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5 Pros and 5 Cons of an Indiana Jones 5 Movie

Should Lucas and Spielberg Make Indiana Jones 5?

By Jarrett Kruse     November 10, 2009


5 Pros and 5 Cons of an Indiana Jones 5 Movie
© Mania/ Robert Trate

 

 
The first few bars of John Williams’ score is enough to evoke hairs stand on the back our neck. You know the music, “Da-da-da-dum-dum, da-da-da, dum-dum-dum, da-da-da-da.” We are  of course talking about everyone’s favorite adventuring archaeologist, Indiana Jones. We waited 19 years for a fourth movie (Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull) in the series and finally in 2008 audiences turned out in droves to the tune of over $786 million worldwide, second to only The Dark Knight. Despite okay reviews, fans seemed lukewarm about Indy’s return and Internet buzz fueled the fire as message boards dissected every frame of the movie. So, let’s put the franchise under the microscope and see if the series deserves a finale worth its legend.
 

5 Reasons To Hang Up The Fedora

 

5. Lucas + Ford + Spielberg = Major Bucks

At a production budget of $185 million, Indy IV was way up there on the high-end scale of costly movies. And that price tag is before marketing costs. Also, it is a good bet that that $786 million did not seem so grand to Paramount after George Lucas (LucasFilm), Director Steven Spielberg and action hero Harrison Ford took their slices of the pie. Rumors had it thatthe three movie titans walked away with half the profits of the film.

4. Harrison Ford Is Now 67 Years Old

Although we all love to think of Harrison Ford as the 35-year-old Han Solo from 1977’s Star Wars—time may have caught up with Ford. Born in 1942, Ford is without a doubt in better shape than most of our dads and he still knows how to throw a punch, but let’s face it, he is pushing 70. After all, Ford’s on-screen dad in the Indiana Jones series, played by Sean Connery in the third installment was only a scant 12 years Ford’s senior.
 

3. Is The Core Audience Still There?

Like Ford, the coveted 18-49 male market for action pictures is starting to grey. Raiders Of The Lost Ark was released in 1981 making all of those 18-year-olds then pushing 50 now! Is the interest and believability still around that this adventurer should be doing anything but puttering around a retirement home? Also, the character crossed the gender lines in the ‘80s because women did not seem to mind getting dragged to see Harrison Ford with his shirt off for two hours. Some women may have been saying “silver fox” then but now they may think “creepy fox.”
 
 

2. Too Much CGI a Bad Movie Can Make

Save for a few scenes, Indy IV was way too reliant on green-screen and Lucas’ digital tricks. The first 20 minutes of the movie was pure Indy (fistfights, the whip, old relics, a peek at the Ark, Area 51, etc.) but after that it became a game of “can you top that?” Shia LaBeouf swinging from vines, the jungle cutter chase and sword fight—all obviously well rehearsed in a closed studio. By the time the climax arrived complete with whirring UFO’s and leftover aliens from Close Encounters, we weren’t sure what movie we were in—there was just no real villain to root against.

 

1. Shia Labeouf & Karen Allen

 
One of the major complaints we heard from fellow moviegoers was that they just did not buy Shia LaBeouf’s “Mutt” Williams as Indy’s son and that the spunk of Marien Ravenwood was just not there anymore. I mean lets face it; Karen Allen peaked with Raiders and ended with The Crystal Skull. Plus it did not help that it looked like she has had so much botox that she has been in a wind tunnel for the past 27 years. A solo Shia movie would be laughable without Ford.  If you are going back to roots, bring back John Rhys-Davies as Sallah.
 
 

5 Reasons To Crack The Whip One More Time

 

5. The Fanboys Are Still There 

Good or bad reviews, people will come. And even better is that if the movie receives stellar reviews from major critics across the board; then that could be the swan song that the franchise needs. The people are there to see Indiana Jones,hard-punching and full of grit, knocking out guys half his age and cracking wise. Let him go out the way he came in.
 

