Indiana Jones is one of the most iconic characters of all time, and with a fifth movie currently in production, there’s no stopping the treasure hunting titan. But there are some people on Reddit whose opinions don’t align with the general consensus, and there are others that love the franchise but have growing concerns for Indiana Jones 5.
From those who have an undying love for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and others who have scathing reviews of Raiders to fans that champion Mutt, there are so many unpopular opinions about the series. And the hot takes about the franchise are as scattershot as the treasure the titular character globe-trots around to find.
Indiana Jones Is Recastable
Corporate_shill721 explains that Indiana Jones is recastable and the Redditor actually makes a good point, as they say, “they’ve already done it twice before.” However, there’s an asterisk next to those recastings, as River Phoenix played a young version of the character in a flashback in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
But most fans would agree that not only is the character not recastable, but that nobody thinks so more than Indy himself. In what is surprisingly out of character for Harrison Ford, the actor hasn’t lambasted the character, like he has with Han Solo and the Star Wars franchise at large. In fact, as reported by EW, he has even said that nobody can be Indiana Jones but him.
Crystal Skull Is Entertaining
Though they admit that it didn’t live up to the huge expectations that fans had for the movie, LegendInMyMind argues that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is still entertaining. They cite the Area 51 sequence, along with the motorbike chase, as exciting and evocative of Raiders of the Lost Ark and a “trip down memory lane.”
But fans couldn’t disagree more, as there are no stakes to those scenes in Crystal Skull like there are in the most exciting Raiders scenes, such as the convoy chase sequence. And on top of that, those scenes in Crystal Skull don’t look all that great due to all the CGI, as opposed to the phenomenal practical sets of Raiders.
Short Round Is A Good Sidekick
The Temple of Doom is generally considered to be the worst Indy movie (excluding Crystal Skull,) and that usually comes down to the common criticisms of the supporting cast. One of those supporting characters is Short Round, a child who is, strangely enough, Indy’s sidekick.
Reddit user BreadEater12 argues that Short Round is actually a great sidekick, and the user unfairly compares him to Marion, who they call “absolutely annoying and obnoxious.” Though it’s an unpopular opinion, the Redditor, at least, doesn’t mention Willie, the character in Temple of Doom, who is far more disliked as a sidekick character.
Crystal Skull Is Good Because Of The Star Power
The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull doesn’t have many fans, but ToxiqueJaques defends everything about it. Whilst making the claim that it’s the best movie in the series, they argue it’s largely thanks to the star power, as the previous movies are “full of nobodies.”
But while the stars of the original movies might not have been famous at the time (excluding Sean Connery), that doesn’t mean they weren’t great. River Phoenix was incredible as Young Indy, as was Denholm Elliot and John Rhys-Davis. And the opposite is true too, as established actors don’t always bring amazing performances, and many felt that was certainly the case for Crystal Skull. However, it could very well be the star power that helped the movie reach the huge box office intake of almost $800 million, as it likely wasn't anything else.
Raiders Doesn’t Hold Up
Potato_Dynasty1 doesn’t think Raiders of the Lost Ark, the movie that kick-started the series, holds up. They argue that the “action is meh,” the characters aren’t enjoyable, and though they can see why it’s iconic, that doesn’t mean it’s good.
However, most would agree that Raiders does still hold up, whether it’s the aforementioned practical stunt work, the sense of mystery, or the shocking face-melting ending. And that’s not even mentioning just how iconic Indy is, which is mostly thanks to Harrison Ford.
There’s Too much Slapstick Comedy In The Last Crusade
While arguing that The Last Crusade is the worst of the trilogy, Skeleton_Warrior believes that there’s too much slapstick comedy in the classic. The change in tone was a conscious decision on Spielberg’s behalf, as the dark vibe of Temple of Doom wasn’t positively received at the time and the reception of Crusade was universally positive.
And though Raiders of the Lost Ark is generally considered better, most fans feel that The Last Crusade is way more rewatchable due to Young Indiana Jones, Indy’s father, and just how much globe-trotting there is. On top of that, there’s next to no slapstick comedy when compared to Crystal Skull, and the contents of that movie is actually a large part of why fans are skeptical about Indy 5.
Mutt Is A Great Character
In yet another Reddit post that defends Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, DanniAnna defends Shia Labeouf’s character of Mutt, and argues that he “nailed the whole 50s greaser bad guy character.”
However, it’s possible that of all the things the movie is criticized for, Mutt is the most hated of all. Between the character swinging on vines with monkeys to riding on a train station platform on a motorbike, everything revolving around the character was cringe-worthy for many, and this is probably the reason why Mutt isn’t returning in the upcoming fifth movie.
Harrison Ford Is Too Old To Play Indiana Jones
ObjectSpirited494 argues that Harrison Ford is way too old to play Indiana Jones, positing that nobody would be “scared or intimidated by a 78-year-old.” But, being Hollywood’s biggest stoic, the actor barely even needs to act. And when it comes to action, there are a lot of times Indy shouldn’t have survived, as he’s been put through the wringer on several occasions and somehow come out unscathed, and that seemingly goes for Harrison Ford too.
Whilst shooting Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ford was injured on set when a door fell on him, and during the production of Indiana Jones 5, he sustained a shoulder injury too. Even in his personal life, the actor crashed a World War II training plane. Given his age and the fact that he continues to star in these action movies, Ford will probably never be old to play Indy.
Temple Of Doom Is Worse Than Crystal Skull
When arguing that Temple of Doom is the worst in the series, REQ52767 believes that Indy “loses his character” in the film and that there isn’t enough globetrotting.
Though Temple of Doom is considered by many to be the worst in the trilogy, the first three movies are almost flawless, as Doom is still a great movie full of groundbreaking action sequences. From the chase in the mining carts and the rickety bridge snapping in half to the human sacrifice ritual, Temple of Doom is equal parts exciting and terrifying, and one of the best prequels of all time.
All Of The Movies Are Awful
A deleted user notes that it isn’t just Kingdom of the Crystal Skull that’s the bad movie in the series, and not just Temple of Doom either, but that all of the movies are awful. The user notes that they were “laughing and cringing the entire time,” and that they can’t understand why so many people like them.
But the truth of the matter is that the run of the first three movies are as close to a perfect trilogy that exists in cinema history. Between the lightening in the bottle first movie, the exciting and fast-paced Temple of Doom, and the ultimate Indy adventure and best Raiders follow-up, The Last Crusade, no action-adventure movie comes close to being as thrilling as this series.