Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

also known as “Indiana Jones 4,” “Indiana Jones e o Reino da Caveira de Cristal,” “Indiana Jones és a kristálykoponya királysága,” “Indiana Jones e il regno del teschio di cristallo,” See more »
MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for adventure violence and scary images.

Reviewed by: David Criswell, Ph.D.
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Teens Adults
Genre: Action Adventure Sequel
Length: 2 hr. 4 min.
Year of Release: 2008
USA Release: May 22, 2008 (wide—3,900 theaters)
DVD: October 14, 2008
Copyright, Paramount Pictures Copyright, Paramount Pictures Copyright, Paramount Pictures Copyright, Paramount Pictures Copyright, Paramount Pictures Copyright, Paramount Pictures Copyright, Paramount Pictures Copyright, Paramount Pictures Copyright, Paramount Pictures Copyright, Paramount Pictures
Relevant Issues
Copyright, Paramount Pictures
Aliens (extraterrestrials)

What does the Bible say about intelligent life on other planets? Answer

Are we alone in the universe? Answer

Does Scripture refer to life in space? Answer

Questions and Answers about The Origin of Life Answer

Archaeology

Bible Archaeology

Ants and other insects

Incredible Insects of the Rain Forest

Ants in the Bible

What can an ANT teach me about life?

Adventure
click for Kid Explorers
Adventures in the rainforest! Learn about the Creator of the universe by exploring His marvelous creation. Fun for the whole family with games, activities, stories, answers to children’s questions, color pages, and more! One of the Web’s first and most popular Christian Web sites for children. Nonprofit, evangelical, nondenominational.
The Rainforest: People, Animals and Facts
Learn about the rainforest by meeting some native peoples, seeing where and how they live, and more! A cross-cultural photo-rich journey that will leave you with a lasting impression.
Featuring Harrison Ford
Cate Blanchett
Karen Allen
Shia LaBeouf
Ray Winstone
John Hurt
Jim Broadbent
See all »
Director Steven Spielberg
Producer Kathleen Kennedy, George Lucas, Frank Marshall, Denis L. Stewart
Distributor
Distributor: Paramount Pictures Corporation. Trademark logo.
Paramount Pictures Corporation
, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS

Installment 4

After twenty-five years since Indiana Jones first took on Nazis in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” we might expect that Indiana Jones would be hunting the Fountain of Youth, but instead he is hunting a Crystal Skull. He sets out to discover a mythical “Crystal Skull” in the mythical “El Dorado.” Along the way, he must fight Communists who are eager to get their hands on the strange power alleged to be held by the Skull. It is soon discovered that the power is other worldly, and Jones must keep its power secret for the sake of the world.

Despite his age, Harrison Ford does a good job and looks almost as tough as he did in the early days. The movie also reunites Indiana Jones with Marion from the first Indy movie. Karen Allen, too, does a good job reviving her character of old. I watched “Raiders of the Lost Ark” the day before seeing the new movie, and felt very much that Indy and Marion were the same people twenty-five years later. However, a new character is introduced—apparently as Indy's heir apparent. That is a young man named “Mutt.” He is obviously modeled after the “Rebel without a Cause,” and when he first appears on screen he looks exactly like Jimmy Dean riding on a motorcycle. All worked well together and made Indy's return feel fresh, rather than old.

As one would expect the movie has Steven Spielberg's flair and humor mixed with George Lucas’ action-adventure-fantasy plot. There are plenty of “easter eggs” which fans of the Indy movies will appreciate and a truck chase scene obviously designed to rival that of “Raiders” fame. The only draw back is that the use of CGI actually diminished the excitement. In “Raiders” we may have known that the truck was not really going 70 mph and there was a trench to give the stuntman more room under the truck, but in a technical sense it was still real, and that made it feel real. The action scenes this time around were still great, but never quite felt real.

Moral Elements

At least two of the previous Indy movies should have been rated R. By comparison, “…The Crystal Skull” is relatively mild, but still far too strong for young children. In terms of violence, there is plenty of shooting, fisticuffs, bloody noses, sword cuts and the like. The greater violence includes a man coughing up blood, a series of decaying corpses, and a scene where a woman is burned alive from the inside out, but the most violent scenes involve giant, man-eating ants which consume several people; one in rather gory detail.

The language is not as bad as most PG-13 movies, but Marion is still her usual foul-mouthed girl, uttering the majority of the bad language. Most of these are “mild” obscenities, but there are a few 'd___'s and 'he--'s and a OMGs.

Finally, there is a scene were Indiana Jones is being scrubbed down while apparently naked. You cannot see anything, but one of the scrub brushes is lowered to his groin area and Jones clearly reacts. Some might also be bothered by the pot shots taken at the McCarthy era, wherein America is portrayed as being “hardly recognizable.” Finally [SPOILER] Jones discovers that Mutt is really his own child, apparently conceived in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

Pagan Elements

[***CONTAINS SPOILERS***] The occultism of the original movies has been replaced with the modern pagan myth of Erich van Daniken. Van Daniken was famed for arguing that all the myths and legends of the ancients could be explained by extraterrestrial aliens. He saw the “chariots” of Elijah in 2 Kings as space ships, and the pagan gods of old were really space aliens. It is evident early on in the film that the Crystal Skull is an artifact left behind by space aliens whom the Mayans (or Incans—the film seems to confuse the two) worshiped. The film clearly promotes the concept that aliens planted the seeds for the ancient civilizations, and it also promotes the concept of ESP and psychic abilities, using the long disproven argument that we have “undeveloped parts of our brains.” Finally, the aliens are actually said to be from another dimension, rather than another planet. All these concepts are actually nothing more than ancient pagan religion dressed up in modern science fiction courtesy of van Daniken

That the pagan gods of old are today viewed as ETs is ironic, for it is, in a sense, true. The “gods” were nothing more than idols which the Apostle Paul calls demons (1 Corinthians 10:20). Since the pagan “gods” have died out, the demons are now worshiped by the modern man as ETs. One only has to watch Ben Stein's recent “Expelled” where world renowned atheists declare that aliens planted the seeds on Earth. Paganism, it seems, has not really died. It is just a chameleon which has changed shapes. The “gods” of old have been replaced with aliens, evolution, and self-worship. Parents will do well to educate their children on this, so they will recognize this for what it is—paganism in modern dress. [***SPOILERS END***]

In the end, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is a strong comeback for Indy and company. Although I would have preferred that they stayed away from excessive CGI, which diminished the believability of the action scenes, “…the Crystal Skull” is certainly on par with “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and superior to “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” Parents should, however, be cautioned, as Indy has never truly been family-friendly and has always been pagan in spirit. With this in mind, “…the Crystal Skull” is a solid entry in the Indy saga, proving that age doesn't always slow you down.

Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Minor / Sex/Nudity: Minor


Editor’s comment

Followers of Christ should alert about this film’s promotion of ANCIENT ALIENS or ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS theory, because this is an issue that is truly deceiving a very great number of people, partly because it is presented as scientific and archaeological (both false claims). At its base, it is a lie being used by godless people to “scientifically” explain away Biblical miracles and events—and God Himself.

This tactic started with atheist author H.P. Lovecraft. Years later, this pseudo-scientific idea was famously promoted by Erich von Däniken (Chariots of the Gods) and others. The Director of this film was inspired by von Däniken, and says so. This idea has particularly been used by some whose worldviews are New Age or Evolutionism/Atheism (or both).

The claim is that extraterrestrials with advanced technology came to Earth in ancient times and were mistaken for gods, angels and supernatural activity—and that out of these encounters with naive and unsophisticated humans (who misunderstood what they witnessed), humans began to worship these aliens—and the world’s religions (including Christianity) are the end result.

I have researched these claims in considerable depth, including attending von Däniken lectures. I am in agreement with many other researchers, the so-called evidence for this fantasy is filled with foolish errors and serious outright lies and deceptions.

Nonetheless, many sci-fi books, movies and TV shows have eagerly used and promoted what is essentially a dangerous Atheist-inspired worldview.

What difference does it make? When accepted, this pseudo-science leads people directly away from Biblical truth about Earth’s Creation, mankind’s place in God’s plan, Earth’s history of wicked rebellion against the Creator, and the record of His judgments. Inherent in this worldview is rejection of belief in God and the Bible. People are less likely to perceive their spiritually bankrupt state before God and are more unlikely to want—or listen to—the Gospel.

Entertainment dramas that use the ancient extraterrestrial encounters fantasy and thus promote it some extent…

If nothing else, the mere CONSTANT REPETITION of this view of history in entertainment media is causing it to become embedded in the minds of billions of people, making it somehow seem to them less ludicrous than it really is. Discerning Christians know that we and God have an Enemy who is the father of lies who seeks to deceive the whole world.

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—This was an entertaining movie, that at times was a lot of fun. It had a slow start, and an odd ending, but it was great to see Harrison Ford and Karen Allen back on the screen. It's important to note that you shouldn't compare this film to action films of late. It was meant to have a live comic book feel to it, and it accomplishes that very well. It probably isn't suited for small children because of terrifying mummies and there will be nightmares of bugs! Good family film.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Sarah Lee, age 43
Positive—I came to the theater with very high expectations, so of course I was somewhat disappointed. I am still giving this movie a positive rating because if I had not expected an extraordinarily spectacular sequel, I would simply enjoy this silly tale of a treasure hunt. Harrison Ford looks mighty good for his age and did his own stunts very well. Karen Allen was fine. The movie and the story line are simply very silly and are sort of a spoof of the first two Indy movies. Light entertainment for a holiday weekend. It was okay.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Positive—This Indy movie has been greatly anticipated by myself and especially my husband since leaving the theater after seeing “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” The movie is nearly entirely unbelievable, but oh so much fun! We were filled with glee to relieve the old Indy films plus Steven Spielberg's other films as “ET” as the movie relies on one having understood the prior plots to connect the purpose of many of the scenes in this Indy. Yes, as an adult and as a Christian, I knew better than hope that the film would be redeemable in the sense that it would be Christ centered or biblically accurate. For parents, it is not child friendly. I will admit that the constant drama and action was at one point exhaustive, yet this was not unexpected either. The theater was filled with folks our own age who joined us in laughter many times. Go see this Indy to enjoy Harrison Ford in his golden years still able to beat off the evil forces with his bull whip, his great smile and especially his talent to get out of trouble by the edge of his teeth… and yours.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Barb Sayer, age 57
Positive—This was a fun movie that our whole family enjoyed. We took our 4 sons, ages 9, 12, 14 and 16. I haven't seen the other Indy movies but to me, it was similar to the National Treasure films. I think there was one “bullsh**” but other than that, no language. There were a couple parts that my 9 yr. old covered his eyes for (they were a little creepy/scary) and there were several cheesy scenes that our teens poked fun at, but it was fun, clean entertainment that we'd all recommend.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Rachelle Smotherman35, age 35
Positive—The Reviewer's comments were right on target. This movie contained several elements offensive to Christians, while the film-making quality and action is vintage Indiana Jones and certainly fun to watch. [SPOILERS AHEAD]. The alien aspect of the film was silly but no more so than the silliness of seeing one of the characters swing through vines like Tarzan to land, conveniently, in the jeep of the bad guys in time to save Indy. There are also some gross scenes of dead and decayed bodies which would scare younger children. I wouldn't recommend this move for anyone younger than 10 or 11.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
David, age 45
Positive—I will be the first person to admit that I am not a die hard Indiana Jones fan. I saw the original trilogy when I was barely a teenager and the most I remember is how gruesome they were. But Stephen Spielberg was just mean enough to cast Cate Blanchett in his latest addition to the franchise and so by golly, I had to go and see it. And much to my surprise, found it one of my favorite popcorn flicks of the year.

