As far as action heroes go, Indiana Jones is up there on a pedestal alongside characters like John McClane, Frodo, and Harrison Ford’s other famous role, Han Solo. The Indiana Jones trilogy is one of the most revered of all time, and for good reason. It’s quotable, fun, has an unforgettable musical score, and each movie is endearing in its own unique way.

When Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull premiered, 19 years after the trilogy’s third movie, The Last Crusade, it was supposed to close out Indy’s last chapter. Fans were elated, albeit skeptical, and rightfully so. Was it worth dusting off the old fedora and whip? The answer to that was an overwhelming and emphatic “no” from both fans and critics. Now, Indiana Jones 5 is in production and Harrison Ford will seek fortune and glory for a fifth and final time. This means it’s finally time for fans to watch a proper sendoff of the beloved and blunt archeologist.

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Crystal Skull took everything fans love about Indiana Jones and tried to mix those with new concepts and a whole lot of CGI. The end result attempted to give Indy the ending that creators Steven Spielberg and George Lucas must have assumed fans needed. He runs into his ex-girlfriend, fan-favorite Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) of Raiders of the Lost Ark, finds out he has a son named Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), and fights Russian villain Irina (Cate Blanchett) over an alien skull. The film has a few good moments but is mostly a messy, nonsensical adventure flick that slaps a wedding on the end to prove that Indy can finally settle down and be a family man. Let’s not forget that teaser that threatened to make Shia LaBeouf the new Indiana Jones, an idea that, thankfully, Spielberg and Lucas have since ditched.

Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The film that was supposed to be the fun, final ride left fans scratching their heads instead. Most of the movie was muddled with plot devices that sounded fine on paper but fell flat each and every time. Throwing in the discovery of his love child with Marion and adding aliens to the Indy lore were two of the most questionable choices. The sloppy, CGI alien that appears at the end to shamefully stare into Irina’s eyes before she’s obliterated is the final nail in that plot coffin.

In the original trilogy, the action sequences are a genuinely good time and memorable for their realistic look and feel. Spielberg has built a career out of creating some of the best special effects in movies like E.T. and Jaws, but all of that went right out the window with Crystal Skull. For example, the car chase where each character takes turns hopping easily from one moving vehicle to the other as a cross-car group fight ensues. Not to mention the scene where Mutt vine swings through a jungle with a horde of CGI monkeys; it's hard to scrub that one from memory.

Spielberg and Lucas have had 13 years to sit on the criticism that came from Crystal Skull, so fans can hope that they learned some lessons before diving into production on Indiana Jones 5. The project has already been shaken up by a few changes, like one of the original writers, David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Spider-Man), leaving the film when Spielberg stepped down as director.

Indiana Jones 5 Harrison Ford

According to Koepp, his version of the script for part 5 also suffered from a clash of opinions between Spielberg, Ford, and Disney. Knowing that the biggest names behind the project are taking details into such scrutinized consideration could be a sign of good things to come.

Fans may be feeling torn between having hope for Indiana Jones 5 and wishing the franchise could just be left alone. For those in the former group, there are a few details about the fifth installment that hint at the potential for a redemptive story arc. James Mangold will be directing, and celebrated actors such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelson have joined the cast. Fans that are disappointed that Spielberg won’t be directing can take heart that he’ll still be heavily involved as a producer.

James Mangold at the helm could give the franchise a much-needed lift after Crystal Skull. The director completely turned the flat, standalone Wolverine franchise around with the characters sendoff film, Logan. Any Wolverine movie prior pales in comparison to the character development, story, and cinematography of Logan. If he could create that for Wolverine, there’s no doubt he could make just as memorable an ending for Indiana Jones.

Indiana Jones devotees are some of the most loyal franchise fans out there. Their outcry against Crystal Skull was justified after decades of loyalty to Indy and his globetrotting adventures. Harrison Ford has officially begun filming part 5, which means there's no turning back now. Here's hoping the character gets an ending with enough charm, sarcasm, and self-assured swagger to ensure it could belong in a museum.

Indiana Jones 5 is slated for theatrical release on July 28, 2022.

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