History YMMV / IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull

** Artificial cranial deformation in ancient Native Americans.
** The Soviets' interest in parapsychology, although it was more popular before Stalin's death in 1953.
** The derided "Kung Fu [[{{Mayincatec}} Aztecs]]" guarding the Andean graveyard. Pre-hispanic Andeans did actually practice a native martial art called ''Rumi Maki'' ("Stone Hand"), complete with a grading system of skill and focuses on combinations of hand strikes supplemented by rapid kicks, just as portrayed in the film.

** Lucas gets blamed for the decision to make Soviets the villains rather than [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazis]] like in the previous films. In reality, due to the harrowing experience of making ''Film/SchindlersList'', Spielberg felt he could no longer make movies featuring Nazis as simply [[AcceptableTargets stock villains]], although Creator/HarrisonFord's advanced age since the previous film and the fact that the Nazis had been defeated in World War II also accounted for it.

* VindicatedByHistory: While this film as well as ''Temple of Doom'' are still regarded as the weakest entries in the series, time has shed most of the negative reception and reputation it once carried. Many elements once derided or seen as disrespectful to the original trilogy, such as the presence of aliens, have now been understood as an intentional homage to classic 50s Sci-Fi genre films[[note]]Although detractors can be aware of this while still maintaining that 1950's sci-fi has been mocked and parodied to death since its heyday and doesn't lend itself well to any straight-faced homage[[/note]], following in the footsteps of the trilogy which were homages to classic adventure pulp films. Meanwhile, other complaints, such as the overuse of CGI, are simply no longer seen as critically damaging to the film's quality as was originally assumed. Even the infamous "Nuke the Fridge" scene, while still an egregious example, has lessened as Indy surviving impossible scenarios and emerging unscathed is more or less commonplace for him. This is not even considering the genuine positives the film has to offer such as the reunion of the cast and crew of much of the ''Indiana Jones'' trilogy, most of all Marion. In general, the film is not without its issues, but it has come a long way from the "ruincd my Childhood" reputation it once had.

* VindicatedByHistory: While this film as well as Temple of Doom are still regarded as the weakest entries in the series, time has shed most of the negative reception and reputation it once carried. Many elements once derided or seen as disrespectful to the original trilogy, such as the presence of aliens, have now been understood as an intentional homage to classic 50s Sci-Fi genre films[[note]]Although detractors can be aware of this while still maintaining that 1950's sci-fi has been mocked and parodied to death since its heyday and doesn't lend itself well to any straight-faced homage[[/note]], following in the footsteps of the trilogy which were homages to classic adventure pulp films. Meanwhile, other complaints, such as the overuse of CGI, are simply no longer seen as critically damaging to the film's quality as was originally assumed. Even the infamous "Nuke the Fridge" scene, while still an egregious example, has lessened as Indy surviving impossible scenarios and emerging unscathed is more or less commonplace for him. This is not even considering the genuine positives the film has to offer such as the reunion of the cast and crew of much of the Indiana Jones trilogy from Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and John Williams who were able to go on one last final adventure before giving Indiana Jones a Happy ending and Goodbye. In general, the film is not without its issues, but it has come a long way from the "Raped my Childhood" reputation it once had.

** Lucas gets blamed for the decision to make Soviets the villains rather than [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazis]] like in the previous films. In reality, due to the harrowing experience of making ''Film/SchindlersList'', Spielberg felt he could no longer make movies featuring Nazis as simply [[AcceptableTargets stock villains]], although Creator/HarrisonFord's advanced age since the previous film also accounted for it.

* VindicatedByHistory: While this film as well as Temple of Doom are still regarded as the weakest entries in the series, time has shed most of the negative reception and reputation it once carried. Many elements once derided or seen as disrespectful to the original trilogy, such as the presence of aliens, have now been understood as an intentional homage to classic 50s Sci-Fi genre films[[note]]Although detractors can be aware of this while still maintaining that 1950's sci-fi doesn't lend itself well to straight-faced homages[[/note]], following in the footsteps of the trilogy which were homages to classic adventure pulp films. Meanwhile, other complaints, such as the overuse of CGI, are simply no longer seen as critically damaging to the film's quality as was originally assumed. Even the infamous "Nuke the Fridge" scene, while still an egregious example, has lessened as Indy surviving impossible scenarios and emerging unscathed is more or less commonplace for him. This is not even considering the genuine positives the film has to offer such as the reunion of the cast and crew of much of the Indiana Jones trilogy from Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and John Williams who were able to go on one last final adventure before giving Indiana Jones a Happy ending and Goodbye. In general, the film is not without its issues, but it has come a long way from the "Raped my Childhood" reputation it once had.

