The newest Indiana Jones adventure commences in the desert in 1957 - the height of the Cold War. After barely escaping a close scrape with Sovient agents Professor Jones returns home to Marshall College only to find that the government have forced the university to fire him.

On his way out of town, Indiana meets rebellious young Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), who has a proposition for the adventurous archaeologist: If he'll help Mutt on a mission with deeply personal stakes, Indy could very well make one of the most spectacular archaeological finds in history - the Crystal Skull of Akator, a legendary object of fascination, superstition and fear.