I've been one of the defenders for Crystal Skull.
While not without its faults, it's an enjoyable movie that has phenomenal action sequences, solid performances, creativity, and charm! I couldn't help, but have the biggest smile when certain moments occured.
My issue though with the movie is its story or at least how it's approached as it's not bad on paper as it feels like an ideal Indiana Jones adventure, but in execution, certain aspects of the plot are undercooked, which leaves it feeling a bit deficient or underwhelming.
Despite that though, Harrison Ford delivers another great performance as the titular character, and his chemistry with everyone is great! The villain, Iriana Spalko, is my favorite of the Indy villains as she actually gets her hands dirty, and Cate Blanchett is awesome in the role!
All of the cast were fun, and fit in the Indiana Jones universe nicely. And while the plot isn't great, the characters more than make up for it, and there are some genuine moments of heart and humor sprinkled throughout it, especially with the relationship between Indiana Jones and Marion.
Action wise, this is my favorite of the 5 movies as all of the action set pieces are filled with jaw-dropping stunts, creativity, and energy. I couldn't help but have a dumb, big ol' smile when they happened! Yeah, it's a bit absurd, but that's part of the fun! Not to mention the sets and production design is beautiful to look at!
While not as refined as the previous installments, it's still a fun blockbuster that I'll happily recommend, and I would gladly watch it with the other Indiana Jones movies.