Review by Alexander McNamara
What's the story?
The fourth Indiana Jones movie is set in 1957, which means we get to listen to Elvis, watch rockers and jocks get into scraps and are confronted a new enemy for Indy to battle - communists. In true Indy tradition we find him and his new foe searching for treasure (sorry, artefacts of archaeological interest) across the globe - this time it's the mythical South American City of Gold, El Dorado.
Who's in it?
Well, it wouldn't be an Indiana Jones film without Harrison Ford donning the distinctive hat and whip combo. Shia Labeouf plays his roguish, albeit ridiculously named sidekick Mutt while Karen Allen makes a long-awaited return as Marion Ravenwood, last seen in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Our communist villain is the psychic Irina Spalko, played by a heavily accented Cate Blanchett, leaving John Hurt and Ray Winstone to pick up the rest of the support.
What's to like?
How can you not get excited by the prospect of a new Indiana Jones, replete with treasure hunting, whips, evil villains, explosions and cryptic riddles, all done with a healthy smattering of laughs.
What's not to like?
The baddies don't come across as quite bad enough. Both the Nazis and the child snatching Indians in the previous films really got your blood boiling, but in this effort you can't help but feel the communists are just a bit useless.
Best bits?
When Indy and Marion get back together and squabble like only they know how, making us fondly recall their scenes in Raiders. And of course there is the opening gambit at Area 51, where Indy survives a nuclear bomb by hiding in a fridge. We never realised it was so simple!
Verdict
It's Indiana Jones all right, but an older, wheezier version that's perhaps running out of steam. Is it time to hang up the whip, Indy? Please prove us wrong...
