My Thoughts on Indy 4

I've been putting off this post for a few days now because I wanted to give most people a chance to see the movie over the long weekend. I imagine some still haven't seen it, but I've had so many people asking my opinion that I just couldn't wait any longer to put it down in words. I will warn the wary reader now that there may be VERY MINOR SPOILERS about the plot of the movie in this post, so if you don't want to know anything at all come back and read after you've seen it. I will try hard to be as generic as possible when it comes to plot points.

First of all, this Indiana Jones experience has been more than just the movie for me. While the movie was the culmination of the entire experience, it is still a piece of a bigger pie. I will go as far as saying that the presence of Indiana Jones in pop culture these last few months has been exhilarating. For the first time in my life, Indy is popping up at the grocery store, on TV ads and in the toy aisles. My collector's mindset has been drooling over all the cool statues, figurines, etc. that I could add to my collection. Attending the midnight showing of the movie was the natural conclusion to all of the hype.

And fortunately, I was in no way disappointed with the movie. I, along with just about everyone else, had built up enormous amounts of expectations which no movie ever made could live up to. It's a miracle that the movie withstood all the reviews from people with unrealistic expectations. I, for my part, was entertained for the whole two hours and enjoyed seeing my favorite action hero back at it. The action was intense and, for the most part, in true Indy style. The opening sequence proved that Harrison Ford is still not only in good form but was made to play Indiana Jones.

The movie, however, had its share of faults, but none of them were any different than what's common in most action movies (clunky dialog, wooden characters, over-the-top action). There was one scene which should have been left on the cutting floor involving jungle vines and a certain sidekick (if you've seen it, you know exactly what I'm talking about). I think that much of the nit-picking leveled against this movie could have been leveled against some parts of the previous movies, so it didn't bother me. People have gotten more hyper-critical in the past twenty years.

A couple specific things I wanted to discuss: the sci-fi element of the film and the much-maligned character of Mutt. If there is one element that links the original films together it is the fact that they were an homage to the Saturday-morning adventure serials of the 1930's. If the 30's element had been maintained in Indy 4, it would've been a little anachronistic. In order to maintain the spirit of the originals, an Indy movie set in the 50's would have to pay homage to the popular fare of the 50's: science-fiction. In this respect, I think Indy 4 perfectly maintained an important element of the series while still giving us the adventure thrills we expect. I know many will disagree with me, but that's ok. I'm open to the dialog. I was uncertain what I thought after I first saw it as well. My other point of interest is the relationship of Indy and his sidekick Mutt. I thought that the chemistry between these two was one of the highlights of the movie, and Shia LaBeouf played an outstanding character who was both interesting to watch and believable. Ford and LaBeouf could carry another movie, if there ever is one.

Well, this ended up being longer than I thought, but I've spent a lot of time thinking about the movie. I've found that the longer I'm away from my initial viewing, I find more to like about it. I will definitely be seeing it again, and the second time I won't have to worry about bloated expectations. Overall, the movie was just shy of being great, and it's better than any other adventure fare the studios have been throwing at us the past nineteen years. If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones!

What's your favorite movie?

I have struggled with this cosmic question for a long time. The term "favorite" carries a lot of weight for me. Something that is your favorite is exclusive and alone at the top of a list. The reason I have had such trouble with the movie question is because I, like any other self-respecting nerd, have three prominent movie franchises floating around at the top of my "favorite" list. How do I pick a favorite between Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Indiana Jones?

I was once asked whether I would choose to visit an exhibition on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or Indiana Jones with the catch that they were all on the same day and at the same time in three different places. I felt like I was experiencing one of those moral dilemma questions with three "morally" right options I could choose. Today, for the first time in the recorded history of my life, I will respond to that moral dilemma and rank my three favorite movie franchises with accompanying explanations. I will also rank the movies individually within their respective franchises, not for any sort of edifying reason, but purely because I like details like that and thought it would be fun. I'm interested to hear any thoughts about my rankings and how you would rank them yourself.

In third place: Star Wars
If I had responded to this question about ten years ago, I guarantee you that Star Wars would have been ranked first instead of third. Star Wars was my life when I was a kid, and nothing could top lightsabers, the Jedi, and cool space battles. While I still enjoy the Star Wars films immensely, I have found less attachment to them now. The story enlivens my imagination, but I find the characters less believable than in my top two.
Individual ranking:
Return of the Jedi
A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back
Revenge of the Sith
The Phantom Menace
Attack of the Clones

In second place: Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings series is arguably the most well-crafted set of films in my rankings. The acting, directing, cinematography, and all-around production reaches a standard of excellence attained by few other films in history. It's hard to think of the three movies separately because they blend so well together. Just as in Tolkien's original work, the movie divides one long story into three different parts. All three parts fit together well to make an incredible cinematic experience. The one thing keeping the Lord of the Rings from the top of my list is my ability to put myself in the shoes of the main characters. Although I am emotionally invested in the characters and their story throughout the films, they don't affect me in the same way as the main character in my top ranked film series.
Individual ranking:
The Return of the King
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers

And finally, in first place: Indiana Jones
No character ever to grace the sound stages of Hollywood has personally impacted my life more than Henry Jones Jr. Dr. Jones is part scholar and part thrill-seeking treasure hunter. He has a passion for antiquity and preserving the past at all costs. Most importantly, he is sometimes painfully human. Many of the characters in Star Wars and Lord of the Rings often appear superhuman in their ability, but the Man with the Hat continually ends up in tough spots and just barely gets out of them, sometimes purely through luck. I found a character I could identify with, and that is the reason why the venerable archaeologist lands the top spot in my rankings.
Individual ranking:
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Last Crusade
Temple of Doom

There you have it. Set in proverbial stone, for now at least...

A Traveling Man

As the years have gone by I've begun to realize how much traveling is part of my identity. Growing up, my parents always found opportunities to take us to as many parts of the world as they were able. My dad often traveled to France for business, and we got to tag along. Sometimes we would extend the trip and visit other countries in Europe to expand our horizons. We would also load up the old Grand Caravan nearly every summer and drive somewhere within the United States. Many times our vacations were built around the location of the annual North American Christian Convention.

My sister was quick to appreciate the value in traveling, but I for some reason rejected it. I think a large part of the reason was because I wanted to reject anything my sister found enjoyable. I have since learned the absurdity of that mindset, but at a young age it was alive and well. I also think I took it for granted. It wasn't until I left for college that I started really appreciating all of the travel experiences from my childhood. I still remember my parents filling out requests for extended absences at school because of some trip we were taking, and it was never hard to come up with a good educational reason for taking the trip. It was the cultural and educational experience that I began to fully grasp once I left my parent's home.

My memories from vacations and family trips are some of the most treasured times in my life. I have learned that I have a soul that is satisfied by living and experiencing other cultures, climates, and worldviews. A part of me will forever be a wandering spirit, curious about what life is like in a corner of the world I haven't yet visited. Nothing will ever replace the experiences my parents gave me when they opened up the world to my young, uncomprehending mind. I hope that I can do the same for my own someday.