Teasers, why’d it have to be a teaser?

By Jose Anguiano – Cinematic Bandicoot

December 6th, 2022

Right off the heels of “The Super Mario Brothers Movie” trailer from Nintendo and Illumination, Disney and Lucasfilm released a trailer for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”.

14 years have passed since “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” enchanted/disappointed moviegoers, and this does not seem to confirm or deny that entry as Indy (Harrison Ford) gets a visit from his longtime friend Sallah (John Rhys-Davies). Sallah misses the days of adventure as Jones seems to have settled into his university professor occupation. Being a good friend, he’s hooked into a new caper with all the past staples – car chases, shoot outs, fisticuffs, puzzles, and the iconic whip.

There’s a lot more reliance on digital effects which will turn off die-hard fans that grew up with the stunts and practical set pieces. Some effects de-age Ford during potential flashback sequences connecting the past to the present, like a new spin on “The Last Crusade” beginning.

From the looks of the uniforms, the Nazis have returned but their plans remain under the radar. With all the secrecy, this feels more like a teaser than a trailer as the main theme crescendos with the fast-paced action. Speaking of which, a Variety article confirmed that composer John Williams is eying retirement after scoring for this movie, adding even more pressure to live up the hype.

Additionally, this marks the first Indiana Jones movie without George Lucas’s involvement as according to the biography “George Lucas: A Life”, by Brian Jay Jones, the Hollywood mogul retired from the film industry after selling his company to Disney. Seeing how opinions on the Star Wars prequels changed after the sequel trilogy ended, it will be interesting to see another Lucasfilm property without its creator.

Some might be confused about Phoebe Waller-Bridge playing Indy’s goddaughter given that Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt Williams was set to tag along with him at the end of “Kingdom”.

However, LaBeouf had a falling out with Spielberg following the movie’s mixed audience reception, which might explain the new casting. Even Ford had some words about LaBeouf’s behavior. Whether or not the actor will make an appearance remains unknown since James Mangold is directing.

Either way, the trailer ends on a high note by pulling a reverse card with the trick Indy pulled off in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Maybe there is something more to this.

This is TheCinematicBandicoot and the trailer for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” promises improvements over its predecessor given the talent Spielberg passed directing duties to. Not only is it the first Indiana Jones movie under the Disney banner but it’s also at a time when a lot of the original crew are stepping back to let a new generation take over. Ford was quoted in a Time article saying, “I am Indiana Jones. When I’m gone, he’s gone.” Given that Indy survived a nuclear blast by hiding in a fridge, one wonders how long this will go on with Disney franchising all their acquired properties. It’s either this or the Avatar series.

Works Cited

Articles

Fandom Entertainment – Harrison Ford Criticizes Shia LaBeouf Over ‘Indiana Jones’ Comments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3VBm8bLQEY

Time – Mahita Gajanan – Harrison Ford Says He’s the Only One Who Gets to Play Indiana Jones: ‘When I’m Gone, He’s Gone’: https://time.com/5595439/harrison-ford-the-only-indiana-jones/

Variety – Jazz Tangcay – Legendary Film Composer John Williams Eyes Retirement After Scoring ‘Indiana Jones 5’: https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/john-williams-retirement-indiana-jones-5-1235301599/

Books

Jones, Brian Jay. George Lucas: A Life. Massachusetts: Little, Brown and Company, 2016

YouTube Videos

Chris Stuckmann – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Movie Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHWUYjigDKM

JoBlo Originals – WTF Happened to SHIA LaBEOUF?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ducgHpIDSyM

Mr. Coat – Patreon Review Request: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFJqFbApDgM

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