The Indiana Jones series of movies remains one of the most beloved and revered franchises in the world, with its staying power in pop culture attributed to its loyal fanbase. Though not every Indy fan finds the fourth installment Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to be on par with its predecessors, it's difficult to deny that its globe-trotting action, sense of humor, and colorful performances aren't in the same adventurous spirit.
Like the other three movies chronicling Dr. Jones hunting for buried treasure, it has elements of the ridiculous and the absurd. But while Indy's survived being lashed to a submerged submarine in the Meditteranean and using a life raft as a parachute, fans can only suspend their disbelief so far. Acknowledging that an archaeologist who drinks from the Holy Grail might have a little help in the cheating death department is different than lapses in continuity, equipment goofs, and the other mistakes in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
That's Some Magnet
The introduction of an extra-terrestrial mystery to the Indy franchise seemed to be a sign that it had jumped the shark, but given Spielberg's alien films and the fact that George Lucas wanted the fourth movie to conjure chrome-wrapped nostalgia for '50s sci-fi movies, it wasn't so far out of leftfield for an alien corpse to show up.
When Indy and the rest of the Soviets are opening the crate to inspect it, all of the lights above them are suddenly pulled towards it, indicating a powerful magnetic field. Why some metal objects like the Soviets' guns, gunpowder, and glasses are being pulled towards it and not others (like Indy's bag with a metal strap) is strange. The soldiers also lift the crate into the metal bed of a truck and somehow easily slide it forward when it should be magnetized.
Even Indy Needs A Little Help With His Aim
Like Han Solo's blaster, one of the most iconic props in the Star Wars franchise, Indy's whip is an essential part of his character as well as the series. He's used it to swing over chasms, bind bad guys, and in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, disarm a Russian soldier who draws a gun on him.
Much like when he conquered the giant boulder only to be met by Beloq and his spear-wielding allies in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy's confronted by Russian soldiers pretty early into his adventure, and in a moment of quick-thinking uses his trusty bullwhip to pluck a soldier's gun right out of his hand. Eagle-eyed fans will be able to spot the wire on the end of the barrel giving Indy a little assist.
Mutt's Ride
Leather-clad Mutt is a chip off the old Jones block when he crosses paths with Indy on his pristine ride which, according to Motorcycle News is a Harley Davidson Softail Springer, "originally built as a Springer Classic but modified to fit in with the 1957 setting of the film."
Although the movie is supposedly set in 1957, Mutt's motorcycle turns out to be based on a 2000 -or even newer- Harley Davidson Softail, with suspiciously modern controls and Twin Cam engine, rather than the Panhead engine of the '50s. Looking closely, it also has a front disc brake (fans can find the master cylinder located on the handlebars), which looks out of place on the period bike and is just one of the things the movie got wrong.
Disappearing Objects
To say that Indy and Mutt's first encounter has tension is an understatement, but there's more being shaken up than their egos. When they're both at Arnie's diner, Indy's coffee cup keeps moving from his hand depending on the camera angles, as do spoons near his elbow. In one key scene, Mutt rests a photo on his hat, but sometimes it's out in the open and sometimes it's tucked inside.
At one point when the pair argue Mutt stands up quickly, causing mustard and ketchup bottles to fall over, but depending on the camera angles the bottles are right side up or knocked on their sides. When he returns to his seat, Indy picks the bottles back up.
The Vanishing Biker Gang
Coffee cups and utensils aren't the only things that keep vanishing at the diner when Mutt and Indy are trying to get better acquainted. Just outside the window behind Indy is a group of bikers wearing similar leather jackets to Mutt, clustered around their motorcycles and chatting with one another that manages to do a pretty impressive disappearing act.
If fans keep their eyes trained over Indy's shoulder, they'll see the group of greasers go from sitting and talking on their bikes to vanishing entirely, only to reappear -and then disappear- several more times throughout the scene. Could it possibly be an alien abduction gone awry?
Where's Indy?
After Mutt and Indy work out their differences, the movie quickly turns into a buddy adventure in a similar vein to The Last Crusade, with both men saving each other's skins as they race to solve the mystery of the crystal skull before Irina Spalko and the rest of the Russians.
Towards the end of Mutt's daring swordfight in the jungle fans see Indy driving a vehicle behind him to offer assistance, but after the cut to Mutt picking up the crystal skull Indy's car has disappeared when the camera pans back. As Mutt falls from his perch, Indy miraculously appears just in time to let him fall into his car.
She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain When She Comes
Just after the swordfight between Mutt and Irina Spalko, when Mutt is lucky enough to tumble into Indy's car, he shouts that Spalko is "getting away", indicating that Jones should speed up and try to head her off. The position of her car in the next shot makes this a little tricky, even for someone as resourceful as Indy!
Fans can clearly see her look like she's driving off in the direction of Akator but in the following shot, as Indy is driving along the edge of the cliff (in one of the movie's best action sequences), she appears to be coming from behind them.
Go Get Your Own Rock!
It's a franchise hallmark that Indy always "goes first", so when Mutt and the rest of the crew finally arrive at Akator (unfortunately not one of the real locations fans can visit in the Indiana Jones movies), he's the first one to pull a rock from the wall, immediately causing sand to start pouring out onto the ground. Not to be outdone, Mutt leaves the frame to go and find himself a rock to pluck from the wall, too.
In the very next shot, when Indy's longtime associate Mac also wants a rock he gets told, "Go get your own!", but fans can see Mutt suddenly back in the frame with them until he once again runs off to find a rock.
Water Whoopsies
Everything seems to go wrong as soon as Indy and his friends encounter the water around the legendary lost city of Akator. After the skull gets retrieved and everyone has plunged into the water underneath the obelisk, Indy attempts to lead them out, and a prop light is visible on the big rock behind Mutt.
Once everyone has been tossed out of Akator's temple when the waters start to rise, they appear to be completely soaking wet, but when the danger dies down and the water dissipates, everyone -including their hair- is completely dry. Despite the incongruous nature of the scene, it's still not the movie's worst.
Disappearing Costume Elements
The CCCP emblem, the Russian abbreviation for the Soviet Union can be seen on the back of Irina Spalko's slate-blue uniform from the beginning of the movie. As it progresses, observant fans will notice that the salient lettering disappears and then reappears in different shots with no explanation (she appears to wear the same uniform the entire time).
This lack of costume continuity is the most blatant when she's descending the cliff on her way to Akator surrounded by her men, wearing a uniform that clearly doesn't feature the emblem that is normally so prominent.