For someone who has little experience with the originals, I found it very creative and enjoyable but rather mindless. If you try and wrap your head around the plot too much, you just might get knocked off your feet, since some of it doesn't make a lot of sense. However, does it really have to? Audiences want to spend two hours revising Indy's creativity and fear of snakes (… yes, there is a snake, and the scene is hilarious) while getting a few throwbacks to earlier adventures (yes, there are plenty of those; we get a glimpse of the Ark of the Covenant, as well as encountering a familiar leading lady).See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Positive—Overall, I thought it was worthy entry into the Indiana Jones franchise. I thought the dialogue in the very beginning of the movie was a little cheesy, but it improved.

As far as the “alien” storyline, I took it for what it was—a myth. It was a mixture of good old fashioned serial and hokey science fiction. I liked how they referred to them as “spacemen.”

I took my 14, 13, and 10 year-olds to see it. We discussed the plot and how there are some deceived people out there who believe aliens started our life forms here.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Robert L. Mcfaddin, age 42
Positive—Well, they did it, the successfully brought Indiana Jones back to the big screen and made it a notable addition to the series. It is tough to say for certain if fans of the previous films would enjoy this one. I certainly did, however good friends of mine did not. Lets take a look at a few of the key elements.

Indiana Jones is one of the greatest action/adventure heroes of the big screen, He takes on elements that would make any normal human being tremble and crumble in fear, he overcomes outstanding odds and respects the artifacts that he seeks to protect. Crystal skull had all of these, but took a different approach. Rather than find a “Relic” he spends his time trying to return an artifact belonging to aliens. I was skeptical at first, but they pulled it off very well.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Daniel Robison, age 19
Positive—Note: I put a “positive” rating on this film, but with the intention that 20+ year-olds watch it…

Quality: This was a fun movie to see if you don't regard it as an IJ movie. Think of it as… a similar amount of fun (and writing quality) as “Clear and Present Danger.” Closer to IJ 2 than IJ 1 or 3 in terms of quality. You know how the Star Wars Ep's 1-3 totally lost it but were still kind of fun? This has the exact same thing going for it. It presents a neat (inaccurate and over-the-top) perspective on American culture from the 1950's.

Morals: Too much swearing. Too many “big” words used as if they are commonplace. Buy a “TVG” and hope it works with that. A lot of violence and scary images. Violence that doesn't represent things like suicide doesn't really offend me, so I didn't find the violence here offensive. That being said, I wouldn't show this movie to someone younger than about 18. No female nudity for once, so that was a relief. Implied comical male nudity… only visible from the waist up.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Ben, age 23
Positive—Honestly, this was a great movie. The first three Indiana Jones movies are hands down my favorite movies, so this one had a lot to live up to. Harrison Ford looks great and he does a superb job at reprising the role. The action sequences are very well done. The science fiction aspect of the movie fits the context of the time period and in my opinion, a religious theme would have just been redundant.

(Spoiler) I would have to strongly disagree with the reviewer above's comments on the UFO's. The movie by no means implies that aliens are responsible for the spiritual aspects of the other movies. Also, to state that aliens are merely demons of old being worshiped in present times, is not only completely ridiculous, but holds no bearing on the context of the film. As for the moral content of the movie, there's nothing in this one, that wasn't in the others. I disagree with the reviewer that the original two should have been rated R. The language is not bad at all. The violence, though prominent, is by no means gratuitous. I grew up watching the original movies, so by all means, I think viewers under the age of 13 would be fine.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Andrew, age 19
Positive—I am a big fan of the Indiana Jones series. I was worried going into this one that the special effects would make it not fit in, as has happened with the Star Wars prequels. But, Steven spielberg did not let me down.

I am not a fan of the opening of the movie. The gophers, the 50's music none of it seems very… 'Indiana Jones-ish'. But once they arrived at the military base things improved.

From then up until the end this was easily my favorite in the series. Harrison Ford, although older, was still more than convincing as Indiana jones. Shia LaBeouf was perfect in his role. It had an excellent plot.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Michael Court, age 18
Positive— this was a great way to re-introduce Indiana Jones after 19 years, in the 50s, with an AWESOME take on the origin of the crystal skulls of the Amazons.

This is why, however, I rarely ever read reviews before seeing a movie. I swear, some of these “fans,” who've spent months blogging about it, I'm sure, literally flipped out at the first hint of special effects or aliens. Yeah the ending is a little over the top, but it's totally an homage to b-movie 50's sci-fi, and why not? He doesn't have to go back to Egypt or Germany, or maybe people would have been happier if he'd just spent the whole movie in the warehouse trying to sneak the ark out… Indiana Jones and the Warehouse that Holds the Ark!See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Jason, age 32
Positive—Today, I watched the movie with my aunt and one of my second cousins. I liked this movie. Yes, there was some swearing. Although I don't appreciate it, I am grateful for the fact that it was spaced out. At least then I was able to focus on the movie. I also didn't care for this alien nonsense. It's as though George Lucas forgot that he was working on the next installment of the “Indiana Jones” franchise, not on the newest chapter of the “Star Wars” saga. Quite frankly, aliens do not belong in an “Indiana Jones” movie. I will say this, though: I like the design concept for the aliens. That was pretty neat.

As always, I liked Marion. I'm frustrated, though, that she was the only strong female character on the good guys’ side. Need a little more girl power there. I didn't care for Cate Blanchett’s acting. She came across as very wooden and stiff. I'm all for strong female villains, but this one didn't cut the cake.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Linda F., age 28
Positive— I honestly thought “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was a fairly decent movie, and addition to the franchise. While Not as good as the original Indiana Jones trilogy, my only complaints were that this film came out far too long after “The Last Crusade’ in 1989, it would have been more appropriate for “Crystal Skull” to have been released no later than 1994, because earlier in the 90’s “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles’ aired on TV. Still Crystal Skull is a Perfect Action Film for the big screen, as opposed to DVD or Blu-ray
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Jeff Andrew Winters, age 43 (USA)
Neutral
Neutral—Hmmm. I love sci-fi and I don't think that aliens are incompatible with a Biblical worldview. Who's to say that God didn't create aliens or beings that live in “other dimensions” or whatever. The fact that they are never mentioned in the Bible doesn't mean they can't exist. Personally, I think ancient humans were smart enough to build all the things they built without training from aliens, but if you can accept the possibility of aliens with unusual abilities, the story doesn't stretch suspension of disbelief too far. I know that Indy hasn't traditionally had anything to do with aliens, but why shouldn't these films enter new territory? It might help keep the series from becoming too tired.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Jennifer Hane, age 19
Neutral—WARNING: These comments may contain SPOILERS.***
When walking into this movie you have to remember the Indiana Jones History. Going from the Ark of The Covenant in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” being found, to the witchcraft in “Temple of Doom.” This movie was another adventure that did not have any Biblical support to the story line.

