By Rebecca Hopper

Despite the bad reviews given by British critics after viewing the film at Cannes this week, I thoroughly enjoyed the newest Indiana Jones release. I'm not sure if it's because I am a single mom to a 2 year old girl and don't get out much or because it was chock full of things near and dear to my heart and life experiences. Right off the bat, the first thing I saw was a pile of dirt. It could have been a mountain, mine tailings or an archaeological dig, knowing Indy, but when it starts moving the dirt falls away to reveal a prairie dog! Some people may think of these little guys as dirty little rodents but having grown up in Taos, New Mexico, not only am I quite familiar with dirt, I think prairie dogs are quite adorable. I remember getting pretty excited when my sister and I saw them come out of their holes, stand up and look around. Good times...

On top of that, Elvis Presley is singing "Hound Dog" in the background. Needless to say, I loved him growing up and still have a soft spot for him... and then WHAM, the action starts, a racing car comes straight towards my little friend as he jumps out of the way just in time (much like Indy and his entourage manage to do every time, unless they go bad that is) and four 50's teenagers decide to challenge an entire convoy of Army Vehicles with extremely serious American soldiers on board. And of course, those serious soldiers end up being Russian and kill the real American soldiers protecting the base... Oh yeah, the Russians have a beautiful black haired, sword wielding, self proclaimed psychic, power hungry witch with a "B" for a leader named Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). That brings the sex appeal up a bit for you guys out there.

While the new, albeit old, Indiana Jones is somewhat predictable (you just knew there would be a creepy crawly "something" sequence), it is still way fun and action packed. The visuals are stunning and the themes play into my childhood once again. The Roswell incident (another New Mexico thing), the Nuclear bomb test (the Los Alamos Lab in New Mexico made the first nuclear bomb), the Harley Davidson that Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) roars in on ("Rebel Without a Cause," "Easy Rider" and my teen years), Mutt himself (my teen years), the non-stop action and the great soundtrack kept me bouncing in my seat. I suppose these themes might call out to most people over 20-something but I felt especially connected.

Most importantly, Harrison Ford is smoking hot and he can still has "it." For me, time seems to have improved Indiana Jones. He can still pack a hell of a punch and take 'em too. I'm always amazed at the "CRACK" of those big Indy punches. Henry Jones Junior's wisdom and the losses of his father and mentor have mellowed him a bit but haven't softened him and his humor is just a touch more subtle with the same perfect timing. There is a moment towards the end when Indy runs into an old "friend" (played by Karen Allen) and the sweetest boyish grin comes across his face and he giggles. It was a very fresh, real moment for Ford. I have to admit, I got all warm inside.

My favorite number is III and there are three big threes in this movie. I'll let you discover these for yourselves along with the references to the prior films - how many can you find?!

So, moving towards the grand finale, cemeteries and Peru come into the picture ("Easy Rider" again and "The Last Movie" - my Dad brought us Peruvian hats, another childhood memory). My father was and still is fascinated with the Mayan culture and ruins and dragged me all over Mexico and the Yucatan to see them so it was interesting to see the Indiana Jones version of what the Mexican pyramids were like and what "really happened there." It's a fantastic ending with an interesting theory never quite displayed like this before. This is the point where I am reminded it is "just a movie" after all.

Indy and his crew have an extremely high survival rate and low injury ratio (vintage Indiana Jones). They must have truly amazing luck or a really fantastic Director. Either way I left the theatre satisfied with a smile on my face. The newest Indy flick is worthy of the collection but none of them will ever touch the original Indiana Jones. In my honest opinion this is definitely something to see this summer.