Welcome to Reel People. It’s a place where, you guessed it, real people like yourselves spout off on new movie releases. It works best if you - yes, we mean you - jump into the forum link below and tell us what you think of the movie, too.

This week, we’re watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

What I Liked: Harrison Ford seemed a lot more mentally competent as a human being in this movie, ever since “Hollywood Homicide” I was worried he needed to be checked into a nursing home and possibly tested for Alzheimer’s. It was nice to have Marion Ravenwood back. The stunt work was good. The scary ant scenes were particularly terrifying for me, although that could be attributed more to my fire ant allergy than the actual special effects or acting ability.

What I Disliked: Parts of this movie were really dragging. I found myself having to seriously concentrate on listening to every conversation because the characters failed to give me any reason to care about them or what they were doing. The plot was extraordinarily predictable, as well as some of the most important lines. Shia LaBeouf’s talent was wasted on a boring, inconsistent character that sporadically switched from bad boy to teary eyed wimp. I felt that this movie tried – unsuccessfully – to cram too much into the plot like romance, betrayal, over-the-top action (to be expected), insanity, humor, and the tidy resolution of loose ends from the past. Overall, I thought the outcome was a huge letdown. The moral of the story was that knowledge is a “treasure” – seriously?! How convenient that this coincides with LaBeouf’s character’s need to finish school so his lost, motorcycle-repairing soul can be saved by knowledge. Was this sponsored by some kind of stay in school public service announcement?! If I wanted to hear a message that rife with sickening cheesiness I could watch “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” instead of sitting through hours of senseless adventure footage.

Would I Recommend?: I would only recommend this movie to huge Indiana Jones fans; otherwise you will probably be very bored.

Score: 4 out of 10

- Jessica Conrad

What I Liked: As a child of the eighties, I have waited a long time for this movie and it was a lot of fun! Harrison Ford still has it. He was Indie to the last, complete with his characteristic goofy smile, silly jokes, and that fabulous punch sound effect that was so characteristic of the previous Jones movies. Karen Allen returns as Marion Ravenwood, Indie’s old flame from Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett were welcome additions to the cast.

What I Disliked: At times, the characters didn’t live up to expectations. Harrison Ford was a little sluggish at first but, as the action set in, his vigor returned. Also, Shia LaBeouf’s character was a little over the top at first but he grew on me as the film continued. And, of course, it was a great disappointment that Sean Connery was not in the film. Unlike the other Jones movies, a supernatural element was introduced to the plot which took away from the archaeological feel of the other movies.

Would I Recommend?: I definitely recommend this movie. The movie was action packed and made me laugh. I especially enjoyed the jokes and references to the previous movies.

Score: 7 out of 10

- Jessica A. Locke

What I Liked: This was a fan flick with some surprising reunions that had a schizophrenic pace twisting and turning about on a plot line that ran across terrestrial and inter-dimensional timelines all was punctuated with the occasional punch line, and situational humor. Seemed like every possible paranormal event was thrown at this film from the Roswell aliens, Nuclear Testing/Los Alamos, Hanger 18, Nazca lines all culminating in the mountains of Peru. The action was plentiful, along with the standard mix of chase scenes and battle melees.

What I Disliked: Some of the sets seemed like something designed for a Disney depiction to be found in an amusement park at a later date and maybe created on the back lot of the studio.

Would I Recommend?: Only for the most strident fan base that hasn’t seen enough of this fantastic fantasy type adventure that truly stretches the imagination of believability.

Score: 5 out of 10

- Michael Ritenour