* JerkassWoobie: Orellana becomes this in the movie novelization, which expands on his backstory and motivations. He's a notorious greedy conquistador who loots Akator of its treasures. However, the further he takes the Crystal Skull from the city, the more guilt and madness he experiences, which makes him feel compelled to take the skull back. His companions don't share his feelings, and he is fine with letting them go until they try to take the skull, which causes him to murder all six of them. The killings leave him guilt-ridden and praying for forgiveness. Then, right as he's about to begin his journey back to Akator to return the skull, he's attacked and killed by the cemetery guardians, who he mistakes for demons out to take him to Hell. The guy didn't exactly start out with good intentions, but it's not hard to feel a little sorry for him.

* VindicatedByHistory: While this film as well as Temple of Doom are still regarded as the weakest entries in the series, time has shed most of the negative reception and reputation it once carried. Many elements once derided or seen as disrespectful to the original trilogy, such as the presence of aliens, have now been understood as an intentional homage to classic 50s Sci-Fi genre films, following in the footsteps of the trilogy which were homages to classic adventure pulp films. Meanwhile, other complaints, such as the overuse of CGI, are simply no longer seen as critically damaging to the film's quality as was originally assumed. Even the infamous "Nuke the Fridge" scene, while still an egregious example, has lessened as Indy surviving impossible scenarios and emerging unscathed is more or less commonplace for him. This is not even considering the genuine positives the film has to offer such as the reunion of the cast and crew of much of the Indiana Jones trilogy from Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and John Williams who were able to go on one last final adventure before giving Indiana Jones a Happy ending and Goodbye. In general, the film is not without its issues, but it has come a long way from the "Raped my Childhood" reputation it once had.

* VindicatedByHistory: While the film is still regarded as the weakest entry in the series, time has shed most of the negative reception and reputation it once carried. Many elements once derided or seen as disrespectful to the original trilogy, such as the presence of aliens, have now been understood as an intentional homage to classic 50s Sci-Fi genre films, following in the footsteps of the trilogy which were homages to classic adventure pulp films. Meanwhile, other complaints, such as the overuse of CGI, are simply no longer seen as critically damaging to the film's quality as was originally assumed. Even the infamous "Nuke the Fridge" scene, while still an egregious example, has lessened as Indy surviving impossible scenarios and emerging unscathed is more or less commonplace for him. This is not even considering the genuine positives the film has to offer such as, Shia LeBeouf notwithstanding, the reunion of the cast and crew of much of the Indiana Jones trilogy from Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Steven Speilberg, George Lucas, and John Williams who were able to go on one last final adventure before giving Indiana Jones a Happy ending and Goodbye. In general, the film is not without its issues, but it has come a long way from the "Raped my Childhood" reputation it once had.

* FanonDiscontinuity: Since this is to Indiana Jones as the post ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' films are to ''Franchise/StarWars'' in terms of [[BrokenBase divisiveness]], there's a good number of Indy fans who like to pretend this film doesn't exist.

* FanonDiscontinuity: Since this is to Indiana Jones as the prequel and sequel trilogies are to Franchise/StarWars in terms of divisiveness, there's a good number of Indy fans who like to pretend this film doesn't exist.

* VindicatedbyHistory: While the film is still regarded as the weakest entry in the series, time has shed most of the negative reception and reputation it once carried. Many elements once derided or seen as disrespectful to the original trilogy, such as the presence of aliens, have now been understood as an intentional homage to classic 50s Sci-Fi genre films, following in the footsteps of the trilogy which were homages to classic adventure pulp films. Meanwhile, other complaints, such as the overuse of CGI, are simply no longer seen as critically damaging to the film's quality as was originally assumed. Even the infamous "Nuke the Fridge" scene, while still an egregious example, has lessened as Indy surviving impossible scenarios and emerging unscathed is more or less commonplace for him. This is not even considering the genuine positives the film has to offer such as, Shia LeBeouf notwithstanding, the reunion of the cast and crew of much of the Indiana Jones trilogy from Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Steven Speilberg, George Lucas, and John Williams who were able to go on one last final adventure before giving Indiana Jones a Happy ending and Goodbye. In general, the film is not without its issues, but it has come a long way from the "Raped my Childhood" reputation it once had.

