Add me to the ever growing list of KOTCS fans!
Yes, I realise it has it's fair share of flaws (CGI gophers, dumb Tarzan swinging vines sequence, e.t.c) but that doesn't ruin my overall enjoyment of the film. I was born in the mid-80's so I missed out on seeing any of the original trilogy on the big screen and experiencing 'Indymania' the first time round. I was 22 when KOTCS was released and the first time I saw it on the big screen with a bunch of friends (who were also Indy fans) was probably the most fun I've ever had at a movie theatre. That lovely sense of nostalgia still gets me whenever I rewatch it now over seven years later.
Unlike a lot of the film's critics I actually enjoy the sci-fi/alien (sorry, 'interdimensional beings'
) angle, I think the fact that the movie is clearly an homage to the 50's style b-movie (just as the original trilogy was an homage to the 30's style adventure serial) is a clever way of moving the franchise forward and actually works. I love lots of things about the movie - Harrison Ford's great performance as a more mature Indy, the legend of Akator and the crystal skull itself, the references to previous adventures and characters, seeing Marion again (although I do wish she had been utilised better), the epic score by John Williams and the character of Irina Spalko, who I shall reflect on in more detail in another thread.
I agree with a previous comment in this thread that said that there are plenty of KOTCS fans out there, it just sometimes doesn't feel that way because the 'haters' tend to be a lot more vocal and ... vociferous, shall we say?
I, for one, immensely enjoyed this film and it's great to read this thread and find that I'm not the only one.