Does Indiana Jones “Belong in a Musuem”?
Should the classic come back or stay in the past?
June 12, 1981. May 23, 1984. May 24, 1989. May 28, 2008. On each of these days, a little blessing was given to humanity: the gift of another adventure from Indiana Jones. And now, after 15 years of anticipation, on June 30, 2023, our lord and savior Harrison Ford is back on the screen as Henry “Indiana” Jones Jr.; ready to win our hearts all over again. But do we really need our hearts to be won over again? And after Indiana Jones Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, are we sure we can trust it to live up to Indy’s reputation?
To understand Indy’s reputation, we need to go all the way back to Beloit Wisconsin in 1884. Meet Roy Chapman Andrews, the real Indiana Jones. While Harrison Ford may have brought him to life on the silver screen, Andrews is the one who lived the adventures. A worldwide explorer and young employee of the Natural History Museum, he traveled as far as Alaska to Asia. He even was the first to discover that dinosaurs came from eggs! Eventually he retired from field work in 1930 due to the Great Depression and became the museum’s director. Although he died in 1960, this brave and resourceful adventurer lives on as Indiana Jones.
Understanding this, one really begins to appreciate Indy as the role model that he is. The movies are entertaining, action packed, and inspiring. So what’s up with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? This infamous disgrace to the Indiana Jones franchise is almost irredeemable, securing its value as something to mock. Harrison Ford returns as Indiana Jones, as does the beloved Karen Allen as Marion. But this Cold War disaster that couldn’t get worse is ruined further by Shia LaBeouf as Indy’s son, I-don’t-remember-his-name-he’s-so-forgettable. Besides the iconic clip of Indy in a refrigerator rolling down a hill, this movie adds absolutely nothing to the franchise. So it leaves us, the diehard fans of Indiana Jones, wondering if Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be worth the anticipation or tarnish Indy’s image like Crystal Skull did.
Call me an optimist, but I don’t think it will. The fourth movie looked like a straight to DVD knock-off, whereas this newest film from trailers alone looks incredible. The choreography, the design, and even the color scheme are perfectly reminiscent of the original 3 movies. Even though Last Crusade was, and always will be, a masterpiece, I can’t help but wonder if this one could be the ending we deserve.
Thankfully, much to everyone’s approval, Shia LaBeouf will not appear in this one. That was a stupid idea and it added nothing. Even without the negative addition of LaBeouf, the cast still looks like it’s a hit in the making. John Rhys-Davies will return as the iconic Sallah. Of course, Karen Allen will return, but LaBeouf will not so this could actually be really good.
I love Indiana Jones. It’s one of my favorite franchises and I know the soundtrack of every movie by heart. But one thing is for certain: no matter what Dial of Destiny is like, it can’t be worse than Kingdom of The Crystal Skull.
