---
title: "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull"
critics_score: 60
critics_reviews: 16
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008): what the critics said

Critics' score 60 from 16 reviews: 8 positive, 4 mixed, 4 negative.

Most critics find it an acceptable return rather than a great one: eight of sixteen come down positive, and the praise clusters in the same places. Ford’s weary charm carries it, LaBeouf is a welcome sidekick, and Cate Blanchett’s villain is singled out more often than any set piece. Several reviews admire the opening stretch, with the early chase and the fridge scene mentioned as Spielberg at his most confident, and the practical stunt work is generally preferred to what follows.

The reservations gather in the second half. Once the story reaches the jungle, critics complain of convoluted plotting, heavier computer effects and a supernatural finale that even friendly reviews call hokum. The spread is wide: Den of Geek calls it a triumph, while The Guardian finds the revival pointless and The Hollywood Reporter a wearying onslaught that swamps story and character. A few also note the Russian villains never frighten the way the Nazis did.

## Radio Times — Andrew Collins

Rating 4/5. 

The film delivers exhausting but enjoyable Saturday matinée thrills with chases, giant ants, secret passageways and aliens. It is hard to dislike thanks to Ford's weary charm, LaBeouf as the new sidekick and an emphasis on old-school stuntwork.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-5kaz85/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull/)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 2008. 

The old magic still works in this fond reunion with an old friend that will not disappoint fans or new audiences as a summer blockbuster. It improves greatly once the treasure hunt and action sequences begin, with strong performances from Ford, LaBeouf and Allen balancing the spectacle.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull/4038995.article)

## Empire — Damon Wise

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2008. 

The critic calls it a minor triumph plucked from the jaws of disappointment, a real Indy movie that preserves the character's intelligence, urbanity and kick-arse cool while delivering slick fun action beats.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/indiana-jones-kingdom-crystal-skull-review/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2008. Festival review. 

The film avoids anticlimax and is entertaining in its own right thanks to Spielberg's skilled handling of stunts and effects, making it one of the better entries in the series even if not as iconic as Raiders. Supporting players like Blanchett shine amid solid action set pieces.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-jones19-2008may19-story.html)

## The AV Club — Scott Tobias

Rating B-. 22 May 2008. 

The review notes that while Spielberg orchestrates robust silliness with visual panache, the film fails to stick the landing after a strong start. The fun dissipates into noisy supernatural hokum as the story becomes overstuffed and labored.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull-1798204334)

## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2008. Festival review. 

The film is a boomer-friendly reunion adventure that keeps the mood light and PG-13 friendly while delivering familiar thrills with Harrison Ford returning as Indy. It serves up reunion energy but notes some softening in the series' edge compared to earlier entries.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/movies/22indy.html)

## The Telegraph — Sukhdev Sandhu

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 

The first 40 minutes are lean, delightful and terrifically handled with a brilliant fridge scene and exciting chase, but the film veers off course in the jungle with overly complicated plotting. Harrison Ford is fine, if a little stiff, and the script acknowledges his age while positioning a potential successor.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10526537/Indiana-Jones-and-the-Kingdom-of-the-Crystal-Skull-review.html)

## Time Out — Dave Calhoun

Rating 3/5. 18 May 2008. 

The film is an acceptable but minor thrill ride that lacks the punch and pace of the earlier entries, relying too much on spectacle and CGI rather than human stunts. It works as passable nostalgia and old-fashioned action-adventure but the sentimental ending feels excessive.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull)

## Total Film

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2008. 

It is neither the disaster some predicted nor the triumph others may claim; the new Russian villains do not convey the universal fear of the Nazis and the plotting is so-so, but Shia LaBeouf sails through the thrills and Ford can still crack the whip.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull-review/)

## The Times

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 25 May 2008. 

It is an entertaining if uninspired film that delivers what fans expect from the familiar formula of exposition and action, though it lacks a heroic moment that brings everything together perfectly. The cold war premise is treated as absurd as the film itself, but the execution feels formulaic.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull-the-sunday-times-review-527d8k37rtb)

## The New Yorker — David Denby

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2008. 

Reviving the series after 19 years was a mistake, as the blend of comedy and action is mostly gone, leaving stretches flat and dull despite a few dazzling sequences and strong turns like Cate Blanchett. Reckless daring feels missing, giving the film a faint aura of depression.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/06/02/indy-charts)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2008. 

The film feels like forcing an elderly elephant out of retirement to perform tricks, rendering it somewhat pointless despite some strong stunts and one flash of Spielberg brilliance. The familiar serial-adventure formula has lost its thrill amid overfamiliar tropes and underwhelming effects.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2008/may/23/actionandadventure.thriller)

## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2008. 

The critic calls the film bloated and disappointingly diminutive in imagination, with Ford's Indy reduced to a sourpuss crank. It relies on nostalgia and derivative set pieces rather than invention or genuine tension.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 2008. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film a wearying onslaught of action and effects that swamps any story or character relationships. It loses the wit and romance of earlier entries and feels like work for the cast and filmmakers.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/indiana-jones-kingdom-crystal-skull-2-125021/)

## Den of Geek — Mike Jennings

Rating 4 out of 5. 20 May 2008. 

The critic calls it an absolute triumph and a perfect tribute to the franchise, praising the action sequences performed practically and the nostalgic elements. Minor complaints include a rushed ending and one weak performance.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull-review/)

## Paste — Robert Davis

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2008. 

The critic finds the film fun but not as good as the original, praising the action sequences' clarity and realness, Cate Blanchett's villain, and the visual style, while complaining about the convoluted plot, flat jokes, and a finale that risks cheapening the myth.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/indiana-jones/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull.md