The whip still cracks for Dr. Jones

When we last left Indiana, it was 1938 and he was busy fighting off Nazis for ownership of the Holy Grail. In a smart move by the makers, "Crystal Skull" acknowledges this passage of time by taking place in 1957. Now, it’s the communists Indiana has to deal with.

After being fired from his job as a university professor, Indiana’s now quiet life is disrupted when a young greaser named Mutt comes along with a proposition: help Mutt rescue his mother, and Indy could have a chance to discover the Crystal Skull of Akator. Like all of the "Indiana Jones" sequels, this plot is merely an excuse for extended chase scenes and things that go "boom," but it provides a lot of fun along the way.

Shia LaBeouf, who portrays Indy’s new sidekick, Mutt, continually holds his own with Ford and creates a unique stamp for a clichéd character. However, while Ford and LaBeouf show some great chemistry, fans who are hoping for the same magical chemistry as was between Ford and Sean Connery in "Last Crusade" will be disappointed. That being said, when Karen Allen (reprising her role as Marion Ravenwood from "Raiders of the Lost Ark") shows up halfway through, the movie picks up significantly in both pace and spirit. I had a smirk on my face listening to Indiana, Marion and Mutt bicker in the midst of fantastic jungle chases and escapes from Mayan tribes.

Besides a very fresh take on the star’s age, the film doesn’t really give fans anything new, and that’s just fine. With a series as beloved as this, it would be silly to follow any motto besides, "Don’t fix what ain’t broken."

I can’t really see any fan of the previous movies not enjoying this one, as long as you don’t expect it to be as revolutionary as "Raiders" was. Similar to the other Indy films, it has its faults but is also undeniably fun to watch. While its star has gotten older, watching an Indiana Jones movie hasn’t.