A follow-up to 2008's hugely successful Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull seemed inevitable after Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, but talk the last few years had producers bringing in a new, younger actor to reboot and extend the 35-year-old adventure franchise.
No offense to Harrison, who was great in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will always be my Indy body and soul, but this was the perfect time to let a younger actor take over the character and shed some light on Jones' earlier, pre-Raiders adventures. The wedding of Marion and Indy at the end of Crystal Skull felt like an appropriate, just goodbye for these beloved characters. Do we really want or need to see geriatric Indy juggling married life with his duties as associate chancellor of the university? Not really.
Other than the prodigious box office and fitting send-off, Crystal Skull was universally considered the worst film of the franchise. The flying fridge and Shia swinging on vines played a big part, but for me, seeing an old Indiana Jones just wasn't appealing. I'd rather choose to remember him battling the likes of Belloq and Mola Ram than Irina Spalko and giant killer ants.
Ford is hot again after Star Wars so I'm sure that made the decision to stick with him as Indy an easy one. The film will undoubtedly make money and extend the wallets of all involved. But will it really service the character and capture the spirit and adventure of the first three classic films? Probably not. That really won't be possible until Disney, Spielberg and Ford realize it's time to let a new face return Indy to his glory days so he can dazzle us once again.
