Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review

Messages: Although there's plenty of havoc (and even some double-crosses that endanger Indy), it all appears to be for the greater good. Ingenuity, teamwork, and trying to do the right thing are ultimately rewarded, although some of Indy's methods are iffy.

Role models: Indy is brave, resourceful, loyal, and smart, and he's dedicated to preserving historical artifacts and protecting them from those who would misuse them. That said, you probably don't want your kids imitating him, especially given the violence he's forced to use. On the downside, enemies are portrayed one-dimensionally as purely evil, and there's lots of bickering between a few of the characters.

Violence: Characters shoot at each other; there's lots of punching, kicking, and shoving; swords are pointed at enemies' throats; characters attack each other with guns and swords from moving cars in one extended scene. Minor characters are killed in various ways -- gunfire, falls, crashes, etc. One group goes out in flames when a powerful rocket ignites. A few parts may scare young kids -- especially a sequence in which a sea of killer ants engulfs victims, or an early scene in which Indy is nearly the victim of an atomic bomb test (scary images of mushroom clouds and exploding houses/mannequins). Lots of skulls and mummies and other spooky-for-young-children elements.

Sex: Some sexual banter, but nothing terribly lewd.

Language: A few uses of words like "bulls--t," "shut up," "son of a bitch," and "damn." One or two "s--t"s.

Consumerism: Not an issue

Drinking, drugs and smoking: One character appears inebriated at one point, but it's just implied.