Two and 1/2 stars

On July 7, 1947, something fell from the sky and crashed among the deserted outskirts of a Roswell, N.M., ranch. Shortly thereafter, military personnel from a nearby base closed off the crash site, collected all remnants of debris and stamped a "Top Secret" classification upon the entire affair.

Which has only served to define this event as one of the seminal moments in the canon of UFO myths. This event also serves as the springboard for resurrecting one of George Lucas and Steve Spielberg's most iconic characters in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

Opening in Nevada 10 years later, the intrepid Dr. Jones (Harrison Ford) finds himself in the clutches of a covert team of Russians attempting to break into a secret U.S. military installation known only as "Area 51." Led by the coolly disciplined Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), the Russians need Jones to help them secure what they believe were alien remains from that fateful day in Roswell back in '47.

Although the efforts of the Communists are somewhat thwarted, in the aftermath, Jones finds his own interests aroused.

Unfortunately, the times being what they are, the government views Indy with an arched eyebrow for his questionable "involvement" with known Soviet factions.

Things become even more complicated when a cocky, motorcycle-riding daredevil introduces himself as Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), the son of a former academic associate of Indy's.

This "Rebel In Need of a Cause" is looking to Indy for assistance because his father and mother are missing; they disappeared while on an archeological expedition that may be linked to the Soviets' interest in Area 51.

And with that, Indy and his newfound friend are off on a journey to Peru and the deepest, darkest jungles of the South American rainforest. Adventure, old friends and otherworldly enlightenment await.

"The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" is the fourth installment in a series Lucas and Spielberg began back in 1981 with "Raiders of the Lost Ark." That film, which was an homage to the old cliffhanging Republic serials of the late '40s, was a wonderful piece of thrills and escapism that made Ford an action hero to be reckoned with and Lucas and Spielberg the masters of eye-dazzling entertainments.

Unfortunately, although the two follow-up films -- "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" -- might have had their moments, for various reasons, they ultimately paled in comparison to their predecessor. The same can be said of "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

At its best, the film has some excellent slam-bang action sequences, wonderful production values that perfectly resurrect the 1950s and Ford.

He shows that while Indy can still crack a whip or a quip, he has reconciled himself to being a much older man than he once was.

Where the film falls short is that its story (by Lucas, David Koepp and Jeff Nathanson) gets bogged down in its own exposition and narrative. If there's not a lot of talking and explaining going on, then there's confusion on where the story is and why. In short, the film plods more often than it soars.

This film doesn't evoke Republic cliffhangers as much as it does the quaintness of life during the Eisenhower era. Lucas and Spielberg view their newest offering as more of an excursion into nostalgia, wistfully portraying the '50s as more of an era of fun and frolic, as opposed to a time of conformity and fear and paranoia.

With 19 years separating "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" from Indy's "Last Crusade," it's easy to get the impression that the passing of time has dimmed the memory of Indy's creators. For this film is more "Indiana Jones Meets 'Happy Days'" than it is "Indiana Jones Embarks Once More Unto the Breech."