly at the camera in close-up. Irina has Indiana bound to a chair and uses the crystal skull's paranormal powers on him. He starts to convulse from that until the skull is covered. Indiana and Marion end up standing and then slowly sinking in quicksand (although Indiana states it's actually dry sand). Mutt runs off to get something to use to pull them out, and does so with Marion. He then tries the same with Indiana, but his tool is a large constrictor (snake), and since Indiana is afraid of them, he won't initially grab it (meaning he sinks even further). All of that is mostly played lightly and/or for comedy. Irina tries to drive the good guys (Indiana, Marion, Harold) off a cliff along which both vehicles speed. There's bumping and close calls to going off the edge. Various monkeys then fall into Irina's vehicle, with her throwing one out, but it grabs a branch and is okay. The good vehicle then comes to a sudden halt, followed by Irina's flying up through the air and barely skimming over the good vehicle before crashing to a stop. The good and bad guys find themselves in the midst of large, ravenous ants. One crawls up Irina, but she squashes it (with goo coming out). The rest run from the ants, with Harold using the crystal skull to ward off the ants from him and Indiana (and the latter's opponent), while Irina tries to climb out of harm's way. Indiana and the man continue fighting, with punches and kicks, while one enemy soldier falls to the ground and the ants quickly cover and devour him. There are brutal blows between Indiana and the other man who even picks up Indiana by the ear, but Indiana repeatedly whacks him with a large log, causing that man to fall back into the ants that quickly cover him (including going into his mouth and nose) and carry him back to their nest (we last see his feet sticking out of the mound). Marion purposefully drives an amphibious vehicle off a cliff. It lands on a tree that's sticking out of the cliff and bends down to drop the vehicle into the river below it. The tree then snaps back up and whacks various Russians who are rappelling down the side. That sends some of them falling away, presumably to their (unseen) deaths. Those inside Marion's vehicle (Indiana, Mutt and Harold) then end up going over three very tall waterfalls, with the last one sending all falling from the vehicle (but everyone is okay at the bottom). Indiana and the others race to descend a spiral staircase when the "stairs" start retracting into the wall. All end up stranded with nowhere left to stand and thus fall, but the distance is only a few feet and all are okay. We see various old skeletons inside a cave system, with Mutt handing one to Indiana to hold. We see various alien skeletons, including one that's headless. When the latter gets its skull back, it then moves. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Shotguns/Machine guns/Missiles/ Swords/Spears/Switchblade/Nuclear bomb/Blow-darts: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. Soldiers hold rifles in a military convoy. To find something in a warehouse that's magnetic, Indiana convinces his Russian captors to empty their hand grenades of the gunpowder in them, as well as their shotgun shells for the metal pellets inside. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Bullsh*t," "Oh sh*t," "Drop dead," "Damn, I thought that was closer," "What the hell is going on?" "Are you nuts?" "(You stupid) Son of a bitch," "Shut up," "What, are you like 80?" "P-O-ed," "He must have lost his mind," "That's crazy," "C'mon, genius," "A damn good life," "Same old, same old," "Oh, for Pete's sake," "You're one crazy old man," "Oh, for the love of God, shut up," "What are you looking at, daddy-O?" "Dasvidania, Dr. Jones" and "What the hell is that?" Some/all of the film's stunts, fighting and other action might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Some young people in a convertible drive through and around various army vehicles, including passing on the right, off the road. They then convince one driver to race them and do so down the desert road, with the young people driving on the wrong side of the road. Mutt dips his comb into someone else's soda and then runs that through his own hair. To elude KGB agents, Mutt drives his motorcycle (with Indiana on the back) through a library, but wipes out, with the two of them sliding under various tables. Mutt flips and tosses his switchblade in one hand. After getting caught up in some vines, Mutt does the Tarzan thing by swinging from vine to vine. We see various warriors sporting body "paint." JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of ominous, suspenseful and action/adventure oriented music plays throughout the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 2 "s" words, 1 possible slang term using male genitals ("pr*cks," but it also could have been "bricks" -- referring to two men), 5 damns (with another possible one, although that could have been in the form of "G-damn"), 4 hells, 3 S.O.B.s, 2 uses of "For God's sakes" and 1 use each of "Oh for God's sakes," "Oh for the love of God" and that possible "G-damn." SEX/NUDITY We see military personnel (in radioactive suits) cleaning Indiana with scrub brushes on long poles. He's apparently nude, but the wall beneath the window through which we see him blocks any view below his waist (but we do see his bare chest and back). When Mutt says his mom's name is Marion, Indiana says there have been lots of Marions (although it's unclear if that's meant as lovers or something else). We see some shirtless male warriors wearing something similar to loincloths, but not as revealing on the sides. SMOKING Mac smokes cigars at least twice. