You know you’re a watch geek when:

You’re watching a movie and you find yourself paying more attention to the wristwatch the actor’s wearing than to what he’s saying or doing.

Yeah, yeah, he’s shooting a gun, but what’s that he’s wearing? A Tag Heuer?

I collect ‘em. And let’s face it: They take up less space than furniture.

Russians. Why’d it have to be Russians?

Probably because it’s 1957, the Cold War’s in full swing — as is our hero — and Nazis are so yesterday.

It’s been almost two decades since “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” the last entry in the grandest adventure film series of all time (and one of the richest, with $1.19 billion in the coffers). So expectations have been high for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” — perhaps a tad too high.

The series opened with a bang in 1981 with “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” a splendid homage to serials from the ’30s and ’40s. “Raiders” remains the best of the bunch.

In Indy 4, the characters have aged, naturally; there’s no Botox here. Harrison Ford’s wrinkles, gray hair and orneriness wear well on the weathered professor/archaeologist/adventurer.

“You know, for an old man, you ain’t bad in a fight,” says young Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), Indy’s brash new sidekick. “What are you, like 80?”

Genial age jokes and self-deprecating humor remind you (in case you forgot) that you’re here for fun. And, as the movie — which opens in theaters at 12:01 a.m. Thursday — refuses to take itself seriously (one of the series’ best qualities), don’t nitpick.

Except maybe a little.

Drenched in nostalgia and riddled with splendid stunts, it’s the season’s second-best popcorn movie. “Iron Man,” a more complete film, remains the pick of the blockbuster crop, so far.

But even with dense chunks of dialogue that drop like cement and a scattershot narrative — all three of its predecessors flowed better — “Skull” still has enough sass to keep you eagerly awaiting the next wave of creepy-crawlies or slithering ick.

Also, Steven Spielberg remains as good at directing action as anyone in the business, and he churns out some dandy sequences here. A multi-car chase through a Peruvian jungle is a doozy.

The new “Indiana” opens like a Sean Connery James Bond film, only with more slapstick. Bond, er, Indy has been captured by Russian Irina Spalko — Cate Blanchett, enjoying herself as a combo Natasha from “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show” and the assassin with the shoe knife in “From Russia With Love.”

The dragon lady and her platoon of Russian soldiers want Indy to locate an item locked in the huge depot that houses the ark from “Raiders” and hordes of other classified paraphernalia.

The contents have something to do with Roswell, N.M., and, we soon learn, a lost kingdom of gold, spooky Peruvians and the mystical title skull. I don’t want to confuse you; that’s the screenwriter’s job.

Indy joins the treasure hunt when Mutt tells him his mother’s been kidnapped along with a friend of Indy’s. The Russians interfere, and the game is afoot.

David Koepp, the umpteenth writer to try his hand at an Indy screenplay over the years, crafted “Crystal Skull” from a story co-written by George Lucas.

The script lifts liberally from the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” blueprint, which is a mixed blessing: It adds to the wistfulness but, at the same time, suggests Koepp (“Stir of Echoes,” “War of the Worlds”) ran out of ideas.

The “Skulls” story is weaker than its predecessors and the storytelling’s more ungainly, which may account for the film’s rhythm interruptis.

Karen Allen returns as Marion Ravenwood, Indy’s feisty girlfriend and partner in crime in “Raiders,” and the most appealing of his female costars. She brings warmth to party but her character bickers more than charms.

LaBeouf, on a roll after “Transformers” and “Disturbia,” brings the right demographic to attract people who were in diapers when “Raiders” debuted. I found his punk act grating, especially in the early going, but I took to him by the end because he loosened up a little.

“Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull” is a rocky but amusing ride that’s well worth a look if you have a jones for Indy.

In interviews, Ford’s said he’s open to doing a fifth “Indiana” film if fans want it. Given how spry he looks here, why not?

Grade: B

Chatting up history

Taking the affirmative, I must say “The Great Debaters” fulfilled my expectations as an inspirational, well-acted and moving (I got misty-eyed at the end) drama, like others of this ilk: Against all odds, a teacher or coach shapes a ragtag bunch of underdogs into a champion.

The difference here is that the underdogs aren’t so ragtag; they’re more polished and ambitious from the get-go.

