Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a 2008 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise. The film takes place in 1957, a time of great tension and fear during the Cold War, as the Soviet Union and the United States are locked in a precarious stalemate. As the narrative unfolds, we find out that the Soviet Union, now a superpower at the height of its power, is on a quest to uncover the secrets of a fabled Lost City of Gold. Within this city lies the celebrated 'Crystal Skull of Akator', a 19th-century artifact first revealed in 1912 South America which boasts unparalleled supernatural properties – allowing its holder to experience transcendent power. This enigmatic crystal skull has been the focus of fascination and pursuit for the Soviet bloc, all since its expedition-led archaeologist, Professor Charles Stanforth, vanished while searching for it back in 1912. Given the existence of a prophecy indicating that whoever finds and wields the crystal skull will come to enjoy unbridled global dominance, Soviet Union officials strongly believe that whoever holds the skull will, thus, be well-positioned to shift international balances of power. Now an aging and overthrown veteran treasure hunter, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), has been summoned to his Peruvian past as he assists in paying a debt of gratitude to the son of Harold Oxley, an archaeologist acquaintance who suffered Soviet forces’ captivity after his very last reported journal entry mentioned he spotted this Crystal Skull. This happens right as he is being aggressively pursued by Irina Spalko, who commands the 'Division of Extranormal Research' within the Soviet military and could be described as, in some sense, the movie's arch-nemesis character, with all of the stealth, strength and malevolent intent as she will stop at nothing to gain a military advantage in this conflict. As Jones travels to a jungle base camp in South America, he makes the acquaintance of a clever graduate of a prestigious, all-male American college by the name of Mutt Williams, who is none other than the self-proclaimed and unlikely son of Indiana Jones and an army nurse named Marion Ravenwood. Mutt is sporting an intriguing but almost unwritten sense of identity, which serves as a counterbalance to Indiana’s dashing yet practical adventurer persona, providing an incredibly interesting dynamic as he must discover the path he desires to follow in the life of a major world figure. As excavations progress, Indiana finds himself encumbered with two colleagues he is supposed to look after on a perilously delicate expedition into South America. His trusted allies include Jones's confidante, General John Hart (Max Casella), a top American intelligence specialist caught on the wrong side of politics inside the US, as well as Oxley himself, who upon regaining knowledge of impending perils he must somehow get away from Soviet Interrogation by performing deadly leaps of faith from trees in severe jungles. Upon finally discovering the supposed resting grounds of the Lost City of Gold located in some type of underwater structure shielded by crystal bracing encasing a jungle temple deep within the Amazon jungle, Indiana becomes trapped alongside an incredibly striking and fiery-tempered Russian ballerina-dancer- archaeologist, Irina Spalko’s deadly associate, Colonnella Darcy. Filled with extraordinary potential for individual action, Colonnella skillfully embodies a strong sense of composure—showing some enticing potential that causes Indiana to get just as fascinated in the very same actions she demonstrates throughout their subsequent mutual battle within jungle ruins. Unintended happenings – like when Indiana gets captured and brought aboard an apparent rescue mission by Spalko – soon begin to change the landscape in ways that keep their protagonists, including the elusive Professor Mutt, on pins as other unlikely bonds deepen with every new perilous turn as action becomes widespread and we move relentlessly careening closer and further afield in the uncertain prospect these major battles with their adversaries present. They then face many more perils such as disarming trap setups like superheated rocks raining down from very intense electrically-powered lights with extremely tense and aggressive action on both sides. Additionally, deep within the Amazon ruins, they see another relic – the supposedly almost supernatural ‘Kings Crown’ stone, found on some part of the area buried in its head-piercing crystal structure, appears to have one of Crystal Skull's previously mentioned energy sources. Indiana finally comes to this realization when the crystal skull suddenly falls off from a supporting navel in the lost city when Mutt takes one step into the large empty cavern before – well just after – a very steep leap nearly out of a rock ledge. Finally – thanks to a few smart and desperate last-minute plots – Indiana releases the kings Crown and thus in doing so liberates the city of their great danger – freeing the captive women scholars – before and then after – taking Mutt, or indeed, that new bond they form over jungle battles, on one more stunningly majestic side jump by Indiana to wrap the film off on a successful mission.