Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) - 15 questions

Question: When Irina speaks to the Russians, is she really speaking in Russian? And could anybody translate anything for me, like in the warehouse scene?

Answer: Ok i found out thread on the indy forum with the translations: http://raven.theraider.net/showthread.php?t=15558&highlight=russian+translation.

Question: On different websites I have found tonnes of information about Irina, like where she was born and what she did in her life. Where do people find this information? I know it's not in the film.

Answer: It is common for information about characters and plotlines to exist outside a movie. Oftentimes the screenwriters have created a back story about the characters that does not appear in the movie. This information may be disseminated to fans through the movie studio's official web site, in interviews, through DVD commentary, and so on. Also, with popular series like Star Wars, Star Trek, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc., the accompanying novels provide additional information about the characters and plot that does not appear in the movies. Of course, fans also create their own backstories and myths about favorite characters which often gets passed around on various web sites and other sources as verified fact.

Question: What happened to the Russian camp after Irina Spalko was killed?

Answer: It's unknown. Presumably they dismantled the campsite and left.

Question: At the beginning of the film, the Russians steal the body of the alien from the warehouse. Later in the film, after Indiana Jones gets the skull from the body of the conquistador, he gets captured by the Russians. Spalko pulls the skull out of the alien body and sets it on the table to do the whole "look into the eyes" scene. After that scene, and they escape the camp, the group is carrying around the skull from the conquistador in order to return it to the temple. So, what happened to the skull they pulled from the alien's body? Did they steal the body to get the skull for the sole purpose of having someone stare into it to experience the mental stimulation? Did they just ditch it afterwards?

Answer: There is no definite answer in the movie, but it probably ended up in a remote research facility in Siberia. Or perhaps Hruschevs' private collection. They stole the skull from the warehouse because they thought it was important in finding the alien vessel.

Question: Was the Ark the same prop used in Raiders of the Lost Ark?

Answer: Yes. It was retrieved from the Lucasfilm Archives specifically for use in the film. It also appeared alongside George Lucas in a promotional photoshoot for the film.

Question: Why in the world does the traitor let go of Indy's hand when the ruins are collapsing? This seems like suicide, and he doesn't seem like he suddenly feels so guilty that he doesn't want to live.

Answer: He's a greedy bugger who wants to try to get the treasure.

Question: Does anyone know for sure if Harrison Ford wears the same hat in each movie or are there multiple copies. I'd like to know for sure, not speculation or guesses.

Answer: Not only does he wear a different hat in each movie, he wears several different hats within the same movie. After Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harrison Ford was given the original hat, which he personally helped the costume designer give its old and worn but well-loved appearance, to keep for his own.

Question: I heard that, originally, the relationship between Indiana and Mutt was going to be unstated and ambiguous (rather than being outright confirmed). Is there any truth to this, or is it just rumour?

Answer: Just a rumor. The earliest drafts involved a daughter, who was obviously later changed to a son, but the intention to reveal the child as Indy's was always present.

Question: In what town or city were the scenes where Indy is supposed to live and work actually filmed?

Answer: They were filmed in New Haven, CT and Yale University.

Question: At the beginning of the film, when Indy's first shown, he says "Russians" upon seeing the Soviets. Weren't the Soviets just called Soviets and not Russians (since the Soviet Union still existed)?

Answer: While "Soviets" would probably be considered the official term, "Russians" was still widely used as a descriptive term, as Russia was by far the largest and most dominant state in the Union. The two terms were effectively interchangeable during that period.

Question: The Soviets are led to the temple by a trail of dropped "bleepers". Is this a reference to the trail of M&Ms that Elliot leaves for ET in "ET"?

Answer: Doubtful. Dropping breadcrumbs was in in Hansel & Gretel. The breadcrumbs here are just fancier.

Question: When they are in the Soviet jungle camp, Indy is shown an alien whose skull is crystal on an 'operating table.' But I thought the last crystal skull was in the bag the Soviets were holding onto. If that's the case, then they had two crystal skulls, not one, right?

Answer: They had at least one skull (and body) from the spaceship crash in Roswell, but they needed a specific skull - the one from one of the original alien visitors.

Question: Perhaps I've forgotten some details from The Last Crusade in the years since I've seen it, but shouldn't Henry Sr. not be dead in this movie, because he drank from the Holy Grail which gives immortality?

Answer: Yep, you've forgotten some details. The Knight specifically states that the immortality bestowed by the Grail is limited to those who remain within the shrine. Jones Snr left the cave, ergo, no immortality.

Question: In the United States, why was the film released on a Thursday instead of a Wednesday or Friday?

Answer: Because the film had a global release date, and premiered the same day in every country in the world. Obviously, the studio felt this was the best day to do it.

Question: I'm aware of Indy's ophidiophobia, but how much will snakes play into the film? Sharing the same phobia, I don't want to spend the whole film trying to avoid watching snake-related scenes.

Answer: Based on what little we've seen, namely what's in the trailers, there seems to be very little on the snake front. There will undoubtedly be at least one moment somewhere in the film, but there's no indication that snakes will be a major focus of the storyline.