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Spoiler Alert: Marion reveals that Mutt is her and Indiana's son. He's shocked, as is Mutt when he learns that his father actually was his stepfather. That results in some bickering between the two men, but it's mostly played lightly. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT We hear that Irina once worked for Stalin and now is trying to find the crystal skull so that the Russians can use its paranormal powers on the Americans. Archaeology and archaeologists. The Red Scare (regarding communists) briefly touched upon in the film, where even someone like Indiana is accused of being a commie. Indiana stating that they've reached the age when life stops giving and starts taking away. Huge ancient land drawings that can only be seen in full and proper context from the air (but created before any sort of air travel existed). Mutt admits that he dropped out of school. Indiana talks of ancient people who would band their infants' skulls to reshape them into long extended versions of how they should be. VIOLENCE While plentiful (and with many deaths), most of the following plays out in an action/adventure sense rather than in graphic realism. Soldiers, who initially appear to be American, turn out to be Russian and mow down real American military personnel with machine guns (we don't see the impact, or any blood, but do see the dead bodies being dragged away). Right after that, Mac and then Indiana are dragged from a car trunk, with Indiana thrown to the ground. Russians then aim various weapons at them, one strikes Indiana, and that's followed by Irina holding her sword on Indiana. She also lightly slaps him twice on the face. Moments later, Indiana punches one soldier and uses his whip to grab a gun from another, but the other soldiers aim their guns back at him, as does Mac. Indiana then surrenders the gun by dropping it, but it fires upon impact with the floor, hitting a soldier in his boot (causing his machine gun to fire wildly). Indiana then flees, with various soldiers shooting machine guns at him in the large warehouse. During this, Indiana tries to swing over to something, but comes up short and thus crashes back through a vehicle's windshield. He then elbows one soldier, and we then hear the sound of him striking another. Various vehicles then end up crashing (into each other or other things), with one man throwing Irina from a vehicle before it crashes into a wall and/or crates. Indiana then drives a truck through a wall and/or crates, sending soldiers scrambling (and some may be hit by the large pieces that blast outward from the crash). During all of that, more machine guns are fired at Indiana. That's followed by Indiana fighting one Russian, with punches, kicks and other blows thrown, some blocked and some delivered. Indiana also knocks the guy off a platform and then swings beneath it to kick him back through some glass (the man lands on some sort of control panel). More fighting continues, with the Russian trying to hit Indiana with a large chain and then wrapping that around his neck (and then punching him). Lifted up, Indiana then wraps his legs around that man's neck/head. Just after all of that, a test rocket sled fires (after accidentally being activated) and its massive flames catch several soldiers on fire (and seemingly incinerates them, but that's only partially seen). It then sends Indiana and the soldier shooting across the desert at high speed (on it), with both falling off from exhaustion when it comes to a stop. Trying to elude the Russians in a Southwestern desert, Indiana enters a house, only to find it populated with mannequins. He then goes outside to find more of the same, and then hears a countdown begin. Russians speed off a in car, while Indiana scrambles to figure out what to do, realizing he's in a nuclear bomb test zone. He ends up racing to empty and hide in a lead-lined fridge, just as the nuclear explosion rips through the fake, but scale-size town, obliterating everything in it. The explosive wave then catches and incinerates the Russians' fleeing car, while sending Indiana's fridge flying through the air, with it then smacking and bouncing across the desert floor (he then comes out, banged up, but okay). An FBI agent pushes a train worker aside. When two KGB agents walk up behind a seated Indiana and Mutt, the latter pulls his switchblade, and Indiana tells him he's brought a knife to a gunfight (as the men show they have pistols in their waistbands). As the KGB agents escort them out, Mutt punches a stranger to create a distraction, followed by that guy's girlfriend punching Mutt, followed by an all-out brawl between opposing sides (including a glass mug being smashed over a head). Mutt and Indiana then flee on the former's motorcycle, while the KGB agents pursue them in a car. During this, Indiana leans over and punches one guy in the car, and then climbs into that where he kicks one or more other men before climbing out the other side and getting back onto Mutt's bike (all while both vehicles are