In case you were living under a rock last summer, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the newest adventure in the Indiana Jones series. The movie is set in 1957, with Harrison Ford dusting off his old fedora as Professor Jones. Karen Allen returns as his former love interest, Shia LaBeouf as the son he didn’t know he had, and Cate Blanchett as the Soviet villianess in search of the coveted Crystal Skull of Akator. (Love the hair, Cate!)

Thanks to a very absurd scene where Indy escapes a nuclear blast by hiding in a lead lined refrigerator, the movie also spawned the pop colloquialism, “nuke the fridge,” which has replaced “jump the shark” in the popular lexicon. Leave it to Speilberg to start a new phrase.

Yes, between the fridge and the space aliens, the movie can be goofy at times. But it’s also full of awesome chase scenes, cool stunts, and scary bugs. Does Harrison Ford make Indy believable 20 years later? You bet! Indy is the coolest archeologist around, and like fine wine, gets better with age.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released last month as a two-disc special edition DVD and Blu-ray loaded with many bonus features that allow viewers to accompany the filmmakers and cast on a behind-the-scenes journey in the making of the latest (last?) in the Indiana Jones franchise. But if you don’t have any of the Indian Jones films on DVD, check out the Indiana Jones – The Complete Adventure Collection, which contains Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It may be the set to get this holiday season.

(Thanks to Click-comm.com for the review copy. Sssh, don’t tell Nathan that Santa’s hidden it away.)

Learning more about crystal skulls and archeology

 One thing I like about the Indiana Jones movies is that they make archeology look exciting and fun. While real archeologists aren’t running around getting chased by Nazis, Soviets, and space aliens, it’s still a fascinating area of study. Here are some books to help you and your family explore it more.

Crystal Skulls

Note: these are adult books and deal with the spiritual mysteries behind the crystal skulls. This may conflict with your own personal beliefs, so read the book descriptions carefully before letting your older children read them.

• The Crystal Skulls: Astonishing Portals to Mans Past (Indiana Jones)
• The Mystery of the Crystal Skulls: Unlocking the Secrets of the Past, Present, and Future

Great books for kids on archeology

• Eyewitness: Archeology
• Hands-On Archaeology: Real-Life Activities for Kids
• Awesome Archaeology

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