With his return in a fifth film on the horizon, Harrison Ford reflects on the negative response to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. After starring in the original Indiana Jones trilogy from 1981 to 1989, Ford returned for a fourth installment in 2008, which saw his titular archeologist teaming up with his estranged son Mutt (played by Shia LaBeouf) to search for a telepathic crystal skull. While the original trilogy received near universal acclaim, the fourth film was the first time the series suffered a significant drop in quality and, in turn, received a fair amount of hate for it.
In a recent profile by The Hollywood Reporter, Ford looked ahead to his return in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and reflected on the negative response to Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Looking back, the veteran actor is unfazed by all the hate the last Indiana Jones movie received and did not let it carry over and affect the upcoming film. Read what Ford said below:
"[The critics] were harsh on it, but what are they doing now? I understand. But those were their rules — not [director Steven Spielberg’s and co-writer George Lucas’] rules. They were imposing their rules on what the movie should be. I don’t feel it’s necessary to address those issues. I think that everyone has a right to their opinion. The film was not as successful as we wanted it to be, perhaps. But it didn’t create an attitude or a behavior that carried over into this film."
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Is Not As Bad As Some Remember
Both the interviewer and Ford recall critics being harsh on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In actuality, the critical response to the fourth film wasn't that bad. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has a Certified Fresh 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the lowest in the series by a slim margin, but a long way from being Rotten or critically maligned.
The critical consensus with the fourth Indiana Jones film seemed to be that, while the story was unoriginal, it largely delivered all the swashbuckling adventure expected from an Indiana Jones movie. There was some criticism regarding its dialogue, pacing, and shoddy CGI. However, it was audiences that judged the fourth film much more harshly, with a 53 percent Rotten rating on the aggregator site.
Ford also recalls that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was not as successful as he wanted it to be. It's unclear if he means commercially or in terms of quality, but the fourth film was a financial success, grossing north of $790 million worldwide to become the franchise's highest-grossing installment. With the James Mangold-directed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny releasing in theaters this summer, it can hopefully right some of the wrongs that Ford recognizes from the last film.
Source: THR, Rotten Tomatoes
