The problem with the monkeys scene for me is not really the concept of it. The problem with the monkeys scene for me is how awful it looks on a visual level. That's just a problem with CRYSTAL SKULL in general -- it's one of the worst-looking films in Steven Spielberg's filmography, and it's baffling, particularly because the DP (Janusz Kaminski) showed just a few years later with WAR HORSE that he could have approximated more of that "old-fashioned filmmaking" look. Seriously, WAR HORSE looks way more like an Indiana Jones movie should look than CRYSTAL SKULL, which is crammed with obvious digital fakery, bizarre color correction, and just-plain-hideous lighting.
This is one of the hottest takes I've ever seen!
I think TEMPLE OF DOOM, particularly the utterly insane last 40ish minutes, is pure, unadulterated Spielberg, and it's wonderful.
RAIDERS will always be number 1 for me (it's one of my very favorite films of all time), but I love TEMPLE and CRUSADE pretty equally. It's pretty much an ideal trilogy, and those three movies still put almost all other action-adventures to shame.