* VindicatedbyHistory: While the film is still regarded as the weakest entry in the series, time has shed most of the negative reception and reputation it once carried. Many elements once derided or seen as disrespectful to the original trilogy, such as the presence of aliens, have now been understood as an intentional homage to classic 50s Sci-Fi genre films, following in the footsteps of the trilogy which were homages to classic adventure pulp films. Meanwhile, other complaints, such as the overuse of CGI, are simply no longer seen as critically damaging to the film's quality as was originally assumed. Even the infamous "Nuke the Fridge" scene, while still an egregious example, has lessened as Indy surviving impossible scenarios and emerging unscathed is more or less commonplace for him. This is not even considering the genuine positives the film has to offer such as, Shia LeBeouf notwithstanding, the reunion of the cast and crew of much of the Indiana Jones trilogy from Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Steven Speilberg, George Lucas, and John Williams who were able to go on one last final adventure before giving Indiana Jones a Happy ending and Goodbye.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: A BadassBiker 50's Greaser-type who's also a fearsomely talented fencer (and also [[spoiler:Indy's son]]) should have been ''so'' much cooler than Mutt ended up being.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
** Indy's struggles with old age actually could have made for some genuinely compelling drama, and they could have been the basis for evolving the character into an OldSoldier who [[GuileHero has to rely on his smarts]]. In the final product, though, Indy seems so unrealistically invincible that the movie feels more like an excuse for Ford and co. to play out their "older guy hero" fantasies.
** Some fans were actually perfectly fine with the idea of moving Indy into a Cold War setting, and argue that the Soviets, the aliens, and the BadassBiker sidekick gave the movie all the makings of an awesome 1950's throwback. The problem? Instead of bringing in the {{practical effects}} to make the GenreThrowback feel authentic, they loaded it up with CGI that made it look like just another generic 2000's sci-fi blockbuster. It didn't exactly help that they cast Creator/ShiaLaBeouf right after he'd become known for his role in Creator/MichaelBay's ''Film/{{Transformers}}''.
** Russia is a very old country with a very long and rich history which makes it an ideal setting for an Indiana Jones movie, and it would have been ''especially'' appropriate for an Indiana Jones movie set during the Cold War with Soviets as villains. Indy not going to Russia at all is a bit of a letdown.

** Lucas only wrote the story draft (along with Jeff Nathanson), the one who wrote the screenplay was Creator/DavidKoepp. Indeed, most fans solely blame Lucas and Koepp for the story in spite of the fact that Koepp just wrote an screenplay based on the story that Lucas and Nathanson conceived, whereas Nathanson is not criticized by any fans.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: While most were miffed at the whole reveal that the MacGuffin was more sci-fi than supernatural and feeling it was a pull away from the original films, some criticism levied against the movie was that it was ''too'' similar and pretty much follow the same beats as ''Raiders...'' and ''The Last Crusade'' (even ''Fate of Atlantis'') i.e.: Indy and his small group against a bigger military organization, the race to get to the target place before the bad guys and the bad guys being done in by what they were seeking. Yes it's traditional and likely a throwback but many felt like it was just a copy and paste of those stories only moving the timeline to the 50s and dealing with Soviets with really the only original thing being Indy learning he has a son and reuniting with Marion. Heck, some reviews even ''praised'' the sci-fi twist cause it least tried to shake up the formula and only argued there wasn't much explanation about the creatures and the sudden reveal being the reason why it leaves such a bad taste in a lot of fan's mouths whereas in the previous film we get to learn about the [=MacGuffins=] in question during the adventure.

* {{Narm}}: The scene where Indy survives a nuke by hiding in a fridge. Needless to say, nobody was willing to suspend their disbelief ''that'' much.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: The ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend of the jock Mutt decks is one of the film's most popular {{Bit Character}}s despite only having less than twenty seconds of screen time.

* HilariousInHindsight: This won't be the last time that Creator/JohnHurt would portray a [[Franchise/DoctorWho doctor]] involved with aliens.

