Egotastic
Indiana Jones and Han Solo. Two characters, one actor, and the heroes of an entire generation of men. Harrison Ford's portrayal of the Nazi melting archaeologist and arrogant but lovable smuggler influenced Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers in very deep ways. As boys, we were looking around for someone to teach us how to be men. Some of us had wonderful fathers, grandfathers, and uncles that filled these roles. The rest of us had absent dads and looked around for someone to show us how to swing the dong, (metaphorically). Star Wars and The Indiana Jones films were HUGE when I was a kid. I look around at the men of my generation who are adults now, many with sons of their own, and I see traces of Dr. Jones and Han. Just like the film left on the toilet bowl after a bachelor party.
So, with that in mind I conducted a wildly unscientific survey of my good male friends on the Facebook. I asked if they agreed that Han and Indi were the defining male archetypes of our generation and which one influenced their idea of masculinity more and why? I got some pretty interesting answers. For example, several friends mentioned that Mad Martigan from Willow or older heroes like Clint Eastwood were a bigger influence. Still, most agreed on my Han/Indi premise. Like all archetypes, none of us can ever really achieve Indi or Han level coolness. The best we can do is aspire to do our best. It's like living up to the constitution, the Bible, or the teachings of Bill and Ted. Anyway, here is the comparison between Dr. Jones, Han Solo, and masculinity.
Hell Yes or No Effin’ Way: ‘Indiana Jones 5′ Might Not See the Light of Day
Indiana Jones is old. Not just as a franchise (it's been around since 1981) but also the actual Dr. Indiana Jones himself, Harrison Ford (he hit the big 7-0 this year.)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull brought along with it swinging monkeys and giant-sized ants, but that, coupled with Jones' prowess, wasn't enough to bring the series back to its original glory. But rumors about a fifth installment persisted anyway, especially since Ford pretty much said he was still up for it (no pun intended) and Spielberg seemed open to the idea.
Crystal Skull was pretty much a stretch in many respects and producer Frank Marshall agrees:
I'd say it was a pretty lackluster hurrah but at least the movie didn't totally bomb. And with George Lucas's announcement that he was leaving Lucasfilm to make "experimental movies" in his garage, I'd say he's done with Indiana Jones, too.
Weigh in: Should the Indiana Jones franchise end with Crystal Skull? Or should they push for Indiana Jones 5 and hope it fares better?