4. The Indy Brand Is a Worldwide Moneymaker Even After the Braintrust’s Cut

The Indiana Jones series are synonymous with the word blockbuster. These movies are tentpole films that studios bank most of their year’s profits upon. Despite Harrison Ford’s last legitimate hit being 1997’s Air Force One, you know that Paramount is salivating to break Crystal Skull’s $786 million. You can only count so many franchises that are sure things at the box office—Indiana Jones is one of them.
 
 

3. Go Back to the Roots

Essentially, Indiana Jones is just a brilliant college professor who happens to carry a gun, a bullwhip and has a mean right cross who is dead set on the preservation of antiquities and history. But there was nothing to salvage in Indy IV; nothing to keep the movie cohesive. Raiders had the Ark, Temple Of Doom had the Sankara Stones and Last Crusade had the Holy Grail. The Crystal Skull was almost just a relic that was of no dire importance to moving the plot along. Next time, make it Indy’s last adventure and do not cross genre’s. The occult and Indy is a yes; space aliens and Indy is a no. Back to car chases, whip-work, double-crossing villains and on location shooting. And gun fights, nothing like shooting a guy with a sword in the middle of a bazaar in Cairo!
 

2. Everybody Loves a Comeback

After the debacle of 1990’s Rocky V, no one would have guessed that Sylvester Stallone could have resurrected the Italian Stallion into 2006’s Rocky Balboa. It was an across the board hit and an excellent bookend to a legendary character. It tied everything together for every Rocky fan. Sure it was not in the Indiana Jones stratosphere as far as money is concerned but the characters are on the same level with popularity. Stallone wrote, starred and directed the movie and that is how on board George Lucas needs to be for a finale. He cannot “audition” writers for years and have potential scripts leaked all over the Internet.
 

1. The Formula Will Still Work

As we previously stated, the first 20 minutes of the fourth chapter was vintage Indy. It had everything we had been hoping for. Besides a few extra grey hairs, Ford was in just as good a shape as he was in at the end of the ‘80s. He threw punches, used the whip (really the only time in the movie), and had that classic gravitas and grit that we all were so excited to see. Even the gutsy “I like IKE” line was classic wise-cracking Indy. But after that, there became way too many storylines to keep track of what to focus on. Was Cate Blanchett’s Irina Spalko the enemy? Was it the Russians in general? It was just murky. Raiders had Belloq & the Nazi’s, Temple of Doom had Mola-Ram, and The Last Crusade had Walter Donovan in collusion with the Nazi’s—all clear cut villains. We knew who we were rooting against.
 
 
 
 
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COMMENTS AND RESPONSES

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Redshirt1 11/10/2009 4:45:28 AM

I agree with this assessment.  I didn't have a problem with the Russians being the bad guys, it actually worked out well in one of the video games that the original movies spanwned.  However, the problem with using the Russians is that they were all about getting a scientific advantage over the United States which of course lead to the nuclear arms race.  Hitler actually had a division in the SS which was attempting to track down occult related items that could provide Hitler with unlimited power.  You really can't write stuff that good in Hollywood when History provides it to you for free. 

Also as the artical mentioned number 4 lacked any villan who was at the same level of Belloq or any of the other villans the previous three movies spawned.  The whole alien thing was also a mess.  All three movies were about the occult and religion.  While they tried to make it look like the aliens were associated to an early religious belief, it came off as a weak plot point.  And come on Shia as Indiana son!  That came off as just plain stupid.  And I know that Henry Jones Jr.  named himself after the dog, but Mutt!  Even if they could spin Shia as the sucessor to Ford (laughing hysterically)  what would they call the film The Adventures of Mutt Jones?

If a fifth movie is in the future, then it needs to get back to its grass roots other wise its just going to end up as another peice of steaming crap.

Flint521466 11/10/2009 5:07:46 AM

Cogida George Lucas en la boca!

