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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 11; suggested age 11.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Fourth Indy isn't perfect, but it's tons of fun.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 11 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Many double-crosses take place; a friend becomes disloyal, which endangers Indy; a long-buried lie is uncovered; enemies are portrayed one-dimensionally as purely evil; lots of bickering between a few of the characters (though there's lots of affection, too). Nevertheless, all of the havoc that takes place appears to be for the greater good.
  • Violence:

    Plenty of it, mostly played out in typical adventurous Indy fashion: 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). Also expect lots of skulls and mummies and other spooky-for-young-children elements.
  • Sex:

    Some sexual banter, but nothing 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:

    Period-accurate signage for buses, the U.S. Army, laundry soap, airlines (Pan Am).
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Very little. One character appears inebriated at one point, but it's just implied.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Parents need to know that Indiana Jones' fourth adventure is one of the most anticipated movies of the past 20 years, and kids will definitely want to see it. It bears the marks of classic Indy fare -- meaning lots of adventures, some of which (like a scene involving killer ants, or another involving an atomic bomb test) might be too spooky for younger kids. There's a supernatural and extra-terrestrial undercurrent and lots of punch-heavy good-guy-versus-bad-guy fights, which do have some blood (as well as plenty of weapons, including swords and guns). There's also a bit of light swearing ("s--t," "son of a bitch," etc.) and innuendo, and enemies routinely hurl unpleasant threats at each other. But it's all handed with roguish, acerbic Indy wit, which makes it -- for the most part -- all in good, popcorn movie fun.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about what Indiana Jones stands for. If he's a good guy, why does he break the rules? Is that OK? What separates him from the "bad" guys? Are real-life bad guys as thoroughly evil as the ones in movies? Where does Mutt fit in? What does he have in common with Indy? How are they different? Families can also discuss the ongoing appeal of the Indiana Jones series. Why is Indy so popular? Why is it so hard for other movies to duplicate the Indy formula? Do you think the franchise needed another movie? Why or why not?

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Our Members Say

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See all 99 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title iffy for age 7 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    Off For Ages 6 And Under; Iffy For Ages 7-8; On For Ages 9 And Up

    The scene where the guy gets eaten by bugs might frighten kids.

  2. I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 2.0

    Bad bad bad. Shame shame shame. Indiana Jones back as an ageing 50 year old?! The storyline is absolute garbage, nothing like the traditional Indy. And he survives a nuclear explosion is a FRIDGE?! PLEASE PEOPLE, WAKE UP TO YOURSELVES!

  3. I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message

    ALL AGES 1O+

    Good Movie

  4. I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message

    ALL AGES 1O+

    Good Movie

  5. I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    Great, Awesome.

    I saw this movie at my friend Nick's birthday party. Very good movie for the ages it was made for.

  6. Kid Reviewer Age 8
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    good movie

    it was a good movie

  7. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

  8. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    ok jose

    pretty good

  9. I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 3.0

    The least violent Indy film, yet it's PG-13.

  10. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Maine
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    AWESOME!

    very entertaining!!

  11. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Washington
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 4.0

    Go ahead and let the family watch this one.

    What can I say? It's classic Indiana Jones. Our entire family watched it and had a blast. Complete with silly one liners, predictable jokes and lots of action...how can you not love this movie? This one is (as always) visually appealing with an interesting story line. And you know what? Harrison Ford is still handsome :0)

  12. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 2.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    I think this was by far the worst of the series, the story line was just ridiculous. My husband and I screened this for our 5 year old who was dying to see it (He'll be dying to see it for another 7 or so years) Though I didn't care for the plot myself, the level of scary moments seemed greater in this than most of the others put together. Just doesn't seem like entertainment for a younger crowd.

  13. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in Colorado
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 4.0

    pretty ok

    This movie was very cool. In the back of my mind it still was a little over the top, but I still kinda like the idea of "whoops almost said a spoiler to those who havent seen the movei" Good for Indy fans but not as well as the rest of the movies.

  14. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Colorado
    I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 1.0

    WORST MOVIE

    horrible

  15. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Vermont
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 4.0

    I loved the movie when I watched it!!!!!! It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!

  16. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Vermont
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 1.0

    I loved the movie when I watched it!!!!!! It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!

  17. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 3.0

    Indiana Jones meets Hogan's Heros

    My 10 year old son and I watched it and really enjoyed it. Not too scary. Not too sexy. Good special effects. Stereotypes and caricatures as in each movie in the series. Fun.

  18. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 3.0

    Indiana Jones meets Hogan's Heros

    My 10 year old son and I watched it and really enjoyed it. Not too scary. Not too sexy. Good special effects. Stereotypes and caricatures as in each movie in the series. Fun.

  19. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it 2.0

    Last hour ruins the whole trip

    It was an amazing and one of the best movies until the last hour packed with stupid scenes and horrible ending.

  20. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0

    I was on the edge of my seat!

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