‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

It's the 1950s, not the '30s. The Soviet Union's crafty communists have replaced Nazi Germany's goose-stepping goons as the deadly enemies of truth, justice and the American Way.

But this is no job for Superman.

Good thing, then, that Indiana Jones is back on the job. Scratch that: great thing.

It has been 19 years since Indy (the inimitable, indispensable Harrison Ford) rode off into the sunset in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Happily, that proved the penultimate crusade, because along comes "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" to demonstrate there's plenty of life in the old bullwhip-cracker yet.

Some of us feared that, by now, any revival would have to be titled "Indiana Jones and the Rest Home of Doom."

But the passage of time, while undeniable, works in mysterious ways -- especially onscreen.

Accordingly, the biggest of "Crystal Skull's" many wonders may be the way it so gleefully recaptures the spirit that made 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark" an instant classic -- and its rascally hero an instant icon.

Just as Indy himself hunts for treasured artifacts that bring the past alive, so "Crystal Skull's" creators (director Steven Spielberg and executive producer George Lucas, who created Indiana Jones with fellow filmmaker Philip Kaufman) love to travel back in time, plundering moments from past movie magic and breathing new life into them.

The original "Raiders" template revived those cheapie cliffhanger serials of the '30s and '40s, in which the daredevil good guy would meet, and survive, certain disaster in every astounding chapter. "Raiders" strings every chapter together, relating a tale told often (but never as well) with irresistible flair.

Using its '50s setting to expand the cinematic vocabulary, "Crystal Skull" catapults Indy into the Cold War era, enabling Spielberg and screenwriters Lucas and David Koepp ("Jurassic Park," "Spider-Man") to add space aliens, rock 'n' roll rebels and skulking Commie spies to an already delectable mix.

"Crystal Skull" opens somewhere in the Nevada desert (played by somewhere in the New Mexico desert), the site of a mysterious government repository, where Indy and World War II buddy George "Mac" McHale (a hale and hearty Ray Winstone) find themselves confronting Soviet infiltrators led by the nefarious Col. Irina Spalko (Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett, having a blast as a steely, unstoppable comrade).

Determined to invade the United States the newfangled way -- via mind control -- Irina and her cohorts hope to commandeer "Crystal Skull's" mystical title artifact to achieve their nefarious ends. (Shades of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers.")

But, as always, Indy has other ideas -- including outrunning the Russkies, trekking across the desert and making it back east to teach his next archaeology class at staid Marshall College.

The graying, sometimes grouchy professor may not inspire worshipful coeds to write "Love You" on their eyelids anymore (as they did in "Raiders"), but he still knows how to attract attention: from FBI and KGB agents, to be sure, but also from motorcycle-riding rebel Mutt Williams (plucky Shia LaBeouf), who wields a mean switchblade and spends far too much time worrying about the state of his Brylcreemed ducktail hairdo.

Mutt's also worried about somebody else: Professor Oxley (a grizzled John Hurt), another archaeology colleague of Indy's, who's somewhere in South America, along with Mutt's mom, Marion (Karen Allen, reprising her "Raiders" role in feisty fashion).

They're all on the trail of that pesky crystal skull, all of which sets the stage for a thrill-packed jungle jaunt including, but not limited to, tire-screeching motorcycle chases, daring swordfights from the backs of speeding trucks, death-defying plunges over multiple waterfalls, giant flesh-eating ants (clearly, I'm not the only fan of the 1954 Charlton Heston-versus-the-ants romp "The Naked Jungle") and a fateful pilgrimage inside a mysterious pyramid that may hold the key to life on earth -- and beyond. (Never fear, there also will be snakes. If it's an Indiana Jones movie, there must always be snakes.)

Some churls will, no doubt, stubbornly refuse to get into the spirit of things and pick apart the many illogical moments scattered through "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" like so many glittering crystals. But their very lack of logic, combined with the breathless, breakneck pace at which these ridiculously entertaining occurrences unfold, is exactly the point.

To that end, cinematographer Janus Kaminski (who has been Spielberg's director of photography since "Schindler's List"), downplays his own somber style to recapture "Raiders" cinematographer Douglas Slocombe's wide-eyed perspective, adding to the movie's old-school feel. (I also love the way he and Spielberg revive "Raiders' " use of shadows-on-the-wall silhouettes, as if the characters were watching themselves in their very own adventure movie.)

And it's downright refreshing to witness a movie so fully alive to its own antic sense of humor, without any self-conscious, wise-guy irony to get in the way of the fun.

If you care to explore, "Crystal Skull" does have a few semiserious things to say about time's inevitable passage, life's inevitable losses -- and the can-do determination that says it's never too late to learn, and fight for, whatever makes your life worth living.

Most of the time, however, you'll be too busy gripping the arm of your seat (or the arm of your companion), grinning giddily while you savor "Crystal Skull's" thrill-a-minute delights, to ponder the meaning of it all. Other than to stand up and cheer the welcome return of a cinematic hero for the ages.

Contact movie critic Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.