* FanonDiscontinuity: Since this is to Indiana Jones as the prequels were to Franchise/StarWars in terms of divisiveness, there's a good number of Indy fans who like to pretend this film doesn't exist.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: While most were miffed at the whole reveal that the MacGuffin was more sci-fi than supernatural and feeling it was a pull away from the original films. Some criticism levied against the movie was that it was ''too'' similar and pretty much follow the same beats as ''Raiders...'' and ''The Last Crusade'' (even ''Fate of Atlantis'') i.e.: Indy and his small group against a bigger military organization, the race to get to the target place before the bad guys and the bad guys being done in by what they were seeking. Yes it's traditional and likely a throwback but many felt like it was just a copy and paste of those stories only moving the timeline to the 50s and dealing with Soviets with really the only original thing being Indy learning he has a son and reuniting with Marion. Heck, some reviews even ''praised'' the sci-fi twist cause it least tried to shake up the formula and only argued there wasn't much explanation about the creatures and the sudden reveal being the reason why it leaves such a bad taste in a lot of fan's mouths whereas in the previous film we get to learn about the [=MacGuffins=] in question during the adventure.

* DracoInLeatherPants: [[TheBaroness Irina Spalko]]. In her defense, she does have ''some'' genuine {{AntiVillain}}-ish character traits but not enough to fully qualify for the {{trope}}.

* [[DracoInLeatherPants Draco In A Leather Dress]]: [[TheBaroness Irina Spalko]]. In her defense, she does have ''some'' genuine {{AntiVillain}}-ish character traits but not enough to fully qualify for the {{trope}}.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: About the only thing fans have agreed on about the movie is that Music/JohnWilliams’ music is as majestic, epic, and awesome as the early entries. Expect at least one review to speak positively about this aspect.
* ContestedSequel: Some people say it is total crap, others say it was fun but not up to ''Indiana Jones'' standards, some liked the acting and characters but not the writing, some liked it all except for the GainaxEnding, Creator/ShiaLaBeouf blames himself and his monkey-swinging Tarzan act, and then there are those that hold it as being better than ''Temple of Doom'' but not up to the standards of the "Nazi" movies. Really, it isn't broken so much as ''shattered into thousands of pieces''.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: About the only thing fans have agreed on about the movie is that Music/JohnWilliams’ music is as majestic, epic and awesome as the early entries. Expect at least one review to speak positively about this aspect.

* InferredHolocaust: The tribe that lived near the temple most likely were killed by the departing spacescraft or drowned by the river flooding the valley, had any members survived the massacre from the Russians.
* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: While most were miffed at the whole reveal that the MacGuffin was more sci-fi than supernatural and feeling it was a pull away from the original films. Some criticism levied against the movie was that it was ''too'' similar and pretty much follow the same beats as ''Raiders...'' and ''The Last Crusade'' (even ''Fate of Atlantis'') ie: Indy and his small group against a bigger military organization, the race to get to the target place before the bad guys and the bad guys being done in by what they were seeking. Yes it's traditional and likely a throwback but many felt like it was just a copy and paste of those stories only moving the timeline to the 50s and dealing with Soviets with really the only original thing being Indy learning he has a son and reuniting with Marion. Heck, some reviews even ''praised'' the sci-fi twist cause it least tried to shake up the formula and only argued there wasn't much explanation about the creatures and the sudden reveal being the reason why it leaves such a bad taste in a lot of fan's mouths whereas in the previous film we get to learn about the [=MacGuffins=] in question during the adventure.

** Lucas only wrote the story draft (along with Jeff Nathanson), the one who wrote the screenplay was Creator/DavidKoepp. Indeed, most fans solely blame Lucas and Koepp for the story in spite that Koepp just wrote an screenplay based on the story that Lucas and Nathanson conceived, whereas Nathanson is not criticized by any fans.
** Lucas was deadset on having Indy survive a nuclear explosion by using a fridge as shelter, but he never said that the nuclear explosion had to be that close or that Indy should fly away in the fridge ([[WhatCouldHaveBeen one of the first scripts]], ''Indiana Jones and the Saucermen from Mars'', has Indy ducking in a foxhole and turning the fridge over his head as a cover). That belongs to Koepp and Spielberg.
** Although Lucas had already eliminated the "Old Indy" bookends from the DVD version of ''Series/TheYoungIndianaJonesChronicles'', which showed 93 years-old Indy being cared by a daughter, it was Spielberg who vetoed Indy having a daughter in this film, feeling that it would be a retread of Kelly and Ian Malcolm from ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark''.

** The prairie dogs, the monkeys and the aliens have been derided for this.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: A common complaint of its disappointed viewers. Some long term fans feel the shift away from supernatural/fantasy elements towards sci-fi and aliens was a move too far, as the 1950's sci-fi films being homaged in this film have aged ''very'' poorly in comparison to the two-fisted adventure serials referenced by the classic trilogy.