Reports that Indiana Jones 5 features flashback scenes fixes a major problem with the franchise. Set for a 2022 release, Indiana Jones 5 needs to redeem the previous attempt to extend the series into the 21st century: 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Although Crystal Skull was filled with high-action pulp adventure, it also suffered from limitations — particularly, the physical abilities of its lead actor, Harrison Ford, who was in his mid-60s when the movie debuted. Crystal Skull struggled with how to approach an "old" Indiana Jones, and the plot suffered because of it.
Crystal Skull saw Indy team up with his past partner Marion and her son Mutt, who Indy learns is his estranged son. The basic premise was a spiritual continuation of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which saw Indy team up with his own estranged father, played by Sean Connery. The fourth Indiana Jones movie largely divided audiences, who complained about its plotting, the similarity to previous movies, and the lack of believability in key scenes. Many reviewers commented that the lack of convincing action set pieces, and an over-reliance on CGI, hurt the film.
Despite the premise of Crystal Skull suggesting Ford's Indy would take on more of a mentor role for Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), similar to Connery's portrayal of Henry Jones Sr. in Last Crusade, Crystal Skull instead kept Ford in the thick of the action. The much-older Indy still faced the dangerous fascists (now Soviets instead of Nazis), swinging into a windshield, firing a rocket launcher, and even — in one particularly infamous scene — surviving an atomic blast by hiding in a refrigerator. The Indiana Jones movies are best when there's lots of heart-pumping action. Hopefully, Indiana Jones 5 has found a way to do this convincingly: with flashbacks.
Given Ford's age during the time of filming, Indiana Jones 5 will likely feature an older version of the professor — one who may or may not be teaching, but almost certainly has retired from tomb-raiding and treasure-hunting. Set photos from Indiana Jones 5 hint that flashbacks are being used in the movie, which would allow Indy to be both the adventure hero fans love and the wizened former college Dean that Ford can most convincingly play. While Crystal Skull struggled to make its titular lead the focus of the action, Indiana Jones 5 can use flashbacks to have a much younger version of the hero surviving death-defying feats. Meanwhile, the older Indy (being played by Ford, who is currently in his late 70s) can have a limited role in the action, as Connery did for The Last Crusade.
How flashbacks might be used in Indiana Jones 5 is purely speculation at this point, since very little is known about the movie's story. It could hint at a story that sees an older Indy finish a quest he began as a young man. There could be multiple storylines weaved together, taking place at different points in the hero's life. As Indiana Jones 5 nears its release date, the public will likely get a better idea of what to expect from the sequel. Given Ford's age, this will likely be the last feature film in which he plays the iconic hero. Hopefully, Indiana Jones 5 can give the franchise a fitting conclusion.
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