If you enjoyed the other Indiana Jones Movies then I believe you will enjoy this one. The relationship to the Russians in this has no historical backing, the plot itself was so far fetched that it bordered on corny, but the story line included enough joking around that you could look past this part of the story.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Carl H, age 26
Neutral—Ok well I might have a lot to say about various subjects. Any spoilers will be posted later so don't worry I'll let you know when they are coming up. Indiana Jones movies are among my favorite. So I had to see this one (and want to see the now 5th one in the works). But this one left me really sad. Not from a morals perspective but from a script perspective. Indy is a archeologist, everyone should know that. But yet once you see the movie you'll later found out that's obviously not what they wanted. What they did totally killed the movie in my opinion with the movies “premise.” I'll leave it at that (spoiler free).

Also some of the action was so over comedically silly this time you couldn't laugh because it was way to unrealistic. Even kids I noticed didn't seem to get how things could possibly work like they were. Aside from those gripes it was a good movies. Great story non the less, good sequences, good angles, art… etc. Still a nice Indy movie. Just my least favorite in the series.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Matt, age 26
Neutral—This movie had all the makings of a great Indy flick, but I felt that it fell short with all the weird alien psychic energy stuff. Harrison Ford is charming as Indy with all his quirks and sarcasm. The reappearance of Karen Allen was also great. Cate Blanchett plays the villain wonderfully. Some of the special effects were definitely computer enhanced, and I enjoy more of the old fashioned stunts of the older Indy movies. In one part, Indy survives a test blast of an atomic bomb which seemed unrealistic to me! As far as how it fits with my Christian world view, this movie didn't really offend me but it got my nerves with all of the alien psychic stuff. I don't think anyone will be swayed to worship aliens by it, but it did not have any God honoring parts to it either. I say, if you like Indy you will like it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Holly, age 32
Neutral—If one doesn't look too closely, this is a fun action movie. It was a joy seeing Karen Allen back as Marian Ravenwood. If we judge movies for family friendliness only by how much skin we see or how many cuss words get tossed around, then this Indiana Jones movie could seem relatively harmless. The Bible tells us to beware wolves in sheep's clothing. Hollywood has become masters at flying in under the radar, slipping in extremely dangerous messages dressed up in happy, good-feeling storylines.

Compared to so many of Hollywood’s current propaganda pieces with obvious anti-American and anti-family themes, “the Crystal Skull” pretends to be very mainstream. There is one aspect of the script that the reviewer could have touched upon. That is the theme of the “love child being reunited with his father and everything is happy now.” The character of Indiana Jones as womanizer is a product of the sexual revolution of the seventies; was it necessary to bring Dr. Jones and his affairs with Ms. Ravenwood out of the closet as the lynchpin of this storyline?See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Henry Skinner-larsen, age 56
Neutral—This movie was very clean by today'€™s standard. There was no sex, use of foul language and the like. The action sequences are violent; however they are done in an almost unbelievable, campy way and in a tongue and cheek manner. Harrison Ford looks the part and can still carry the movie with believability despite his age. He looks great.

Unfortunately, this movie pales in comparison to it predecessor. I felt it was really interesting up until the time Indiana meets up with Marion. The plot (not the actors themselves) seemed to unravel from there. Some viewers also may be uncomfortable with the premise involving aliens and pagan religions. I did not find this offensive as it was fashioned in and old style comic book way in which nothing is to be taken too seriously. The special affects at times were impressive and at other times seemed too much and went on too long. The last scene also seems like it was added on from another movie and somewhat forced.

Although; I did like the “idea” of the ending. I really wanted to love this movie as I am a huge fan of the past Indiana Jones movies however the most I can muster is it was watch able and an okay ending to a great series.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Laura Calruso, age 30
Neutral—Good special effects. Parts with chipmunks seem stupid. It is hard to get into the mission's purpose, but it is fun to go along for the ride. Some bad language issues, but overall, this is a pretty clean PG-13.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Joe Scott, age 30
Neutral—I had seen Indiana Jones and the Crystal skull. As an Indiana Jones Fan, I was surprised to see the film chronologically correct in line with the previous three. Twenty years had past between the shooting of The Last Crusade and the Crystal Skull, and also between the settings of the movies—the inter war years covered by the IJ and the LC and the early cold war covered by the IJ and the CS.

How ever the film discussed issues that is biblically incorrect in a positive view such as aliens coming and supplying knowledge to the peoples and the film also gives examples of idolatry such as the worship of the skull and its powers by the Soviets.

Overall, I found the film to be highly entertaining and interesting with its twists and turns
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
John B Champion, age 25
Neutral—My mom and I love the Indiana Jones movies, so when the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out, we both went and saw it. Keeping in mind that all of the I.J movies are a bit far-fetched, I expected the movie to be kinda cheesy. The acting was good and even a bit funny at times but the whole things with the aliens, ants and the creepy people who jumped out when Indy and his son were “grave-digging” kinda creeped me out and made the movie less enjoyable. Also, the part about looking into the skull and having the skull tell you everything kinda went against Christian beliefs.

So, I am probably more negative than positive on this one.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Maddy, age 14
Neutral—Well, let’s start off by saying if you are a true die hard Indy fan you may be a little skeptical towards this movie. Although I truly loved it and found it to be awesome back on the big screen it left me feeling a little empty. Everything was set right for an Indiana Jones flick, but it lacked the character development some movie fans love to see.

