Coming soon: Indiana Jones 4!

Word on the street is that filming for the fourth Indiana Jones movie is going to start this year, with a planned release date of May 2008. I must confess, I have many doubts about this. Let me just state here and now, I absolutely love the Indiana Jones movies! I can remember many a lazy Sunday where I was crashing on the couch to watch Indy chase down the Nazi bad guys in Raiders of the Lost Ark, and at the conclusion of Last Crusade, where Indy and his father ride off into the sunset with Marcus Brody, I felt that that was truly the greatest end to a franchise that both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg could give. Why? Because it perfectly fit the genre and the moment preceding it!

But that was in 1989, when Harrison Ford was not only much younger but long before George Lucas attempted to resurrect another popular franchise . . . with notoriously disastrous results. Obviously, I don't want that to be the case with Indiana Jones. Naturally, the Lucas team is expressing great optimism for Indy 4, as is Harrison Ford himself. They're quoted in the Post article above as saying that it will be a character piece, but still very exciting—perhaps the most exciting yet. I don't mean to sound cynical, but I don't know of any other way to say this: I'll believe it when I see it. Because for one thing, Mr. Ford isn't quite the agile young man he used to be, so neither will the character of Indiana Jones. Which leaves me to wonder, just what kind of action story can be written for a 64-year-old action hero? Further to that, is there anybody younger than 25 years old who will even remember an action hero that was popular in the '80s?

Basically, my fear is that this franchise that I love will be given an installment that doesn't exist anywhere near the level of greatness that the first three movies did. Take a look at some of the sequels that didn't pass the grade: The Godfather Part III, any of the Star Wars prequels, Star Trek V, Rocky V. I don't doubt the good intentions of Lucas/Spielberg/Ford, but given the precedent that's been set for good sequels turned bad . . . I'm afraid I just can't shake my doubts. Let me say this much, though: when filming commences for Indy 4, my hope is that the dignity of the first three films can be preserved, and that the proper respect is given to the character and franchise that so many of us have come to know and love. That's my wish for Indiana Jones 4.