Trying to revive a franchise is a double edged sword: if it sticks too closely to the formula it can be criticised for rehashing used ideas, if it breaks away it runs the risk of failure. With The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Steven Spielberg and his talented crew of A-list filmmakers have made a conscious effort to include all the elements that made the first three films work so well, while exploring new territories in an attempt to show the audience something new.

The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull starts off with the typical ‘third act’ from another plotline. When the Raiders March began to play and the all too familiar shadow of Indy puts on his hat, I was instantly transformed in to a wide-eyed little boy with an excited grin across his face. The beginning is quite literally explosive and despite being a little silly, will draw you right back into Indy’s universe. The film settles briefly to introduce Indy’s sidekick Mutt Williams, played by Shia LeBoeuf, and provide some exposition to explain the importance of the titular macguffin. A couple of scenes later and they’re sprinting off in an action-packed race against the Russians to find the mysterious crystal skulls.

Rest assured that they have got all the elements that we all remember and love very, very right. The action is as exciting as it has ever been, never missing a beat with both moments that will make you squirm and sequences that will have your pulse racing. Indy is still the dry and witty adventurer that he always was and Harrison Ford shows that it really isn’t the years – it’s the mileage that counts. The rest of cast are equally as fantastic, making the most of their roles no matter how big or small. Although Cate Blanchett is effective as the wonderfully archetypal Russian baddie and LeBoeuf is very likable as the young, rebellious whippersnapper, it is the return of Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood that is the film’s major triumph. Indy and Marion’s love-hate relationship is like a familiar friend, anchoring the film in the type of strong character narrative that made The Last Crusade such a brilliant film.

However, major changes have also been made to update the formula to fit a 1950s setting. Visually The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull departs from the original films, evoking a colourful Norman Rockwell-esque portrait of the 50s. With the exception of a heavy-handed reference to Marlon Brando in The Wild One and Shia LeBoeuf’s oddly coiffed hair, Spielberg has no problem in capturing the essence of the decade that he grew up in. It is in the thematic alterations to the Indiana Jones design that the film begins to stumble.

If you didn’t already know that ‘aliens’ are involved in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull don’t worry, I’m not giving much away. In the same way that the first three Indy films are heavily influenced by the pulpy movie serials of the 1930s, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull draws upon the B-movies of the 1950s. Many of these films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers used science fiction to reflect the socio-political sentiments of the times, playing on the American public’s fear of being infiltrated and assimilated by communists, and while I understand the reasoning behind The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull adopting these themes, it also seems the most miscalculated part of the film. The Eric Von Daniken style plot mixes too many genres and is severely overplayed, creating a convoluted story that may put some people off.

The problem with a film this big is the filmmakers have free reign over the project. Contrary to popular opinion filmmakers do need boundaries – Spielberg admitted himself that the only reason that he didn’t show more of the shark in Jaws was that he didn’t have access to the technology to do so. However, he managed to use those limitations to create a suspenseful masterpiece that remains one of his strongest films to date. When filmmakers get as big as Steven Spielberg or George Lucas, there is no one to provide the restraint that they need. The weakest parts of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull are unsurprisingly the parts where proceedings get a little over the top and push the audience’s suspension of disbelief; had it focused less on the slightly peculiar macguffin and more on the character and relationship elements of the film, this could have been an Indy film to match Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. As it stands it’s more Temple of Doom.

Make no mistake about it – this is a very enjoyable and well made film that is definitely worth watching at the cinema. I’d take slightly substandard Indy film over most of what Hollywood has to offer, any day of the week. I just happen to agree with Harrison Ford when he said “The mysterio-crypto elements are not really my bag – I like the relationship elements, the adventure element.”

Oh yeah, and someone needs to tell George Lucas to stop writing about aliens.