Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (now showing at the Little Theatre) ¿ You see the hat before the hero ¿ that famous fedora, the one that stays put through every tricky situation, or at least at arm's length for a hasty getaway. And, of course, he still has the whip, the paralysing fear of snakes and the catchy John Williams theme song that will surely gnaw at your brain for hours afterwards. Yes, the latest Indiana Jones movie dives head first into the iconography of the franchise, which will bring a smile to your face and warm you with nostalgia. It's admittedly a pleasure to see Harrison Ford (pictured) back in the role; at 65, he's grizzled and lined but certainly up for the challenge. Once you get past the initial reintroduction, though, it's obvious that this fourth film in the Indy series really has no idea where to go. Except for the opening ¿ which literally starts the film off with a bang ¿ and a couple of dazzling chase sequences, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is about as unfocused and meandering as the title itself. Instead of the breathless action of previous films, this one gets draggy and repetitive in the middle, with Indy and Company traipsing through various tombs, searching by torch light for clues to the origin of the mysterious and powerful Crystal Skull of Akator. The fear that fans have long held is justified: that technology unavailable during the first three Indy movies would make this one look slick and fake. That's especially true during the protracted, messy climax. Shia LaBeouf holds his own as Indy's young sidekick and Karen Allen returns from Raiders of the Lost Ark as Indy's long-lost love. Cate Blanchett, John Hurt and Ray Winstone, meanwhile, go to waste in one-note roles. PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images. 126 minutes. Two stars out of four. ¿ Christy Lemire