Ok, having said that, the violence of this movie is comparable to that of Spider-man, Hulk, Iron man, and Batman. So if you let your 10 year old to see those it is appropriate to let them see this movie. Well, you might be thinking “Is my child going to understand the plot line?” Well, I have a friend who took his 10 year old daughter to see this movie and she pointed out aspects of the plot while skipping little nuances here and there, but she did understand what was going on. Ok now the issue of sex there was no sex in this movie and no sexual jokes so it was pretty clean, except for the cussing. I counted 5 or 6 SOB's and a couple d-words. I really did not here the Lord's name taken in vain. So overall I would allow my child (If I had a child) I would allow them to see this movie.

WARNING PLOT SPOILER *****
This movie was totally awesome. There is something I feel I must address. As a young Christian, I was a little disturbed by the plot. I thought that the plot was well thought out, but it still had some crazy additives such as (IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE A SPOILER, PLEASE DON'T LOOK) aliens. Yes, aliens as most of you know because you saw the movie. As a Christian, I was wondering do aliens exist or not. So I did a little research and turns out they don't. (See are we alone, or is there life elsewhere in the universe?) I liked how they depicted the alien and what it wanted, but as a Christian I thought Yeah right.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Joseph Sims, age 17

What does the Bible say about intelligent life on other planets? Answer

Are we alone in the universe? Answer

Does Scripture refer to life in space? Answer

Negative
Negative—I loved Raiders, and I loved the Last Crusade. I really didn't like The Temple of Doom, it was disgusting, filled with evil things and disgusting images. This new movie makes the same mistakes all over again. The first movie Steven and George wrote together, the next just Lucas, the third was written by both again I believe. This new movie was written by George Lucas alone. I really had a hard time not just with the disgusting things throughout the movie, things I would never want my kids to see, (The previews before the movie were almost worse, not many family friendly previews here) but totally unbelievable stunts, just like in Temple of Doom. The entire second half of the movie was filled with the most amazing stunts that looked completely fake and unbelievable. Harrison Ford did a great job, the new kids was OK, but no Indy! Not having Sean Connery in this was a big loss, but starting with a horrible story, there was just now way of making this any good at all. Isn't the Jones character based on an actual archeologist who is a Christian who actually does find amazing things that prove the Bible's accuracy? Maybe that's why the only two movies that have done well have those types of findings, I don't know. Please Hollywood, learn from your mistakes, and make movies I can bring my kids to!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1
Tim Stromer, age 40
Negative—I wanted to like this film, but it was not funny and seemed a tad bit too new age. This was a waste of my time and money. I walked out after the key scene towards the end and did not see the marriage ceremony. I wanted to walk out earlier than that. The audience was very silent and I think it was because we couldn't believe Spielberg and Lucas could make such a bad movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Nick Martinez, age 48
Negative—This film remind me of a champion boxer who's taken on one fight too many. It must have been tempting for Spielberg to make another Indiana Jones movie, but he should really quit when he was ahead. This is a huge disappointment. The chief problem seems to be the script which is not only confused by stretches credibility to the point where you can no longer suspend your disbelief. It is essentially a reworking of what was in the earlier movies, but now on a more wordy, less jokey and frankly tired basis. In all the Indiana Jones films one has to suspend disbelief, of course, but I found it irritating to do so with a plot as stupid as this.

Harrison Ford exudes his usual charm but he does look old and tired—I mean, he's 5 years older than me and I found it impossible to belief he would have licked the huge Russian soldier he consigned to the killer ants. The rest of the cast are frankly wasted on the cardboard characters. No Spielberg film is without interest and this one sparkled in places. But considering the standard the great director set himself in the first three movies of the series, this must be considered a huge disappointment.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 2
Ken Edwards, age 60
Negative—“I felt sorry for Harrison Ford” Having anticipated the release of Indy’s latest debut, I walked out of the theater less than impressed and in fact very disappointed at wasting my time and money. I would even have to say that I felt sorry for Harrison Ford. Although I consider this episode to be much cleaner than its predecessors, it was the lack of realism that caught me off guard. There were parts that made me think of it as a comic parody to the Indy character, in which a computer artist was having fun putting him in the most absurd situations possible. I had to wonder how Ford himself felt about it as bringing to climax the character that has been the most enduring legacy out of his whole career. There were some great scenes of action and suspense, but it was riddled with such unbelievable computer generated sequences and stunts that it took the thrill out of the ride. In short, this film was built on Neo-Hollywood production techniques devoid of the characteristics that gave Indy his original fame.

In conclusion I do have something positive to say, there was less cussing (even on the part of his long lost girlfriend, Marion) as well as an absence of the sexual tones that stole some of the excitement and thrills in the previous episodes. It was great to see Indy again and Marion wasn't a bad addition. He hasn't lost his edge for adventure. Hopefully, he hasn't lost his dignity and will indulge us with a more realistic concluding episode.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 2½
Jp, age 38
Negative—Ever since studying a little math, a little physics, and lately, a little mechanics, I'm slightly more perceptive of vacuums, pressures in general, etc. It's hard to swallow that an atomic bomb can blow up a whole neighborhood but leave a lead refrigerator in tact. It can throw a fridge a mile away from its kitchen and toss its occupant around like a ragdoll, but it doesn't leave so much as a scratch on the food box nor its occupant. Sturdy that lead is… Dr. Henry Jones II survives a full-out nuclear blast. Seeing as the Indy franchise continues to withstand the test of time, it's only natural that such an iconic character can survive the ultimate weapon in man's devastating arsenal.