CoolHandSnoop 11/10/2009 5:46:05 AM

Please, no more.  I can't take anymore.  There is a tiny part of me that want's to see them redeem themselvs by giving us a proper Indy send off that brings back the elements that made it great in the first place.  But I don't think these guys are up to the job anymore.  Crystal Skulls did too much story telling damage and dug them into too deep a pit that I don't think they could ever climb out of it.  Indy 5 would have to be one hell of a movie in order to erase the bad taste that Indy 4 left.  If I thought we'd get that movie, I'd be for it.  But I doubt it.  Chances are we'd end up with another phoned in CGI campfest rather than a new classic that ads anyting meanigful to the serise.  I say let it die.  Or better yet, let it rest in peace since they've already killed it. 

avidfan 11/10/2009 6:59:19 AM

I agree with this article.  Thansk for recognizing the first 20 minutes as classic Indy.  To say Nuked the Fridge to be the same as Jumped the Shark doesn't fit.  It was the kinetic energy and humor that made Indiana Jones one of the greatest characters ever.  I did not care for the Russian "villian."  She came across as a Rocky and Bullwinkle dinner theater production.  I would love to see some occult based part 5 where the Nazi's are retooling in South America.  Kind of like an Indiana Jones and the Boys from Brazil thing.  http://www.persona-non-grata.com

Hobbs 11/10/2009 7:17:09 AM

This is all a mute point because its been what, 3 months or so since Ford said in public they were working on another one. ...yawn, they said that for 15 years last time.  Time is running out on the series.  They don't even have a script so you are looking at least a few years before the big 3 would probably get together to shoot the movie.   Ford isn't getting the movie roles he once did and Lucas is just content making cartoons so the wild card is Spielberg and what he has planned in the coming years.

Wiseguy 11/10/2009 7:47:38 AM

My biggest complaint from Skull was the sci/fi angle. I don't care that that was the fuzz back then I didn't like it. Marian appearing to be on ecstassy didn't help either

That aside I'd love to see more Indy, but  bring it back to his roots, the occult and Nazis

aegrant 11/10/2009 9:30:17 AM

Honestly I think as the trend goes Indy 5 would be great! see below...

Raiders of the Lost Ark - great movie, especially since i was 10 at the time, and it was a great game on my atari 2600

Temple of Doom - this movie was just "ok" really to me it was no more than an attempt for Speilberg to find a wifey (this is where he met Kate Kapshaw). This is my least favorite of the series.

Last Crusade - another great movie. It was funny and full of adventure. Plus I got to see james bond in a different light.

Crystal Skull - another "ok" movie, everything was cool until the whole super tall aliens showed up. (honeslty I think the writers got there checks before they finshed the script and just plain quit)

Indy 5  - looks to me that this would be a great movie - if it follows the trend.

wrrlykam 11/10/2009 10:06:44 AM

Who's push 50!?!?!?!?

Where is my abacus?

2009 - 1981=28

18 28 = 46

Had me worried for a minute then.

LadyBrowncoat 11/10/2009 10:26:59 AM

 As a huge Indy fan "back in the day" and a girl who fell in love with Harrison Ford when he first kissed Carrie Fisher (I was 10 at the time!) I think it's time for Indy to hang up his Fedora.  I think the major problem with continuing the series is the time frame.  The 40's were a fabulous setting for both Raiders and Last Crusade.  Going back to the late 30's worked brilliantly for Temple.  But the 50's - I'm just not buying it.  Nazis made fabulous villians - Commies didn't work as well.

TKay42one 11/10/2009 10:51:23 AM

If you had asked me if I wanted a fifth movie a week after I saw The Crystal Skull, I would have said not a chance.  However, something else has since occurred to me - it's entirely possible that the Indy series has an even number movie curse, similar to Star Trek's odd number movie curse.  Most of the even number Star Trek movies (Wrath of Khan, The Undiscovered Country, First Contact) are considered to be good to great, while odd numbered Star Trek movies (The Motion Picture, The Final Frontier, Generations) are considered to be somewhat lackluster to bad.  Maybe, since Raider of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade were good, while Temple of Doom and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull were not so much, maybe another odd numbered Indy movie will be awesome.

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