Dr. Jones Is In - ***

For a new generation of movie-goers, whose knowledge of history, mythology or even archeology is almost completely second hand, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull might be a blast from their parents' generation, and a little less timeless than Star Wars.

There have been other movies in recent times, some entertaining, yet unabashedly exaggerated period dramas, like Zorro or the Mummy films. But the trouble with this film is, there doesn't seem to be much passion left to carry it as the really big adventure it claims to be.

In 1957, the Soviets, led by a very emasculated-looking Cate Blanchet, capture Indi (Harrison Ford) and ask him to direct them to a certain special wooden crate containing something highly magnetic. Indi does so reluctantly, and is foiled in trying to prevent them from actually procuring the mysterious object, by his treacherous friend, Mac (Ryan Winstone). Narrowly escaping from the Russians (and later a nuclear test facility), Indi is interrogated by the FBI, who eventually force him to escape from Marshall College on motorbike with a young man named Mutt Wilson.

Mutt, as it turns out, is the son of Indi's old flame, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), and has come to Indi to ask for his help, since both Marion and their mutual friend, Harold Oxley have gone missing since Oxley discovered a crystal skull during an archaeological dig in Peru. Indi and Mutt travel to Peru and follow clues left by Oxley to find Marion and Oxley and embark on a quest to return the elongated, magnetic skull to its long lost resting place, with the Russians close on their tail.

It is an adventure to be sure, but certainly not an exhilarating one. The hallmark attention to detail or the relevance of the character's quirks or circumstances to the plot are all conspicuous by their absence. To be fair, Harrison Ford isn't as young as he used to be that doesn't mean he lacks energy -in fact he performs at least a few of the stunts with more than enough agility. But while the exhaustion may not show in his body, there is a tiredness, a lack of the old spark in his eyes, that make him fade a little bit into the background.

Nevertheless, the moment you see Ford's old swagger and the rugged smile, the minute you hear the first whip crack, or find just how attached Indi is to his old hat, nostalgia takes over to allow for some good old fashioned movie fun. Even Spielberg's most obvious obsession seems less forced in the face of Indi's ability to crack ancient Mayan code and make his traditional escape from collapsing or exploding buildings. If this is the last Indiana Jones movie with Ford in the lead, it falls a little short in its tribute to the famed archaeologist and treasure hunter, but transfers it to Ford himself, who, without doubt, deserves it.