How do I approach Indy IV, with my head or my heart? The 15 year old boy inside me has begun counting down the hours until the greatest cinematic hero of my lifetime returns to the big screen. This Thursday marks the opening of (for many) the year's most anticipated film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I consider it an early birthday gift. The original trilogy represents probably the most fun adventure series Hollywood has ever produced. Raiders of the Lost Ark premiered in May, 1981, the same year I was born. It drew critical raves and huge box-office. Almost 30 years later, it has remained the benchmark against which most action/adventure films are measured. By the end of the 80s, two Indy sequels had been released. Temple of Doom was a hit, but while it contained some great action scenes, it was later deemed too dark by many fans. The Last Crusade (ironic title huh?) was lighter and funnier, not to mention a bigger smash, introducing Sean Connery as Indiana's father.
Collectively, the trilogy has done wonders for the talent involved. They are the best films on creator George Lucas' resume (Star Wars was a larger phenomenon, but Indy represents his most accomplished storytelling). Raiders of the Lost Ark, with Jaws, is arguably the most effective mainstream entertainment director Steven Spielberg has ever delivered. Harrison Ford's daring archaeologist is among a handful of the most well-known characters in cinema and easily represents Ford's most iconic role. John Williams score is instantly recognizable to even the most passive moviegoers. The trilogy has inspired popular attractions at both Walt Disney World (Orl.) and Disney Land (L.A.). May 22nd is circled on my calendar. I've watched the trailer on u-tube about 350 times. I've even decided to play hooky on Thursday, as I won't possibly be able to stay focused at work knowing I didn't attend one of the first showings (I immediately regret sharing that with you).
But will Kingdom of the Crystal Skull deliver or disappointment? I hate to admit that the latter is even a possibility, but I'm gonna let my brain interject. With a few exceptions, I've generally been let down by summer blockbusters. When I was a young teen, a movie would have to be really bad to dim my spirits. But with the media and Hollywood playing such a major role in creating pre-release hype for these "can't miss hits", it becomes almost impossible to feel completely satisfied afterward. Generally the films that fuel the public's collective energy are sequels or films based on popular stories. It makes sense. Audiences want to re-visit characters they are familiar with. That's why you don't see the same kind of initial marketing push for films like Sling Blade, L.A. Confidential, 25th Hour, Swingers, Million Dollar Baby, Little Miss Sunshine, or The Sixth Sense, all far stronger films than your average studio fare. Interestingly enough, when The Sixth Sense became a word-of-mouth phenomenon, all future M. Night Shamalan films became pegged as event movies. Ironically, not one has come close to the success of the original, creatively or financially. And yet that won't stop me from shelling out $10.00 to see his new film, The Happening, opening next month. The preview looks awesome and well, I just can't help myself.
Dr. Jones faces an additional obstacle many big sequels manage to avoid; the significant passage of time. These days studios are bludgeoning audiences over the head with rapid sequels. Each of the following trilogies were introduced and completed within spans of 6 years or less: Spiderman, X-Men, Pirates of the Carribean, Shrek, and The Matrix. The studios spent more time advertising on magazine covers and slapping logos on happy meal boxes than making sure they actually had decent stories (Anyone wanna bet the inevitable Iron Man sequel in 2 years won't be as good as the first?). But there's a method to this madness; they remained fresh in the public eye. It's harder to stir excitment for older franchises, because the audience changes if you wait too long. Moviegoers waited 6 years for Alien 3 & Lethal Weapon 4, 10 years for Hannibal, 12 years for Terminator 3 & Die Hard 4, and an incomprehensible 16 years for Rocky Balboa & Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The lattermost of those films was probably the most hyped film of all-time and suffered because of it, at least in terms of major audience disapproval. But Indiana Jones has topped them all. It's been nearly 2 full decades (19 years) since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was released. I was 8 years old and too young to see it in theaters.
Creatively, there's no reason for a 4th Indy film. Harrison Ford has said publicly that he'd play Indiana Jones again in "a New York minute." While it seems his heart's in the right place, we're not naive. The only reason for this film's existence is money, as in shit-loads of money. You can currently see Indiana at Burger King, on Dr. Pepper boxes, and on Snicker and M&M rappers. But I can't imagine my anticipation being higher for the return of any other franchise, despite the fact that Ford is now 142 years old. Reportedly, Sean Connery wasn't interested in returning for the new sequel but it's just as well, since by any logical reasoning his character should be dead.
So what do I ultimately expect? Entertainment, no more, no less. It will probably fall somewhere in-between the quality levels of Temple of Doom and Last Crusade. With the overall quality of major summer releases at an all-time low, that would be more than acceptable to me.
A review of the film will be forthcoming.
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