The movie fails to recover from that point on. Without spoiling anything for Indy enthusiasts, I'll exercise discretion in what follows. Know this: save your dime and wait for your friend to rent it.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Jacob Keenum, age 21
Negative—This movie was a great disappointment. While Spielberg and Lucas did their usual movie “magic,” the content of this film was nothing more than the age-old rant that “knowledge is power”—power much more valuable than human life. The occultic theme of the movie was pervasive. The film is very graphically violent and much too intense for younger children. Once again, Hollywood would have us believe that any form of higher intelligence comes from aliens and God is non-existent. My husband called the script “lame and unimaginative” and my 17 and 18 year old daughters thought the movie was “terrible.” We rarely go to movies anymore because the majority of them are so offensive. I wish we had passed on this one, too. They got the end right—man's thirst for knowledge/power will ultimately be his demise.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Renee, age 56
Negative—If you miss this one you'll be better off and you won't have to worry about your children or yourself being brainwashed with Earthly, devilish and deceptive content.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Cassie, age 45
Negative—Went to see Indiana Jones tonight. As a HUGE Indiana Jones fan, I'm sorry to say it was terrible. Just a terrible storyline with too many characters and unbelievable action. Part of the success of the previous movies was the realistic action. This movie uses too much CGI to try to dazzle us with the action. It just doesn't have the feel of an Indiana Jones movie. I thought the opening sequence was pretty lame, certainly nowhere near as good as the other three movies. Although all of the movies have kind of hokey mystical endings, this one really takes the cake. The movie jumps from scene to scene too quickly. Pretty much wasted performances by Karen Allen, Ray Winstone and especially John Hurt. Cate Blanchett is pretty good as the enemy. But because of all the different characters there isn't as much of Indy himself. On the plus side, I wasn't expecting much from Shia LeBouf's character, Mutt Williams. However, he makes a memorable first appearance on a motorcycle, and is very good throughout the movie (except for the Tarzan sequence). As far as objectionable material, it's about the same as the other movies. Mutt Williams utters an unnecessary use of the S-word, there's the usual mummified dead bodies and some gross deaths. This movie will make a lot of money in the first week, but once word of mouth gets out, I expect a big drop in the second week.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Travis Palmer, age 34
Negative—Save your money and do not watch this film! If you are a rational person, who cannot stand the overuse of deus ex machina, and who hates cheesy screenwriting, then you will not enjoy this work.

I knew this movie was going downhill as soon as I witnessed Indy survive a nuclear bomb blast—by hiding inside a refrigerator! Who knew? But it doesn't end there; Indiana Jones survives volleys of bullets, three waterfalls, and being beat up severely. Even for the Indiana Jones franchise this is ridiculous. Save your money, and wait until Batman is released.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 2½
Cornelius Christian, age 20
Negative—I was deeply disappointed by this film on a number of different levels. Having seen all three of the previous movies I had an expectation (not too unrealistic I thought) that this would be a “worthy” installment. In my opinion though it is by far the weakest of them all. My reasons are as follows:

1. The plot was too far fetched and never really engages you on the same level that any of the other movies did. In particular how Indy's son mutt, Marion, and even Indy himself are introduced into the task of returning the skull were tortuous.

2. The character of Indiana and Marion's son “mutt” was especially irksome. There were a lot of attempted humor that never really came off. One can only hope that he never takes on his father's mantle… What's more Kate Blanchett's character simply lacks any real “depth” as a serious foe to our beloved hero—and to make the Soviet Union the bad guys just seems so par se today…See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1½
Mark, age 37
Negative—What a waste of time and money. Wait for it to come out on DVD. Just because it is a box office hits, does not mean it is good. People flock to see this film, in the hopes that it might deliver. And it does not. I spoke with various people who went to see this film, and all agreed that it was poorly done, bad acting, lack of action and suspense and just overall not entertaining. Go and read the user reviews on Yahoo and see that thousands gave this movie a poor rating and thought it was very poorly done. I give this 3 stars.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Joseph Arkins, age 29
Negative—I just watched this movie with my wife and 4 year old daughter yesterday and I told my wife I was disappointed. The movie is still entertaining but until about 60% of it when every detail starts pointing to an alien concept. Raiders Of The Lost Ark and the other installments were more believable than this one. In Raiders, the concept was closer to the Biblical aspect of the ark and it would've been more plausible for what seems to be the last part to follow that path. Instead, we find Harrison Ford’s exit plagued by a bad script and overwhelming CGI effects that made this film overrated. The film is based on a pagan concept coupled with New Age flavor. I don't think it's worth watching in the theaters—my advice is just to wait for it to come to DVDs.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Tades Jacob, age 40
Negative—We went and saw it tonight cause we had no kids. I was looking forward to it, but with a little trepidation because of a Nancy Drew computer game that also has the crystal skull theme and I really feel like they stole the idea (another reason is because of a name mentioned in the very first of the movie that is VERY prominent in the Nancy Drew games).

But anyway, the beginning of the movie was horrible! I mean it was not sex or anything, but you could really tell they where on a sound stage. It looked SO FAKE! I even mentioned it to DH while we were sitting there and he agreed.

I think this was the WORST MOVIE of all 4 of them. I don't think a lot of thought when into it to be honest about it. The ending WAS HORRIBLE!! So so so so so so so far fetched for a IJ movie it was almost silly. I sat there most of the time with a scrunched up face thinking, 'Whah?????'

So I wouldn't waste your $$ to be honest about it, wait for the video or don't even watch it at all.

BUT— Shia LaBeouf (or however you spell his name was good and it was nice to have Karen Allen back).
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Rebecca, age 35
Negative—I was a youngster when I first beheld the awe of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Then the Temple of Doom came and went, and then years later I was refreshed to see the franchise awaken again with The Holy Grail.

