I should have known where the movie was heading when they found the alien sarcophagus and made the references to Roswell. My wife figured out the plot in the first five minutes. Instead I kept watching as Indy dodged more machine gun bullets than 007 and an outrageous sequence of paranormal events took place, eliminating the need for a decent plot or screenwriters with any remote knowledge of history. The truly great Indy movies (Raiders and the Last Crusade) incorporated just enough history to avoid being insulting to one’s intelligence. This movie incorporated just enough Scientology to make me vomit. I have had enough of the big headed aliens who gave us the Pyramids, plumbing and the longer lasting light bulb. It was the Pharaohs, the Romans and Thomas freaking Edison. I realize Indiana Jones is about as realistic as Rambo but this film was ludicrous.

The worst part of the movie was the quote Indiana makes to his son when they discover the true nature of the treasure. It must have been plagiarized from a Magic School Bus episode. “Knowledge was their treasure”? I was waiting for him to start a lecture on the importance of college.

Another aspect which really grinded my gears was the reintroduction of Marion from Raider of the Lost Ark. All that trouble so that she can have four lines and look like a smiling, half crazy soccer mom behind the wheel for the rest of the film. The marriage scene at the end was a nice way to end the series gracefully in case the film bombed with fans (which I believe it will).

On a bit of a tangent, that ridiculous biker outfit Henry Jr. was wearing when he rides up to the train was ripped off from Marlon Brando’s character in “The Wild Ones”. It was replicated right down to the vintage springer motorcycle. Very cheesy and indicative of the lack of originality in the entire film.

One can only wonder how the filmmakers ever thought this film would resonate with audiences. I imagine the exchange between Lucas and Spielberg must have gone something like this. After getting way too old, and losing all the imagination that made them famous, they decided to ruin another one of their old film franchises for a quick buck. Spielberg wanted to remake E.T. and Lucas (having already murdered the Star Wars series) argued for Indiana Jones. Due to their overly inflated egos they finally decided that they would have to combine both films into one big waste of two hours and an insult to anyone who appreciated the original films.

The bottom line is that C.G.I. effects and writers strikes have given these once great directors the idea that decent plots are no longer necessary in movies. They are content to release lousy computer generated cartoons that bear little resemblance to the original films we had all come to love.

And, yes, here, here, I agree with you, Chris– hearing a rumor that Indy 4 is “old-fashioned” only makes me want to see it more. Besides, there’s needs to be more pop culture for ‘old people’. And I don’t mean pop culture for baby boomers who are holding on to the last vestiges of their youth, but pop culture that implicitly says to people that it’s okay to grow old and become a senior citizen. Our culture is too youth-obsessed, and we need popular entertainment that lets audiences know that old-age isn’t a complete nightmare.