REEL CRITICS:

The venerable Lido Theatre in Newport has featured a number of offbeat films that defy usual Hollywood categories. “Surfwise” is no exception. This documentary covers the extraordinary life and times of a nomadic family during more than 20 years of unconventional living.

Dorian Paskowitz had worked hard to become a successful doctor. But the tough demands of his work led him to examine the fundamentals of his lifestyle. At the peak of his career he abandoned his practice and chose to become a wandering surf bum. He went wherever the waves beckoned and met a woman who agreed to become his traveling companion.

They had nine children who all grew up living in a van with a camper shell. Their days were spent in idyllic settings surfing and enjoying nature. Their diets were healthy but they were deprived of the normal trappings of growing up. They did not attend school. They had no real friends outside of the family. Yet they grew and matured into intelligent thoughtful adults.

This unusual film is not really about surfing. It’s the story of the strange odyssey of a Bohemian family with surfing as a backdrop to more important issues.

Get the lead out in the new Indiana Jones installment

The fedora, the bullwhip, the man — Indiana Jones is back, and Harrison Ford is looking good in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” unabashedly hoping to rekindle the glorious franchise that last hit theaters 19 years ago. There’s even an obligatory scene in which he doffs his shirt to prove he’s still the man he ever was.

Director Steven Spielberg again opens up his magic bag of tricks — each chase sequence is more twisty and harrowing than the last, and the effects are impressive.

But there’s not enough of the smart-aleck charm that made the original three films such a kick. Indy should have gotten grumpier with time, and we would have been happier for it. And I don’t understand the plot — it’s like “Indiana Jones Meets E.T. Meets Apocalypto Meets Happy Days” — with Shia LaBeouf as Fonzie.

Set in 1957, it’s the height of the Cold War, and the sight of Cate Blanchett vamping as a psychic Soviet spy is a hoot. (I kept waiting for her to say “Moose and Squirrel.”) And Karen Allen is back — yay! — reprising her role as the feisty Marion. Seeing Indy come alive with her onscreen, one wishes for more scenes with her character.

“Crystal Skull” is snappy and mindless fun, if not a classic. Sometimes everything old is just old, and everything new can feel old too.

SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company. JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office.