Not bad, but nothing to write home about. I’ll probably watch it again, which is more than I can say for Crystal Skull. I’d like to say Destiny is about as good as Temple of Doom, but I can’t. Temple has a several iconic action set pieces, like the mine cart ride. Destiny has a couple of scenes that stand out, but nothing that makes me want to go back and see it again.
Unfortunately, the Indiana Jones series just hasn’t aged well. It has a lot of elements that are considered racist and sexist today (and probably even then). Even the core concept of the character – a guy who takes artifacts from their native lands to put them in a museum – is no longer considered a good thing. And frankly, I agree.
But I still think there’s room for Indiana Jones movies that don’t make the above mistakes. I really wish they had made more of them when Harry was in his prime. I mean, it just feels like there should be more Indiana Jones movies out there, doesn’t it? It’s a series that was meant to be serialized, with dozens of adventures that take place at different times in the character’s life. The numerous spin-off books, video games, and tv show are proof of that. In a perfect world, there would be as many Indiana Jones movies as there are James Bond.
But the character really is tied to the actor. I just don’t think anyone could pull off Indy like Harrison Ford. And worse, if there is an actor who could fill Harry’s shoes, he wouldn’t be cast. Hollywood would pick some upbeat babyface actor instead, when the character should be played by someone more grizzled and cynical.
But more than that, I think Indiana Jones just made more sense in the 80s and 90s, before over-the-top action movies were a dime a dozen. These days, what does Indy offer that John Wick doesn’t, other than a different time period? I honestly think Hollywood missed a golden opportunity, by not milking the series dry in the 90s.
Ranking the Indiana Jones Movies:
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. Last Crusade
3. Temple of Doom
4. Dial of Destiny
5. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
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