Discuss Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Discuss → Movies → Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny → General
Glorified trilogy is remembered better than it actually is
posted by D-magicSTAFFMOD on July 4, 2023 at 12:21 PM
I still haven't seen the 5th movie yet, I will wait for the digital release to see it. However I am aware of the big backlash on this film, during which all the self made critics glorify and praise the first three movies as if they are some kind of unforgettable masterpieces. Well, no, not really. I watched the trilogy a while ago, but I was already a grownup and I don't have the pink nostalgy glasses to remember these movies like the people that watched it during their childhood do. And I've seen a lot of movies before, so this glorification doesn't work on me. First movie was just ok, the second was really bad and the third was somehow a bit more than ok and was actually entertaining and written good enough.
And it's actually the 4th movie that I liked more because of the action sequences and because of the total directional control that Spielberg was able to deliver. He was in top form, The Adventures of Tintin he made after that was also a masterclass of directing and building action sequence. Both movies were very entertaining as well. So when people on youtube say that only the first three movies are real Indiana Jones, I suggest them to watch these movies again. Because the level of cringe and idiotism of the second movie is really hard to beat. And the main reason people hate 4th movie is because of the theme of Aliens, of all the things. To remind these gentlemen, Raiders of the lost Ark was about Ark of the Covenant and religious mambo jumbo, and the Ark was revealed as real with some spirits in it and some paranormal stuff. B!tch, please. If anything, Aliens and wormholes and multiple dimensions are more realistic than that.
So it's possible that Ford's character is destroyed in this new movie, and maybe that Phoebe Waller-Bridge is indeed insufferable, for sure. But to glorify the first trilogy is not accurate and these movies maybe made Indiana Jones iconic character, but they were not that good as people remember them.
Reply by Midi-chlorian_Count
on July 4, 2023 at 12:59 PM
Watched Last Crusade at the weekend and it still holds up really well. To a certain extent Sean Connery really makes the film with his father / son relationship with Indy, and having to save him in the end. Then they literally ride off into the sunset. You couldn't really ask for a better end to the series than that...
Having said that, although not the best of them (and probably the worst) I was never a hater of Crystal Skull and used to argue precisely what you said here - how can you complain about aliens / transdimensional beings when we've had the ark's ghosts, black magic and medieval knights still alive after hundreds of years?! Where are you drawing your line? 😂
As to whether the first three are remembered as "glorified", perhaps - to an extent. But only because Temple of Doom isn't really of the same level as the other two.
Reply by northcoast
on July 5, 2023 at 6:18 AM
I haven't seen the fifth installment, but as a "first generation" (watched the original trilogy upon first release or just a few years after) fan of this franchise, I feel that most people are going to agree that the only "good" Indiana Jones films were Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade.
That is certainly my view-- Temple of Doom was heavy on the child abuse and cultural stereotypes, and just an uncomfortable and "icky" film overall; and Crystal Skull just felt artificial and made of cheap, inferior material.
So what Magic and Count are saying here is really nothing new; most "nostalgic" fans of the films are probably only going to say that two of them were really any good.