Indiana Jones is back, and he’s going old school

Likewise, "Crystal Skull" has the same idea behind the action, presented in the Indy-making-it-up-as-he-goes-along style of the earlier films rather than the glossy computer-generated imagery that makes most of today's action spectacles look as slick as a video game.

"We did it sort of old-school-style," Ford said. "Certainly, there is a fair amount of CGI that will be used, enhancing a lot of what we did, but generally not in the action area. It will enhance some of the physical sets. In the action area, it was pretty much done for real."

The filmmakers are keeping the movie under tight wraps until its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival just four days before it opens in theaters.

But members of Indy's inner circle have seen it, among them Sean Patrick Flanery, who played the character in the 1990s TV adventures of "Young Indiana Jones."

"It's the same vibe, the same feel. They didn't miss a beat," Flanery said of "Crystal Skull." "People are going to love it. It's what everybody's been waiting for."

Intense buzz
Fan buzz online has been intense. On IMDB.com, the Internet Movie Database, a post from a user called zac2347 chides fans for claiming "Crystal Skull" is the summer's most-anticipated movie, insisting it "looks like a rehash of the same stuff" and that the three trailers for "The Dark Knight" have elevated that Batman sequel above Indy.

Slide show   10 films to watch Indiana Jones, the Hulk and Iron Man make for the perfect spring movie fling. more photos

Responds another poster, indyjones32: "Three trailers vs. 20 years of wait, disappointment and build-up. My money is on the 20 years."

"Raiders," "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Last Crusade" presented a rich warehouse of detail to define the character, from his fedora hat and whip to his snake phobia and bookish classroom demeanor.

His quips were wonderfully quotable: "Trust me" ... "It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage" ... "Nazis. I hate these guys" — and, informing passengers after tossing a Nazi out of a zeppelin, "No ticket."

"Raiders" was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including best picture, director and score, whose fanfare is one of the world's best-known pieces of music.

Indy placed second on the American Film Institute's list of movie heroes, ahead of James Bond, Superman and Ford's "Star Wars" character, Han Solo. The only man to beat him was Atticus Finch of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

A critical favorite
While all three films had wild action and memorable exchanges, "Raiders" has stood as the critical favorite.

"Like all megahits, you look back and see that every element was perfect," said director Rob Cohen, who resurrects another archaeological-adventure franchise this summer with "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."

"Harrison is an A actor in a B-movie setup, and Spielberg is an A-plus-plus-plus director taking on the Saturday morning serial. So you get a humanity and sophistication that you wouldn't get if you did the cardboard version," said Cohen, who added that he introduced Spielberg to Allen, the future Marion Ravenwood, on a double date in 1980.

Don't miss this on msnbc.com Entertainment 5Top: Rockers who should direct movies Tune in to the joy of TV's guilty pleasures Moviegoers get wound up over ‘Watchmen’ Katy Perry and the media’s ‘Kiss’ of hypocrisy Quiz: Which cast member said no-go on 'Ocean's 14'? Quiz: Uncover the X-Files

Lucas went through years of grousing and second-guessing by fans who picked apart his "Star Wars" prequels. He expects the same on "Crystal Skull," saying it's impossible to satisfy hardcore fans.

"Whenever you do a film like this, people expect the Second Coming, and that's not what it is. So fans all get grumpy, the critics are already grumpy," Lucas said. "If you're going to say, `I'm going to get my Academy Award this year and finally I'm going to be loved by all the critics, and the fans are just going to go crazy' — not going to happen."

"So you only do it because it's a fun experience to do, and we love the movies," Lucas said. "We're doing it primarily because we want to see it. I want to see it, Steven wants to see it, Harrison wants to see it."

MORE FROM MORE NEWS AND OTHER FEATURES

‘Clone Wars’ focuses on humor, friendship

‘Clone Wars’ focuses on humor, friendship Anderson: Reprising Scully character was 'odd' Streep: ‘No sell-by date on my forehead’ SAG stakes fight on made-for-Internet content 'Star Wars' game bridges gap between films 'Meet Dave' can flop, it won't hurt Murphy Writer revises ‘Passion’ lawsuit against Gibson Actors Brolin, Wright arrested in brawl Del Toro unleashes the demons of his mind How's 'Hancock' stack up among movie twists?   Add More news and other features headlines to your news reader: