INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

(Rated PG-13)

For a guy who could be collecting Social Security, Harrison Ford remains surprisingly virile and tough, resolutely up to the challenge of cracking the whip and punching out the bad guys in yet another turn as Indiana Jones.

Jokes are being made about his age-challenged durability, as he returns in his latest adventure, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” One central character cracks wise that Indiana Jones must be about “80” years old, before learning quickly that this action hero is no ordinary senior citizen. Almost two decades after last playing the role of the archaeologist, Harrison Ford is in fine fettle as the academic who vastly prefers dangerous adventures.

Fortunately for us, Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones has weathered the years very well since “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” For the sake of chronological credibility and storyline continuity, this fourth installment of the adventures of the whip-toting, snake-hating, globe-trotting professor zooms past the dealings with the Nazis leading up to the full-blown Second World War and leaps to the nastiness of the Soviets during the Cold War era of 1957.

These dictatorial regimes are truly interchangeable, and when Indiana’s new nemesis appears in the slinky villainess form of Cate Blanchett’s Irina Spalko, you can only marvel at how she’s cut from the same mold of a psychotic Nazi. The Reds are just as eager to get their mitts on objects that possess highly curious powers, this time the legendary Crystal Skull of Akator.

Indiana’s exploits start with a real jolt. At a remote Nevada military base, Indiana and his sidekick Mac (Ray Winstone) barely escape a close scrape with nefarious Soviet agents under the command of the ice queen Soviet commander, the devastatingly beautiful Irina Spalko. After another close call with death, Professor Jones heads back to his duties at Marshall College, only to find out that his adventures have become a liability to the university.

On his way out of town, Indiana meets rebellious young Mutt Williams (Shia LeBeouf), who rides his motorcycle like Marlon Brando in “The Wild One” and combs his pompadour hairstyle with the vigor of Edd Byrnes in “77 Sunset Strip.”

Carrying a grudge and a proposition for the professor, Mutt seeks Indy’s help to make one of the most spectacular archaeological finds in history, namely the celebrated object of fascination, superstition and fear which can only be found in the remotest corners of Peru.

Heading to South America in search of the Crystal Skull is adventure enough when Indy and Mutt end up in the ancient tombs where danger lurks around every corner, and not just from the natives. They soon realize they are not alone in their search, as the Soviets are also hot on the trail of the crystal object that may confer extraordinary powers to potentially alter the balance of power.

This being an Indiana Jones adventure, of course, it goes without saying that the action is of the highest caliber, given the steady hand of director Steven Spielberg setting the stage. While there are some interesting revelations about Indiana, it’s also very rewarding to have Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood reappear at a very critical moment when Indy and Mutt are greatly outnumbered by the bad guys in the South American jungle. Ever spunky and resourceful, Marion is a very tough character, one who seems quite fitting to match wits with the Professor.

The action is so breathless in its pace and execution that it seems you need a scorecard to keep track of all the fights, chases and rounds of machine gunfire. There’s even a moment where Indy has to grapple with a big snake as a means to avoid quicksand. The Crystal Skull comes in handy to ward off hostile natives and armies of huge red ants. Best of all, Indiana Jones looks great wearing his fedora, though cracking the whip is what he does with panache. Forget the doubters and cynics.

You really can’t go wrong with Harrison Ford leading the charge in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” It’s a terrific launch for the summer movie season.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

Though its release date is not until June 3, I couldn’t wait to write about “Mannix: Season One,” the long-running detective drama starring Mike Connors as the tough and cynical Joe Mannix.

Having watched a few episodes, I am hooked on this show, which hearkens back to the golden age of the detective shows.

Mike Connors is one cool cat as the old-school detective with rugged good looks and the ability to trade punches with the bad guys. It’s easy to see why this show was so popular. The dialogue is great, and the action is even better.

I noticed that Mannix seems to get knocked unconscious in most episodes. He’s probably had more concussions than Troy Aikman.

In this first season, Mannix is employed by a big agency that relies on computers, while he sticks to his gut instincts. Naturally, his rough-and-tumble approach carries the day.

Another fun thing about “Mannix” is the appearance of many guest stars that remain recognizable nearly 40 years later.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

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