The year is 1957, and the Cold War is at its peak. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is recruited by the CIA to lead an expedition to the Amazon jungle, where a Soviet archaeologist, Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), is searching for the fabled crystal skull of Akator. Believed to grant its possessor immense power and knowledge, the skull is said to be hidden deep within the jungle, guarded by ancient booby traps and treacherous terrain.