We’re just a few months away from the release of the fifth film in the Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. So, it seemed like a good time to rewatch the other four films in the series for perspective. It was the fourth film, 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, that was the most surprising upon a rewatch, and it seemed like a good subject for today’s Fun Friday outing.
Looking back
The first film in the series, now known officially as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, is still the best of course. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg took inspiration from the 1930s film serials they loved (much as Lucas had for Star Wars) and delivered a fun, exciting film with very few flaws. It was an instant success, and even in the 1980s that meant sequel, sequel, sequel. Reports at the time said Spielberg signed on for a total of five films, two of which were produced fairly quickly.
1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was viewed, at the time, as close to the top of the heap. That film hasn’t aged well for a number of reasons. Still, it should be recognized for an attempt to stand on its own. It’s really the only sequel in the series that does. It introduces all new characters other than Indiana Jones of course.
On the other hand, 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has only seen its reputation improve over time. Seeing it in the theater, I thought it was fun but owed far too much to the first film. Today, its stellar performances make it look better than it did back then.
The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
It’s said that Spielberg stopped at film #3 simply because he didn’t have another good story to tell at the time. His trajectory in the 1990s became far more serious, and it wouldn’t be until the 21st century that he chose to return to the pulpy entertainment that launched his career.
It took nearly six years of development to get that fourth film off the ground. By the time it did, audiences were hungry for it, and it performed well at the box office, bringing in $790 million globally. Critics generally agreed it was worthwhile too. Still, even though people kept showing up and buying tickets, few seemed to love the film.
I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull its first week in theaters, as I had with the previous three. I’ll admit I was underwhelmed. The film was fun enough but didn’t bring anything really new. Its retirement-age leads performing impossible stunts didn’t seem believable. Neither did its early-21st-century CGI, and the film used a lot of CGI.
The inclusion of Shia LeBeouf as the heir presumptive to the series only made it worse. LeBeouf had a reputation for having very limited acting range at the time and it overshadowed the real work he did. It was hard to imagine him taking the series forward. The fear of another four films with “Mutt Williams” left audiences, myself included, feeling sour as Crystal Skull ended.
In the end I chalked it all up to the original source. The first three films took inspiration from 1930s films which overflowed with style and flair. The fourth film drew its genesis from B-movies of the 1950s. With notable exceptions, most of those films seem arthritic today, so a film based on them will inevitably feel that way too.
Watching this film in 2023
I was very surprised to find how good this film is after fifteen years. The acting is sharp, the writing is witty, and to my older eyes, the leads don’t seem as aged. The supporting characters don’t have much to do, but they do it reliably. The CGI, although still a bit horsey, doesn’t look as bad on a home TV as it looked in the theater.
So no, the film doesn’t make any more sense than it did back then. Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood are essentially invulnerable superheroes. As I get older myself I find that even harder to believe. But a lot of the film is better than it seemed in 2008, and I wasn’t expecting that.
Cate Blanchett, as I’ve said before, is a treasure no matter what she’s in. She’s proven that by playing Katharine Hepburn and an MCU goddess, not to mention her many other more grounded roles. She doesn’t have a lot to work with here, I’ll admit. Her role is intentionally dry. Still, she manages to crackle onscreen. I don’t know how she does it.
Shia LeBeouf, on the other hand, still isn’t the high point of this film. It doesn’t help that his character looks and acts like a mix of Brando and James Dean. Those 1950s tropes looked cool then but they just don’t anymore. On the other hand, his presence doesn’t come off as a threat as it once did. Obviously LeBeouf didn’t take over the franchise, and has largely disappeared from the public eye. Seeing him here isn’t thrilling, but it’s not terrifying either.
My takeaways
Crystal Skull is an entertaining film and a good way to spend a few hours. It relies on the previous three films way too much, but you’ll have that. In the end, though, it doesn’t bring anything new. Yes, it advances the characters, but there’s no good reason for it. The Indiana Jones series would have been just as good as a trilogy.
Which, honestly, doesn’t bode well for the next film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The rumors out there today peg this as a time-travel flick where at the end Harrison Ford is erased from history and replaced with Phoebe Waller-Bridge. That will certainly be interesting if that happens and it’s sure to raise controversy.
I want to believe that a filmmaker like Steven Spielberg would only make another film in this series if there were a good story to be told. But Spielberg has clearly reached the age where he makes films for himself first and foremost. His latest, The Fabelmans, is good enough but it’s really just a dewy-eyed look back at his own history. It’s said he made the last Indiana Jones because his kids wanted it. I wonder why he’s making this one.
I’m hoping to see Dial of Destiny in the theaters the first week it opens, and maybe I’ll let you know what I thought of it in a future “Fun Friday” installment.
