February 15, 2008
Indiana Jones, where've ya been?
Well, here it is, the first trailer for the new Indiana Jones film.
Raiders of the Lost Ark was perhaps my favorite movie as a teen and young adult, and it's remained in my top 10 over the subsequent decades. It had everything: Nazis, a tough, wise-cracking hero with a snappy hat, supernatural forces that can melt men's faces, and the hottest leading lady in the history of cinema, as good with her fists and a gun as the leading man.
The second film in the series, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom had a fantastic opening sequence, but the film never recovered from the new girlfriend, the incredibly annoying and constantly shrieking Kate Capshaw. Indy ditched Marion Ravenwood for this?
Blech.
Of course, Capshaw got the last laugh, marrying director Steven Spielberg, so I guess someone was happy with the casting choice.
The third film, Indian Jones and the Last Crusade, added Sean Connery to the mix as Indy's father, along with a cameo by the soon-to-be-dead actor River Phoenix as the young Jones.
With Zeppelins and Nazis (again!) -- including a chance encounter with Hitler himself (he autographs a book for our nonplussed hero) -- and the interplay between Connery and Ford, Crusade was nearly as great as the first film.
And then ... nothing.
For years and years there were rumors of a fourth film, but the scripts never seemed to satisfy everyone.
When word came that production was about to being in 2007, my first thought was, "Man, Harrison Ford is old!" My second was, "Shia who?"
Harrison Ford is 65 years old. He was about 46 when he made Last Crusade; Sean Connery was 58 when he played Ford's father in that film, and there were a series of gags about how old Indy's father was, in a movie released in 1989.
So it's more than a little weird to realize that the leading man is now older than his cranky father was in the last film. And it's even stranger to look at recent photos of the two men; Connery, 77, looks better -- less craggy -- to my eyes than Ford.
And I'm still not impressed by this Shia fellow, who doesn't seem like anything other than eye candy for the teenage girls, a calculating imposition on the plot to draw younger viewers in. Interesting that there were no younger actors for us to relate to in the first and third film, just Indiana Jones.
On the other hand, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) is back, looking fantastic, notwithstanding the intervening quarter century.
Check out the trailer and tell me what you think.
Posted by Mike Lief at February 15, 2008 07:31 PM
| TrackBack
Comments
I have to tell you that I was pretty psyched to hear about #4. I mean Indiana Jones is an icon. He taught us all the importance of bringing a pistol to a sword fight. BUT, after watching the trailer, I am not so sure about this.
All I could think was "be careful Indy, don't break a hip!" "Slow down Indy, they don't have portable defibulators in that era..."
I get kind of tired of watching all these (way past) middle aged men continuing to play action heroes and "ladies men" into their late sixties and seventies. Stallone (61) has reinvented Rocky and Rambo, Jack Nicholson (70) played a badass in the Departed last year, and James Caan (67) plays a tough guy on "Las Vegas".
Compare these roles to the legendary Spencer Tracy. His last movie (right before he died at 67) was Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Think about the part he played in that movie (an old man). It was age appropriate.
My initial thought was that people are living longer now a days. The world is getting older and Stallone, Nicholson and Ford reflect that.
But, I am not sure that is it. I think these guys make so much money now and they usually direct, produce, executive produce or have some other powerful role in the production that they WOULDNT be in a movie where they were not the object of some young hot chicks desire or the tough guy that saves the day. It's all about ego.
Posted by: RW at February 15, 2008 09:23 PM
I'm excited about this 4th movie. I loved all of the Indiana Jones movies as well and I think this one will be more visually exciting as the special effects and computer animation have advanced light years since the last movie was made.
As for Harrison being in his mid 60's, I say more power to him just because he's not 40 and doesn't have 6 pack abs anymore doesn't mean he can't be a hero IMO.
Of course they had to bring in some eye candy for the youngsters who probably weren't even born when the 3rd movie came out. I don't think it will take anything away from the film.
Good Lord I was 20 when Last Crusade came out!
Posted by: April at February 15, 2008 10:34 PM