Like “Pride,” “Remember the Titans” and “Glory Road,” their story is based on a real incident.

In 1935, professor Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington), debate-team coach at Wiley College, a small African-American university in Texas, takes his four-member team (three men and the team’s first woman member) against a number of black-college squads and, for the first time in history, against white schools.

Their year culminates in a debate with national champion Harvard.

The story’s focusing on mini-melodramas among the students and the professor’s closeted union activities adds tension and a modicum of depth.

Performances, all credible, brim with passion.

The negative: Washington’s direction sometimes turns clunky or stagy.

Extras: Engaging set, with surviving characters such the woman who was on the team, the professor’s son and a former student, now a debate teacher who’s a joy to listen to; actors at debate camp; shorts on music, design, costumes; Forest Whitaker interview (he plays the dean); in two-disc and single-disc versions.

The ol’ whip-cracker

If you want to bone up on “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” scheduled to open precisely at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, you can buy new editions of the three earlier Indie films or the all-inclusive “Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection.”

“Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the series’ first, still seems the most fun, because of its freshness, its brisk pace and the presence of Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, the trilogy’s most appealing leading lady.

The only differences between this and the previously released versions of the trilogy (“Raiders,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”) are 12 new extras.

So if you already own other versions, you can save your money.

Extras: chatty introductions by director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas; brief interview with Indie’s three female co-stars (“Doom’s” Kate Capshaw, “Crusades’” Alison Doody and Allen, who comes off best here, too); “Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures” game demo (looks fun) and trailer; storyboards; photo galleries; shorts on effects, rats, snakes and bugs.

Thievery 101

The teen-oriented “Graduation” opened in a couple Bay Area theaters May 2. It’s out on DVD this week.

Given the drama’s preposterous premise and bland acting, it’s kind of shocking the film opened at all.

Little-knowns Shannon Lucio, Riley Smith, Chris Marquette (“The Invisible”) and Chris Lowell play high school seniors who plan to rob a bank on graduation day and be back in time to get their diplomas.

They decide on the heist because Marquette’s mom needs a bone marrow transplant but she’s used up her insurance and the hospital doesn’t believe in good Samaritanism.

The robbery’s the girl’s idea. Her dad (Adam Arkin) owns the bank and the day he denies Marquette a $100,000 loan for the operation, she discovers pop’s been having an extramarital affair with a teller.

The girl’s been accepted at Harvard, so this all may be a commentary on the school’s admission process.

Extras: Alternate opening is snappier than the original; cast members come across better in the bloopers than in the film; deleted and extended scenes; commentary; slide show.

Also on DVD

“The Big Trail: Fox Grandeur Special Edition”: Early John Wayne Western in original 70mm and full screen.

“Botched”: Heist/horror/humor with Stephen Dorff as a thief stuck on an apparently deserted 13th floor in a Russian skyscraper with two incompetent (and grating) Soviet accomplices, a host of odd hostages and a lurking terror.

“The Cottage”: Horror/comedy about combative siblings who kidnap a woman who won’t stop talking, then deal with a psychotic neighbor; with Andy Serkis.

“Cover”: Murder, mystery, adultery, AIDS, revenge; with Vivica A. Fox.

“Die Hard Ultimate Collection”: Two-disc versions of all four “Die Hard” films.

“The Fox Western Classics Collection”: “Garden of Evil,” “The Gunfighter,” “Rawhide.”

“Frontier(s)”: French thieves stop at a motel run by Neo-Nazis.

“A Good Man is Hard to Find”: Three women deal with personal demons, relationships and family; based on a 1990s gospel stage play; with Hill Harper.

“John Wayne: The Fox Westerns”: “The Big Trail,” “The Comancheros,” “North to Alaska,” “The Undefeated.”

“La Chinoise”: Jean-Luc Godard’s restored 1967 saga of five French student roommates, their politics and activism; in French.

“Lost in Beijing”: Erotic, comic, character-driven look at the effects of new money on the current Chinese economy; in Mandarin.

“Mad Money”: Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes decide to rob a bank; it’s a comedy.

“Marvel Heroes Collection!”: Includes the three “X-Men” films; the “Fantastic Four” duo; animted “Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes, Volume 1”; “Daredevil”; “Elektra”; comic books.

