Patrick Crawford, junior in pre-journalism and mass communication, has been watching the Indiana Jones films since he was a toddler, and is as excited as anyone about Indy’s return to the big screen after a 19-year hiatus. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” starring Harrison Ford and directed by Steven Spielberg, is scheduled for release this Thursday.

Crawford said he watched the movies about once a month as a child, starting when he was two or three years old, and it didn’t take him long to “become enthralled in all the action.”

The movies follow Indiana Jones, a professor of history and archaeology with one hell of a side job: Finding treasures, fighting the bad guy and saving the world. The iconic films are recognizable within the first few notes of the theme music or the first glimpse of Indy’s signature bullwhip, and audiences are transported to a time when the world seemed larger, full of dangers, and Nazis are still a force to contend with.

“Indiana Jones is sort of a mix of both worlds, he’s a normal guy but there’s another side,” Crawford said. “He can also be an adventurer or hero as well.”

The first three Indy films were among the most popular movies of the 1980s. Crawford’s favorite was the second movie, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” although he said the film received bad reviews.

“The movies themselves can be educating and entertaining,” Crawford said, adding that the movies have religious undertones, such as a “Catholic-Christian feel” for “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

Crawford also said the settings of the movies “make them almost war movies.” The first three movies take place during the mid to late 1930s and the first movie, “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” pits Indy against the Nazis in a race to find the Ark of the Covenant, which holds the power of the Ten Commandments.

The newest installment, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” will place during the Cold War in 1957. This time, Indiana Jones is after the Crystal Skull of Akator, “a legendary object of fascination, superstition and fear,” which would be one of the most amazing archaeological discoveries in history, according to the Indiana Jones Web site.

Thomas Beell, professor of journalism, reviewed the Indy films during his time as a film critic for the Ames Tribune, and is optimistic about the success of the fourth film.

Beell remembers the experience of watching the films in a packed theater.

“You really get submersed into a story,” Beell said. “The whole ideas of movies is you suspend disbelief, [and] you accept the impossible thing.”

Beell said the Indiana Jones character is likable because he is smart and skillful, but he isn’t perfect. In the third film, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” Indy doesn’t get along well with his father, making him human and relatable, Beell said.

“He’s a character with fears,” Beell said. “He’s very human and I think that makes him very appealing.”

Beell has some concerns about the upcoming film, including the fact that Ford may be getting too old for the character. Beell said, in reality, Indy is near the age of retirement both as a professor and archaeologist.

Beell also said the plot is important. The film may not be successful if “the story is too prosperous or his character isn’t believable,” he said.

The addition of actor Shia LaBeouf to the film may be “an attempt to appeal to a younger audience” and “could keep the series going.”

Beell said a big budget doesn’t always equal success with the audience, even if the film is based on a popular franchise. One example of this is the recently released film “Speed Racer.”

“A lot of people going to movies [now] weren’t going when [the Indy] movies were being made,” Beell said. “Modern audiences aren’t very sentimental.”

Beell said he plans on seeing the movie and hopes for the best.

“I hope that the series ends well but I’m worried it may be a letdown,” Beell said.

Crawford plans to go to the midnight showing and said the dedicated fan base of Indiana Jones is similar to the fans of the Star Wars films.

“I was surprised, almost disappointed, until I saw the trailer for it,” Crawford said.

Crawford said previews may attract younger audiences to the film, but if there aren’t enough fans who go, these could be factors that “will make or break the movie.”