And now, this piece of work…

This whole movie was wrong on so many levels!
-The introduction of psychic ability that went nowhere…
-How Mutt just happened to find Indy leaving on the train…
-An unbelievable jungle fight scene in vehicles that left my eyes bleeding.
-The waterfall scenes were laughable, just completely felt brain dead after seeing them survive the first one.
The whole script seemed rushed and thrown together… I didn't care about anyone except me trying to keep more blood from shooting straight out of my eyes!!!See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½
D. Caine Calhoun, age 35
Negative—I grew up along with countless others on the Indiana Jones movies. Can't say I liked the Temple of Doom, but the writing and direction of them were done very well. The Crystal Skull was a major disappointment. This is as corny as they come. I can suspend belief only so far. This movie asked for way too far. I will say that Spielberg's part of the film was superb. That is why I gave it an overall rating of 3. I was very disappointed in George Lucas and his writing. Lucas needs to keep the aliens in his Star Wars movies. They work better there. The only Christian redemption of the whole movie (spoiler) is that Indy and Marion get married in a Christian church. Which only lasts about 2 minutes in a 2 hour movie. Save your money and your time.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Dawn, age 36
Comments from young people
Positive—Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the best movie of 2008, hands down. Harrison Ford is as good as he was in Raiders, Temple, and Last Crusade, and Shia LaBeouf was surprisingly good, too. There's quite a bit of action, of course, and two sequences stand out: a KGB agent gets eaten by ants, and Irina Spalko, the main enemy, is set on fire by aliens. Also, there is a bit of profanity, like a**, b*st*rd, b**ch, sh*t and bullsh*t, but there are no f-bombs. Even with that, Indiana Jones 4 is a great movie that isn't just about action. It talks about the importance of family, and the danger of communism. So overall, Indiana Jones 4 is worth the wait and I recommend it to any Christian who is over ten and is a fan of the old Indy movies.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Will, age 14
Positive—I am an Indiana Jones fan and I have been looking forward to seeing this movie for the past months. I was impressed at how the movie was made. It was not at all like the other Indiana Jones movies. For one, Harrison Ford is a LOT older, so there is not quite as much fighting from him I noticed (but there is a lot of action)! Also, the adventure was based on aliens. You didn't see aliens that much, though. You really only see its bones and once it comes to life at the end of the movie (the crystal skull was an alien's skull). It was kind of a shock that aliens would be involved but it was still a worth while movie. Only a few times did they cuss and there was no sexuality. The movie did loose me too sometimes. It was a little hard for me to understand because so many things were happening at once. Me, my eight year old brother, and my mom went to see it… we all loved it!!! I would highly recommend this to Indiana Jones fans (make sure you have seen the first Indiana Jones movie, it will help you understand this one)!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Corrin, age 12
Neutral—This movie was different than I expected, In good and bad ways. The beginning of the movie was a normal swashbuckling Indiana Jones movie, but then it just got weird. (SPOILERS!! BEWARE) The solution to the movie was “aliens,” and there was a UFO, which didn't make much sense. This movie also had more language than I was comfortable with. The part that really bothered me was that there was this one time where Indiana Jones was fighting with this guy around all these man-eating ants, and the guy falls back into the ants and you get a close-up shot of him screaming while big ants are pouring into his mouth and nose! A lot of parts of this movie were enjoyably cheesy: The whole “Oh, of course, this is going to happen” kind of thing. I would have to say that this movie was watchable, but don't expect a lot. P.S. I am happy to say that nobody's face gets melted off!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Brooke, age 13
Positive—This movie was a good movie overall. Even though it goes a little over the top at times, it was still fun and enjoyable to watch. Harrison Ford did a good job for his age, and Shia LaBeouf will entertain the teens and young people. There is some profanity and the Lord’s name here and there, but nothing to bad compared to other PG-13 movies. The action is old school, nothing really bad. Overall, it is good and entertaining. For the most part, lives up to its name.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Tommie, age 15
Neutral—This is a very good, but very cheesy movie. The stunts and plot are very unrealistic. The beginning and middle are very fun to watch, but the ending is absolutely ridiculous. I saw it with some of my friends, and all of us were able to predict exactly what would happen next because of how predictable the unrealistic action was.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Michael, age 13
Negative—I have never been a huge fan of Indiana Jones, but I have seen two of the previous three. I was very disappointed with this one and left the theatre early, the story line was poorly written and there was a lot of things that it showed that I did not want to see. It was very creepy and stupid. DO NOT get deceived by the PG rating it should at least be 14A. It was a lot different than the other three. But if you are a fan of horror movies than it might not be as bad as I described. two thumbs down.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 2½
Aaron Schmidt, age 12
Positive—If you are reading and hearing reviews from christians that say this movie supports any thing satan would want us to see that's completely under their own opinion. Before I saw this movie I was looking forward to see some Indiana Jones action and thrills. And I got everything I wanted. If you say that this movie is not appropriate for christians, you might as well just say all the Indiana Jones movies are not appropriate for christians to see. I don't think it's bad. It's just another classic Indiana Jones adventure. As far as content goes, there are only a few swear words that include “son of a b****,” “d***,” “s***,” and “h***.” I found absolutely nothing sex-related. But there is one scene that may be a little scary for some one who isn't a pre-teen. I don't want to spoil it. I recommend this for anyone, pre-teen and up, who likes Indiana Jones and/or action-adventure movies.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Zac P., age 13
Positive—“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is a sequel worthy of the name. While not perfect (or the best in the series) it is highly entertaining and worth the price of admission. As for offensive content, really the movie is quite clean, no sexual content, a little language but not a lot and the violence is pretty clean. In the end it is a pretty good film that I would recommend.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Joshua, age 14
Neutral—I saw this movie with my dad. We thought it was OK but I've definitely seen better movies. The violence got so unrealistic, it got boring after a while. I don't recommend this movie for children under 10.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Kathryn Graham, age 11
Neutral—I thought this movie was good! I loved it. It was funny, sometimes thrilling. The ending was weird. Some sort of aliens and a UFO spaceship. Overall, the movie was good to me. A couple thing's in the movie were confusing and the term if there is a “God” was used by Indiana Jones. No horrible language. I liked the movie .Thought the ending could have been a lot better. I wouldn't take anyone under 12 or 13 to go see the movie because they might not understand a whole lot about it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Allie, age 15
Positive—Overall, I thought this was a good sequel. I love Indiana Jones, and although my favorite is still Last Crusade, this was a good movie. The special effects were AWESOME!!! There wasn't as much action/adventure as the old movies, this was more of a “cliffhanger” type where you have to keep watching to find out what's next! The gore was disappointing, where you see huge ants pouring into a man's mouth as he's screaming. That was the worst. There were also about a hundred skeletons, so if they creep you out you don't want to see this movie! There was also a pagan theme, that also disappointed me. But overall, I thought this was great for a sequel for a movie made such a long time ago! I recommend this movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Chelsie W., age 14
Negative—What a disappointment! [***Spoilers***] The other Indiana Jones seemed to acknowledge a powerful God (The Ark of the Covenant in the first) and a divine Christ (The Holy Grail in the third). However, this one went in the complete opposite direction, and was heavy in the entire alien fanaticism. As soon as the plot leaned into the ET content, I was lost and unimpressed. I also believe that there was an excessive amount of unnecessary CGI. On the other hand, there are a lot of reminiscent moments in the movie. Although the older Indiana Jones was strange at first, I quickly got over it. Even so, if you are an Indiana Jones fan (especially if you grew up with the series, I imagine) skip this installment, and leave Indy riding into the sunset with his companions.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Samuel Chavarria, age 15
Positive—This was a very good movie! There weren't many profanities or questionable content compared to other PG-13 movies being released lately. There is quite a bit of violence but not much blood (just bloody noses and a few cuts). There are also quite a few skeletons and corpses. Since this movie is PG-13 there is content that would be scary for kids so their parents should view it first. All in all, it was a great movie and if you are an Indiana Jones or an action movie fan, you will love it!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Hannah, age 16
Positive—This movie was awesome! I loved it! Harrison Ford proved he can still do the coolest stuff even though he's in his sixties. This is tied for me with The Last Crusade for the best movie in the franchise. But there is a lot of offensive material. Observe(contains spoilers!)-

First off—Indy has an illegitimate child. Every Christian knows this is a horrible sin. But I think in the film, Indy looks upset about his bad behavior and regrets it.
2. There is a lot of profanity in this movie! G*d, d*mn, b*tch, a*s, and sh*t are all used frequently.
3. This is probably the second most violent film in the series (Temple of Doom comes first). There's lots of punching, kicking, shooting, swordplay, and explosions. There's also some gruesome stuff such as coughing up blood, eyes catching on fire then disintegrating, and man-eating ants. YES, man-eating ants.

So that's it. I'd recommend it if you like the series and don't mind the stuff mentioned above.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Sam, age 12
Negative—I have seen all the Indiana Jones movies and I must say I like them in order they came out. Raiders was groundbreaking and the best action/adventure film, Temple of Doom was interesting but not recommended for kids under 13, and Last Crusade was kind of boring, yet an Indy movie and I still liked it for Sean Connery… But “Kingdom of the Dumb Alien Skull from Star Trek” (that's what it's called right?) was a big disappointment. I knew it would be a little different but not as horrible as it was. Indy has a son! and did I say there were Aliens! Aliens!! Sorry, but aliens belong in “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” and “Signs” not “Indiana Jones.” If you want Sci-Fi set in 1950, then watch this, but if you want true Indy, then watch The first two.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 1
Michael Bush, age 15
Negative—Bad. Flat out bad. My friend and I went to see it expecting it to be wonderful! (How could anything NOT be with Harrison Ford in it?) Anyway, we went to see it and were very disappointed: it was scary, they swore violently every two sentences and the plot was rather… pointless. I mean aliens? Come on! We found it to be very terrifying what with the giant flesh eating ants and the scary skull people. It was so supernatural and un-Christ like. We came out of the theater in shock at its frightening state, though Cate Blanchett did a good job. I find it rather absurd how they make McDonald's toys of this movie when in reality it's terrible and no where near the right morality for young children who actually play with the toys. I do not recommend this to younger people in any way, but it is an exciting film, I will grant you that! Never a dull moment. But, not the best movie ever… let's just say that.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Emily, age 13
Positive—I just saw this film with my dad and sister and I thought it was great. There's a few curse words but nothing terrible. the only really violent part was when the guy got eaten by the ants but that was about it. If you liked the previous indy movies you'll love this one! 2 thumbs up!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Brian, age 16
Positive—I saw this movie with my dad. I loved it. Yes, their were a few bad words in it wasn't strong language. I mean, you find that kind of language in PG rated movies. It was very violent in some parts which is why I do not recommend this movie to very young children. I think that this movie is appropriate for ages nine or ten up. But then, that's just my opinion.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Kathryn, age 11
Positive—I liked all of these movies, but this one was not very good. I did not like the plot, and some of the actors weren't very good. It was not what I expected, he gets married on this one. It was not bad, no sex or anything—a few bad words like the b-word and d-word. I would not really want to watch it over and over again. …
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Tim, age 10 (USA)
Neutral—Okay, so I'm a huge Indy fan. I love all the movies. I mean, who couldn't love Indiana Jones? He's so cool. But I labeled this “Neutral” because although I enjoyed the movie (it was funny, exciting, thrilling, suspenseful), its moral rating wasn't acceptable. For instance, Marion has such a foul mouth. It is ridiculous. I don't like sitting through a movie and wincing when people cuss at every other word! And the storyline… it was kind of weird. Not as amazingly put together like the previous movies. Almost like they just threw it together for more $$$. It's been about six months since I've seen the movie so I hope I've covered everything. I'd recommend this movie for people about 13 and up. Maybe mature 12 year olds.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Vicki , age 15 (USA)
Positive—I thought this movie was pretty good overall. Yes, the story wasn't that great, but other than that, and a couple of other minor issues, the movie was surprisingly clean and enjoyable. What surprised me was that there was only a small amount of profanity in the movie. Even Marion didn't say much objectional stuff. I've seen kid movies with more profanity than Indy. There was little or no sexuality in the movie, which was surprising, and nothing at all sensual. Th,e violence was probably on level with the first movie, possibly even less than, and it trends more towards “Raiders…” instead of “Temple of Doom.”

The only thing I found really offensive was the story, and primarily the idea that aliens were responsible for the economies of the Mayans. That was annoying, and that was the biggest letdown in this movie from the others. Raiders had a majestic theme to it, while this one ends with pitiful looking aliens that don't even belong in any movie…much less Indy.

Everything else was great, and I was surprised, given the usual staple of movies, at how clean this movie was. Great movie for 13+, some parts would be too scary for younger kids.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Joshua, age 15 (USA)