If there is one lesson that we have learned through Hollywood’s obsession with sequels, remakes and reboots, it is that if you want something done right, hire the original team to make it, rather than going for whatever burgeoning young talent was popular at that specific moment, since track record will usually trump ambition in the majority of cases. One example of this comes in the form of the Indiana Jones series, which returned after nearly two decades with a new cinematic adventure, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, in which we see the famous adventurer and archaeologist venturing back into the jungle of South America for an entirely new mission, with a variety of cohorts and adversaries coming along with him. Considering the amount of time that had elapsed since the last film, there is a version of this film that recasts the main role, or has a different director at the helm, done in both cases to bring this story to a new generation, while not depending on those who had grown much older, and perhaps aged out of the demographic in which such a story would be effective. Naturally, we are dealing with Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg, cultural icons who have remained timeless in their artistry and perspective, being as exciting today as they were decades before, when they first emerged as major talents. While this film may bring in a number of new collaborators, the foundation of the film consists of the original team (which also includes George Lucas, who once again works closely with Spielberg to develop the story), which may have been an obvious decision, but it was the correct one, since all the elements that they had previously mastered twenty years before were once again employed here, making Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull yet another wonderful entry into one of the greatest adventurer series ever created, which is quite an achievement when you realize how deep this genre extends.

An important aspect of looking at any work that returns to a previously dormant series after any amount of time is the acknowledgement that perfection is impossible, and recapturing the same magic is not an entirely feasible goal – but instead, aiming to take the timeless components and doing something new with them can have great results, which is exactly the process that went into the creation of this film. While this may not be on quite the same level as the original films, there is something quite remarkable about how Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull returns to this world, making it seem like very little time had elapsed between our last cinematic adventure with this character. Part of this is the consistency that comes with having much of the original team back, as well as getting Spielberg to once again helm the film, despite the fact that he is normally not keen on revisiting previous films in the form of sequels (outside of Indiana Jones, The Lost World: Jurassic Park remains the only time he has directed a sequel to one of his films), which only serves to demonstrate not only the allegiance he felt to this character, but the pride he gleaned from telling these stories, which seem to be as entertaining to make as they are to watch, based on how fondly everyone involved discusses these films. It often feels like a homecoming, and not strictly the third sequel in a series that spans nearly three decades (although time seems to work quite differently in the world of these films), and it smartly never plays on our nostalgia, a trend that would become far more popular in later years, when filmmakers – Spielberg included – realized there is financial and critical value in playing on those feelings of tenderness for the past. In quite simple terms, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a film that cuts right to the chase, making its intentions clear from the very start, and making an earnest effort to deliver a thrilling, sprawling and globe-trotting adventure that reminds us of the reasons why he fell in love with this character and his exploits in the first place.

This film hearkens back to the original trilogy in creative ways, but makes sure to not rest on its laurels – it felt like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was, as the title suggests, our final cinematic outing with the character (and even though we’d return to the character in the form of the novels written by Rob MacGregor, or the television show that aimed to explore his formative years, they didn’t hold as much cultural cache as we’d expect), so there was a lot of work that needed to be done to bring it into the 21st century, at least in terms of the filmmaking. This is where it starts to become quite divisive, since there were some aspects of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull that were not well-served by the technology or other creative resources available at the time. Whether this comes on behalf of the new crew brought onto this film (Douglas Slocombe, who had served as director of photography on the three previous films, is replaced by Janusz Kamiński, one of Spielberg’s regular cinematographer, and someone whose tacky skills in terms of lighting and framing feel like a liability in comparison to the gorgeous cinematography curated under Slocombe’s guidance), or the ambitious approach to the filmmaking that could not be facilitated by what was possible at this particular moment, there are a few small cracks in the film, albeit not notable enough to detract from the merits of the film. Some have cited the overuse of computer-generated imagery as being one of the film’s primary shortcomings, which is a valid point, but it’s barely enough to be distinctive, and even in the moments where it is obvious, it serves a very entertaining purpose. Ultimately, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull served to be a film that offers a smooth transition into the modern age, all the while trying to capture the style and spirit of the original films. It may not have been entirely successful in every area, but it certainly showed enough ambition to warrant our respect, and at the very least we can marvel at the unique qualities that seem entirely restricted to this film – the use of colour, the way shots are framed and the overall tone feels unique to the film, taking the original trilogy of films and adding its own bespoke qualities that make it a very inventive work, especially in slightly more experimental or subversive ways.

It seems to be almost universally acknowledged that without Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones would quite simply not exist, or at least not have this level of longevity and iconicity, since he took a relatively conventional action hero archetype and infused him with charm, wit and a candour that most other actors considered for the role may have struggled to bring to the part, but which Ford effortlessly placed right at the heart of his performances. It seems that with every return to this character, Ford finds new directions to take Jones, growing steadily more comfortable and confident in a role that is inextricably connected to his work as an actor. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull offers us yet another terrific performance from the actor, who once again finds the hidden nuances beneath this character, commanding the screen with such incredible wisdom and undying devotion to his material, it seems to become part of his entire approach as an actor to develop this role into more than just what we see reflected on the screen. He is joined by a tremendous cast that accompanies him on this journey, which includes Karen Allen, who returns to the world of Indiana Jones after being his first love interest nearly thirty years earlier in Raiders of the Lost Ark, her presence feeling that an incredible bookend to this quartet of films. Newcomers include Cate Blanchett, who is extremely entertaining as the film’s primary villain (and is clearly having fun in the role), and Ray Winstone, playing the perfect combination of a maniacal villain and sympathetic heavy, since most of his performance entails trying to figure out where his allegiance lies. Shia LaBeouf is slightly out of place here, playing the titular character’s son, and throughout the film it constantly comes across as if they intended to use Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as a way for LaBeouf to audition to take the reigns from Ford for future films – he’s a fine actor, but he doesn’t have an iota of the charisma or complexity necessary for this role, and it seems like those involved in this series agreed, since nothing seemed to come of this character. As a whole, the film is extremely well-performed, which has always been one of the defining traits of the Indiana Jones series, for reasons which are not at all difficult to understand.

At the heart of this film, we find that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a much more complex work than we expect on the surface, but it never allows its complexity to overtake the pure joy that comes in watching the continued exploits of this character. The element that makes Indiana Jones such a compelling character is that the films that revolve around him are well-made and extremely resonant on an artistic level, as well as in terms of the historical basis on which the narratives are built, but they don’t take themselves too seriously, which is the key to their success. They endeavour to primarily entertain, which comes through in the many moments of irreverent humour and the increasingly bizarre scenarios in which these characters find themselves. This film in particular sees Spielberg and his cohorts venturing even further into the realm of the absurd, with the plot centring around ancient alien civilizations, which tests the limits of plausibility in a way that is wildly entertaining and never once tacky, which is a noteworthy trait, considering how easily this could have been an excessive, overly complex mess of a film, when in reality it has enough nuance embedded throughout to make up for these more peculiar aspects. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a terrific film, and while it arguably slightly pales in comparison to the original trilogy, this revival of the character is not at all unnecessary, especially since the efforts to return to this world are dynamic and interesting, rather than just being a rehashing of what we had seen many times before. The success of these films is not difficult to understand, and it is clear that there is merit in absolutely every moment, which allows for it to be quite an engaging, entertaining film, and a worthy send-off for the character, at least until this year, where we officially receive the final chapter – but that’s an entirely different discussion that we will be having in due course.