When I first expressed my excitement over the new Indiana Jones flick, I was met with many looks of disdain. Sadly, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has received some very strong mixed reviews. While the antics of the new Indy movie may be termed “ridiculous,” what many young movie-goers fail to realize is that the original Indiana Jones trilogy is ridiculous as well--and that’s why we love it. In the first three films (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade) we saw nazi’s spontaneously catch on fire, hearts pulled through flesh, and a man age hundreds of years in a minute.The fact that aliens are the topic of research in this film shouldn’t make the viewer bat an eye. Indiana Jones has always been a fun ride in adventure, not reason, and the fourth installment manages to uphold the silly and lovable integrity of the originals. It has sword fights, chase scenes, puzzles, wit, and, to my surprise, also pays homage to the previous films (most particularly, the name of Jones’s son). Though set in 1957 (almost twenty years later than the Last Crusade) the stunts, images, and realism (or lack thereof) are consistent with the previous films, making it both nostalgic and entertaining. The acting is very well done--Harrison Ford remains a convincing intrepid and spirited Indy and, though no true fan can ever approve of Ford sharing the name “Jones” with anyone other than Sean Connery, Shia LaBeauf does a surprisingly good job as a young, headstrong Henry Jones III. Though Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark will remain the strongest piece in the series, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull does not fail to entertain for the full two hour run-time and is worthy of the Indiana Jones title and fame.