moving). The chase then continues, including with the car smashing through a large metal gate and causing other property damage, while various protestors' signs accidentally hit one agent's head as the car he's in passes by them. That car then crashes into a large statue, with the statue's head following off and smashing into the windshield. Mutt then drives through a library but wipes out, with him and Indiana then sliding under various tables (but they're okay). We see various skeletons and such along walls in an old cemetery that Indiana and Mutt have entered. We then see various figures (including one in what appears to be some sort of skull mask) zipping about and around them. After a ladder Mutt tries to descend breaks (sending Mutt hard to the stone floor when all of the wood rungs break), those figures then attack them (with martial arts types moves), with Indiana hitting one with a shovel, while a poisonous blow dart lands in the handle of that. Seeing another dart about to be fired, Indiana blows on the other end of the blowgun, sending the dart back into the assailant's mouth. He then aims his gun at another. Russians hold guns on Indiana and Mutt, with Mac aiming his handgun at the latter. Irina has Indiana bound to a chair and uses the crystal skull's paranormal powers on him. He starts to convulse from that until the skull is covered. Indiana punches Mac in the face, with the latter saying Indiana broke his nose. Irina holds her sword on Mutt. A gun is then held on Marion, prompting Mutt to punch one soldier, overturn a table and throw a lamp to cause a fire, all to allow him and others to escape. In a transport truck, both Indiana and Mutt kick a guard, knocking him out. Indiana then climbs up front and we hear the sound of him striking the driver (who we then see falling off to the side of the road). Indiana then fires a rocket that hits a large, forest-clearing machine, sending its huge spinning blade flying off, slicing through various vehicles, including Indiana's (but no one inside it is hurt). That's followed by a vehicle chase and related extended fight through a jungle. During this, Indiana punches various soldiers, while machine guns are fired at the good guys (including Marion). Indiana continues fighting others, while also punching Mac in the nose again, and then having him in a headlock while driving. During this, Mutt and Irina have a sword fight while standing atop moving vehicles, with various close calls. Irina punches Mutt in the gut during this, while Mutt ends up with a foot on each of the vehicles, resulting in him partially doing the splits. As the sequence continues, a passing branch smacks Marion in the face, while Irina ends up in her vehicle. Marion hits the brakes, sending Irina flying forward, but she grabs the front-mounted machine gun and her weight spins it around aiming toward Marion. Irina then shoots it, blasting the windshield, but missing Marion. Mutt hits a driver in another vehicle, and then fights with Irina, with various punches and kicks, but ends up caught up in a vine that pulls him off the ground. Irina tries to drive the good guys (Indiana, Marion, Harold) off a cliff along which both vehicles speed. There's bumping and close calls to going off the edge. Various monkeys then fall into Irina's vehicle, with her throwing one out, but it grabs a branch and is okay. The good vehicle then comes to a sudden halt, followed by Irina's flying up through the air and barely skimming over the good vehicle before crashing to a stop. The good and bad guys find themselves in the midst of large, ravenous ants. One crawls up Irina, but she squashes it (with goo coming out). The rest run from the ants, with Harold using the crystal skull to ward off the ants from him and Indiana (and the latter's opponent), while Irina tries to climb out of harm's way. Indiana and the man continue fighting, with punches and kicks, while one enemy soldier falls to the ground and the ants quickly cover and devour him. There are brutal blows between Indiana and the other man who even picks up Indiana by the ear, but Indiana repeatedly whacks him with a large log, causing that man to fall back into the ants that quickly cover him (including going into his mouth and nose) and carry him back to their nest (we last see his feet sticking out of the mound). Various warriors send darts or arrows at Indiana and the others, while holding spears. They also throw rocks attached to ropes that whip around and trip Indiana and the others. We see the above painted warriors dead on the ground, and hear gunfire that downed them (and presumably others, but there's no blood). Mac holds his gun on Indiana, while others guns are also pointed. A palace starts crumbling with various people inside it, including Russians who are sucked up into a vortex of sorts. After holding onto Indiana's whip, another person is also sucked away, while Indiana and others race to get out, but find themselves trapped at the bottom of a vertical shaft. Floodwaters then race toward them, but end up pushing them up and out. Too much paranormal power causes a woman's eyes to suddenly catch on fire, followed by her entire body that quickly dissolves away. An enormous ancient temple collapses on itself, followed by its huge pieces swirling around above it, but they then all drop back to the ground. Reviewed May 18, 2008 / Posted May 22, 2008