Why the Indiana Jones Franchise Should Have Remained a Trilogy
When Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadethe third installment in the Indiana Jones film series, hit theaters in 1989, it appeared to mark the end of an era and the series itself. Although director Steven Spielberg, star Harrison Ford, and series creator George Lucas never explicitly stated that Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade would be the final film, it was evident that they recognized the series had reached its conclusion. This was evident in the film’s closing scene, where Indiana Jones rides off into the sunset on horseback. For nearly two decades, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade served as a fitting conclusion for a generation of viewers until the release of 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Many fans have disregarded the fourth film in the series and are now anticipating the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which is being promoted as the final installment. If Ford, Lucas, and Spielberg had stuck to their implicit promise to end the series with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, how would the series be perceived today? Has the revival of the Indiana Jones character in recent years tarnished the legacy of the original films? Nostalgia alone is not enough to sustain the franchise.
Harrison Ford, who was thirty-four years old when Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in 1981, will turn eighty next month, just a couple of weeks after the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The interest surrounding the new film primarily revolves around how well Ford, one of the greatest film stars of the past fifty years, can physically embody the role of Indiana Jones at his advanced age. There is also a morbid curiosity about how many more films Ford will appear in before retiring from acting altogether. This macabre speculation has become a significant selling point for the film.
When Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade premiered, Ford was forty-six years old. While he was able to handle the physical demands of that film with ease, his transition from middle age to an older star added an extra layer of poignancy to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which would have continued to resonate if the series had ended there. However, with the continuation of the franchise, this added meaning has been lost. Both Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny rely heavily on nostalgia, which has kept the series alive but also tied it to its past glory. That is why the Indiana Jones series should have concluded as a trilogy with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Although Raiders of the Lost Ark and its 1984 sequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, were clearly influenced by the cliffhanger serials of the 1930s and 1940s, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s vision and technical prowess elevated these films to a new level. The unforgettable opening sequences in Raiders of the Lost Ark set a high standard. In contrast, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, despite its merits, feels like a rehash of its predecessors. It could easily be called Indiana Jones and the Greatest Hits due to its recycled elements. While the film received positive reviews upon its release, much of the praise was for the casting of Sean Connery as Indiana Jones’s father and the sense of finality it brought to the series. If Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade had been the first film, it may not have inspired sequels. As the third film, it provided a fond and respectful ending for the 1980s Indiana Jones trilogy, and Lucas and Spielberg should have left it at that.
It is always disheartening when a legendary figure or icon falls from grace, and that is what has happened to Harrison Ford and his portrayal of Indiana Jones due to the existence of Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, as well as the passage of time. If Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade had remained the final film, the series would be in a stronger position today. Do these new movies damage the reputation of the original films? Surprisingly, they seem to have had the opposite effect. However, the resurrection of Indiana Jones has somewhat diminished the legacy of the originals by presenting him as a caricature, a mere shadow of his former greatness. The answer is undoubtedly yes.
When Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadethe third entry in the Indiana Jones film series, was released in 1989, it seemingly marked the end of both an era and the series.
Although director Steven Spielberg and star Harrison Ford, along with series creator George Lucas, never explicitly promised that Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade would serve as the end of the film series, the clear implication was that they all recognized that the series had run its course, as evidenced by the film’s final scene, in which Indiana Jones rides away on horseback into the sunset.
For nearly twenty years, until the release of 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade served as a fitting end to the Indiana Jones series for a generation of viewers. Many have essentially nullified the existence of the fourth film in the series, and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinywhich has been billed as the final Indiana Jones film.
If Ford, Lucas, and Spielberg had held firm to their implicit promise to end the Indiana Jones film series with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadehow much differently would the series be viewed today, and has the somewhat disheveled resurrection of the Indiana Jones character over the past fifteen years blemished the legacy, and memory, of the original films?
Nostalgia Isn’t Enough
Harrison Ford, who was thirty-four years old when Raiders of the Lost Ark was first released in 1981, will celebrate his eightieth birthday next month, approximately two weeks after the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Accordingly, much of the interest surrounding the new film seems to be tied to the question of how well Ford, one of the greatest film stars of the past fifty years, can still hold up physically in the role of Indiana Jones at Ford’s advanced age. Attached to this is also the morbid fascination regarding how many more films Ford will appear in before he decides, or is forced, to step away from acting completely. Indeed, this somewhat ghoulish form of speculation has become one of the film’s primary selling points.
When Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was released, Ford was forty-six years old. While Ford was able to handle that film’s physical demands with relative ease, Ford’s transition from middle age to becoming an older star brought an additional level of poignancy to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadewhich would continue to resonate strongly had the series ended here. However, with the resumption of the series, this additional level of meaning has been lost.
Correspondingly, both Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny represent how the Indiana Jones series has become overly reliant on the element of nostalgia, which has alternately served to keep the series alive while keeping it shackled to its glorious past. This is a reason why the Indiana Jones series should have ended, as a trilogy, with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
The Last Crusade Was a Warning
Although Raiders of the Lost Ark and its 1984 sequel, the thrilling Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doomwere obviously inspired by the cliffhanger-based serial films and radio programs from the 1930s and 1940s, the imagination and jaw-dropping technical credits that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg applied to Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom made for a splendid viewing experience, especially in terms of the film’s unforgettable opening sequences.
In contrast, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadefor all of its genuine qualities, feels like a rehash of the previous films. Indeed, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade could have been titled Indiana Jones and the Greatest Hits in terms of how the film recycles various elements from the previous films.
Moreover, while Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was greeted with generally positive reviews at the time of its release, most of this goodwill was attached to the casting of Sean Connery as Indiana Jones’s father and the seeming finality that the third film represented in 1989, and continues to represent in the present, for so many people.
Quite simply, if Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade had been the first film in the Indiana Jones film series, it wouldn’t have been an especially promising beginning, and it might not have inspired more sequels. However, as the third film in the series, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade represents an affectionate and respectful ending point for the 1980s Indiana Jones film trilogy. This is a compelling reason why Lucas and Spielberg should have stopped here.
Indiana Jones: A Damaged Brand?
It’s always a little sad when a legendary figure or icon suffers a fall from greatness, and this is what’s happened to Harrison Ford and his Indiana Jones character due to the existence of Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skulland Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinyas well as the inevitable, and merciless, passage of time.
If Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade had endured as the last Indiana Jones film, the series would be in a stronger position now than it is in its current resurrected form. Does this mean that the new movies have damaged the reputations of the original films? Actually, they seem to have had the exact opposite effect.
However, has the resurrection of Indiana Jones somewhat cheapened the legacy of the original films by presenting Indiana Jones as a caricature, a pale shadow, of his former great self? The answer is clearly yes.