“National Lampoon’s Cattle Call”: Women want revenge after falling for fake casting call set up by trio of lonely guys; with Thomas Ian Nicholas.

“Nora’s Hair Salon”: Sequel with Stacey Dash running into staff problems after inheriting her aunt’s salon.

“Numb”: A depressed screenwriter (Matthew Perry) goes through a variety of therapists trying to determine what’s real, then finds a girlfriend; a comedy.

“The Rat Pack Ultimate Collector’s Edition”: Frank Sinatra and pals in the original “Ocean’s 11,” “4 for Texas,” “Robin and the Seven Hoods,” “Sergeants 3.”

“Untraceable”: FBI agent (Diane Lane) tracks serial killer who shows his murders on the Web.

“Walk All Over Me”: Runaway teen (Leelee Sobieski) takes over former baby-sitter’s identity as a dominatrix.

“Youth Without Youth”: Elderly, depressed scholar’s (Tim Roth) youth is restored after he’s struck by lightning; directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

TV on DVD

“The Adams Chronicles” (1976 miniseries with George Grizzard as John Adams)
“American Idol: Season 6 Finale Performance Show – The Top 2”
“Ballroom Bootcamp, Season One”
“The Backyardigans: High Flying Adventures!”
“The Chase: The Complete First Season”
“DNA” (“CSI”-ish Brit mystery)
“Drawn Together Season Three: Uncensored”
“Elite XC: Destiny” (fighting)
“Elite XC: Renegade” (more fighting)
“HDNet Fights: Fedor Returns” (didn’t know he left)
“Lovejoy: The Complete Season Three” (pre-”Deadwood” Ian McShane)
“Mission Impossible: Season 4”
“A Raisin in the Sun” (most recent version)
“Sinatra (The Miniseries)”
“Saturday Night Live: The Complete Third Season”
“They Filmed the War in Color”
“Twelfth Night” (1970 British version with Alec Guinness)
“Two and a Half Men: The Complete Third Season”
“Stargate Infinity: The Complete Series” (animated)

Coming soon

May 20: “National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets”
June 3: “Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector’s Edition”

[please bold first mention of titles and Extras:]

If there’d been any justice, “Gone Baby Gone,” Ben Affleck’s taut directorial debut, should’ve been a contenduh for best picture.

For one thing, it has the year’s most thought-provoking.

Then there’s the way Affleck bathes the film in a tough, Boston, working-class atmosphere that complements the edgy story based on “Mystic River’’ writer Dennis Lehane’s novel.

Affleck made all the right moves, beginning with believing his younger brother Casey could carry the movie.

Casey Affleck does just that as a private investigator who, with his girlfriend/partner (Michelle Monaghan), works with reluctant police officers to locate a missing child.

The younger Affleck, who earned a supporting-actor nomination for “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,’’ hits the daily double with this go-round as a shrewd, hardened but compassionate shamus still living in the neighborhood where he, the missing girl’s family and many of the suspects grew up.

The supporting cast – Monaghan, Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman as cops and Amy Madigan as the girl’s troubled aunt – also excel, but it’s Oscar-nominated Amy Ryan who is the real standout as the girl’s low-rent single mother.

Extras: An overly ballyhooed alternate ending consists of a couple lines of narration added to the last scene, which plays better without them; an extending opening gives a peek at the private-eye couple at work; audio commentary; a look at the pains taken to capture the flavors of the area; deleted scenes.

Jane, Jane, Jane

There’s no escape: Last week, it was “The Jane Austen Book Club”; this week, “Becoming Jane.”

What’s next: “Calamity Jane’’ (in which Jane Austen moons over Wild Bill Hickock)?

In “Becoming Jane’’ – whose drawn-out storytelling grew difficult to sit through – Anne Hathaway harnesses her natural comedic tendencies, letting loose only in snippets of wit as she portrays the future author experiencing love, life and class troubles that lay the groundwork for her novel “Pride and Prejudice.’’ (The film’s fiction but ostensibly based on fact.)

Hathaway, who takes some getting used to in the role, brings spunk and soulfulness to the well-dressed film. “Atonement’s’’ James McAvoy, the heartthrob of the moment, plays Tom Lefroy, the rascally, wastrel attorney with whom Jane becomes smitten – to the consternation of her hardscrabble mother (scene-stealing Julie Walters).

