Personal note: Movies have not mattered much these last few weeks, as cancer made an intrusion into the Foote household. My wife suffered a massive seizure (I thought she was having a stroke and going to die in my arms) April 30, and two days later we were told she had a malignant brain tumour. Six days later she underwent surgery for removal of the tumour at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, followed by treatment at the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook. She begins radiation June 3. This is one brave, strong girl. Life can be so unfair sometimes, I mean of all people, why this decent, sweet girl who has done nothing except think of others before her? I guess there are no favourites. As ever, Sherri is positive we will beat this, we have to, as we are supposed to get old together on the deck watching our grandkids. She is the love of my life, my best friend and forever partner, and knowing what I know of her, I actually feel sorry for the cancer. It has no idea the fight it is in for, and it is a fight this disease will lose. At the end of it Sherri will be fine... she has to be, because the alternative is simply unthinkable to me.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Directed by Steven Spielberg

In theatres

****

It was worth the wait... my God, is it good!

It is the single most anticipated film of the summer, if not the year. Since 1989 we have awaited another of the Indiana Jones adventure films, and after many delays, rewrites and revisions, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have delivered the goods, and it is a knockout entertainment on every level that will more than satisfy fans of the series.

Yes, he is older, more grey visible in the hair, a few more wrinkles on the face, but the moment that fedora is snapped into place and we see the familiar bull whip on the hip, we know that adventure has a name, and it is Indiana Jones.

As expected, the first 20 minutes of the film are non-stop, plunging us into the story without a breath. This time Indy is in a fight was Russian agents, including one very nasty Spalko (Cate Blanchett) who is after the famed crystal skull that eventually Indiana will seek.

After being fired from the university where he has worked for years, he is approached by a leather jacketed young man, Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) about the possibility of finding the crystal skull, which could open new doors to space and beyond. Of course the main issue is the Russians are also hot after the skull and will kill to get there first. Along the way, Indiana encounters Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), his true love from the first film back in 1981, still cocky and every bit as resourceful and tough as any man. With her comes a secret from Indy's past that will delight viewers.

As Indy and Mutt make their way to Peru, finally finding the skull, they then lose it to Spalko, leading us on yet another chase through the jungle that is more fun than the wildest theme park ride. Indy and Mutt and party are assaulted by killer ants, machine guns, swords, monkeys and a massive waterfall, all of which will leave the audience panting and wanting more and more and more.

Of course, Spielberg and Lucas keep the film's story at a B movie level, which was always the fun of the other films, and here they even venture into outer space regions.

Blanchett is superb as the treacherous Spalko, who can fight with the best and thirsts for the knowledge that the skull can provide. With a severe black wig, and those magnificent eyes, Blanchett is clearly having the time of her life. Equally terrific is Allen as Marion. The meeting between Marion and Indiana is one of the high moments in cinema for 2008; it gave me goose bumps and made me smile all over.

And Ford, who has made Indiana Jones perhaps the most iconic of all American movie heroes. Though older, which the film never tries to hide, a little worse for wear, he is still pure movie magic in the role. Burt Lancaster once stated the difficulty in making a part like Indiana Jones work, is it takes a fine actor to do so, and I agree. Ford is superb as Jones.

Spielberg's direction is non-stop, leaving me to wonder when he paused to take a breath. He did not want to use CGI for effects, choosing the old-fashioned way, stuntmen and visual effects. We are the lucky ones, because the film is true to the tone and possesses all the charm of the other three films.

It's a knockout entertainment on every level. Do not miss it. This is why movies were created.