Arriving at a major inflection point in movie fan economics, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull immediately became synonymous with the sacrilegious treatment of beloved Hollywood franchises. That 2008 fiasco made its fair share of Mutt Williams-sized mistakes, but the reflexive outcry over “nuking the fridge” overshadowed a deliriously well-directed thrill ride that dared to reconcile the contradictory impulses that had defined Indiana Jones from the start: family and adventure. [Yet] in a clumsy preview of what The Last Jedi would do so masterfully a few years later, Crystal Skull had the courage to inflict meaningful change upon an iconic character, and the blowback was so intense that the most successful filmmaker in Hollywood history was too scared to ever pick up the fedora again. And why should he?
Like many “late” Spielberg films—i.e., everything he’s made since winning his second Oscar for directing Saving Private Ryan in 1999—The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a mixed bag, leveraging exceptional technique against a palpable sense of obligation. While some filmmakers can phone it in with a clear conscience, Spielberg’s level of investment is always easy to peg—although “personal” doesn’t always mean “good” (see: Hook).
— Adam Nayman (The Ringer)
Set during the Cold War, the Soviets—led by sword-wielding Irina Spalko—are in search of a crystal skull which has supernatural powers related to a mystical Lost City of Gold. Indy is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young man whose friend—and Indy's colleague—Professor Oxley has been captured for his knowledge of the skull's whereabouts.