Mom wants Jane to forget about affection and marry well, for Jane’s sake and for their family’s.

All Jane must do is swallow her standards and say “yes’’ to the wealthy neighbor’s (Maggie Smith) stodgy son.

The period’s rigidity drizzles through the story.

Extras: A who-is-Jane Austen piece with an authority from the “Jane Austen Book Club’’ extras; pop-up facts and footnotes; deleted scenes; audio commentary.

Predictable menu

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart play adversarial chefs in “No Reservations,” the year’s most predictable romantic comedy–of-sorts.

Based on the German film “Mostly Martha,’’ the story focuses primarily on Zeta-Jones’ workaholic character and her relationship with her gloomy young niece (Abigail Breslin), whom she inherits when the child’s parents die in a car crash.

Clueless at mothering, Zeta-Jones’ character amps up the insecurity when she returns from a brief leave to find the handsome, gregarious sous chef Eckhart hired to help out in the upscale restaurant.

Eckhart is the film’s bright light. Zeta-Jones creates a believable, slow-to-warm, stick-in-the-mud. Breslin is Breslin (“Little Miss Sunshine’’).

The food scenes are the movie’s most delectable. The dialogue needs seasoning.

Extras: A Food Network episode of “Unwrapped.’’

I’m from Venus. You?

Widowed sci-fi writer John Cusack decides to adopt a child as a single man in “Martian Child,” a poignant, offbeat story that rides well on the chemistry between Cusack and Bobby Coleman as the 7-year-old title character, an orphan who isolates himself from others by insisting he’s from Mars.

Naturally, the emotionally damaged child appeals to the emotionally damaged adult – Freud 101.

Gradually they build trust and learn lessons.

Though oozy with syrup in parts, the movie plays better than you expect, in large part because of the casting. With Joan Cusack as the writer’s sister and Amanda Peet as his girlfriend.

Extras: Watchable ones covering the real “Martian Child’’ (subject of an acclaimed story by the real boy’s father, David Gerrold – who also wrote “Star Trek’s’’ “Trouble with Tribbles’’) and Coleman’s casting and preparation (the director compares the boy to Kurt Cobain in terms of spontaneity and charisma); commentary; deleted scenes.

Also on DVD

“The Amateur’’: Residents of a small town work with the community to realize their dream of making an adult film; with Jeff Bridges, Ted Danson, Lauren Graham.

“Blue State’’: Deciding to honor his vow to move to Canada if George Bush won the 2004 election, a young activist (Breckin Meyer) finds a quirky hitchhiker (Anna Paquin) to join him in this coming-of-age comedy.

“The Charlie Chan Collection – Volume Four”: “Charlie Chan in Honolulu,’’ “…in Reno,’’ “…in The City of Darkness’’ and “…at Treasure Island.’’

“Dirty Laundry’’: In a kind of lower-budget “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins,’’ the culture-clash comedy takes a successful New York writer back to his traditional Southern home after a 10-year absence; with Loretta Devine, Rockmond Dunbar and Jenifer Lewis.

“Furnace – Unrated’’: Supernatural creepiness with Tom Sizemore, Ja Rule and Danny Trejo in a prison where bloody suicides are the norm after an old wing is unsealed.

“Love Is My Religion’’: Ziggy Marley’s 2006 concert in L.A.

“The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun’’: Documentary about an aging Danish bachelor who teams with a stubborn Russian nun to transform a rundown castle he donates into a Russian Orthodox monastery.

“Royal Tramp 1 & 2’’: Hong Kong star Stephen Chow powers 1990s martial-arts comedies about the adventures of a con man who fights, loves, and saves a dynasty.

“Snow Buddies’’: Live-action Disney comedy about puppies in snow.

“Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married’’: Perry drops the drag for this look at four couples who examine their relationships during a Colorado getaway.

“We Own the Night’’: One of detective’s sons becomes a cop (Mark Wahlberg), the other (Joaquin Phoenix) hangs with mobsters.

TV on DVD

“Blade: The Series’’
“The Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav: Extended & Uncensored’’
“Family Ties: The Third Season’’
“General Hospital: Night Shift, Season 1’’
“Girlfriends: The Third Season’’
“Tell Me You Love Me: The Complete First Season.’’

Coming soon

March 11: “No Country for Old Men”