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The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen team are in the UK, to premiere the film and plug the mercy out if it. My own video from the London press day is coming soon, but in the meantime, the BBC have popped their own interviews online and, by the by, broken a story on the next Indiana Jones film.

Newsround presenter Lizo Mzimba squeezed Shia LaBeouf for some details on his upcoming projects and according to the sometime Jones Jr., Steven Spielberg has “cracked” the story for the next movie and is “gearing that up”.

There’s been a long standing rumor that Spielberg and Lucas are planning a hand-down of the torch from Harrison Ford to Shia LaBeouf, a rumor that started before part four yet still stands. How true that story is I have no idea, however, but I’m not exactly keen on the idea. For an Indiana Jones skeptic like myself, Ford’s winking charm is one of the most enjoyable ingredients in the series and I don’t know how much I’d care about a revision of the recipe that didn’t include it. Shia seems to be growing out of his particular charms, I think. He was a perfectly good nervy-awkward teenager, but I don’t know where he goes from here.

I’d argue that Raiders of the Lost Ark has, overall, a pretty nifty plot that moves along swiftly enough and criss-crosses itself in some very pleasant ways. Film by film, however, the Jones plotting seems to have become weaker and weaker until Crystal Skulls ended up quite lumpy and full of ludicrous conceits. From LaBeouf’s comments there’s no way of telling if Lawrence Kasdan has been involved in the seeding of film five, but I wouldn’t bet on it. A crying shame.

Many criticisms of the fourth film expressed a disgust at the inclusion of aliens, these being seen as a serious betrayal of the kind of maguffins included in the original trilogy. Okay, fair enough - but what maguffin would you like to see in part five then? What would get things back to the old ways?

  • im afraid of this movie.......so very afraid
  • Should have quit while he was ahead.
  • personally, i feel like they need to get back to the "artifacts" people know about, holy grail, ark of the covenant. these things worked well because people knew them, it wasn't something esoteric and inaccessible to the fans. I personally feel like these helped give the stories more compelling plots and also helped give the viewer a frame of reference. The great thing was they used these "artifacts" and still managed to put a supernatural twist on them. I'll be posting about this on my blog. What a great question!
  • The idea of the crystal skulls is a pretty common one, and the alien origin is not their creation. Everything they took they took from folklore, I just think there's better folklore for them to use.
  • Imposter
    It really wasn't the aliens that put the 'suck' into indy 4 - it was the fact that they (aliens) were present within the first ten minutes of the movie. Then the movie went on like 'what IS this thing' after we ALREADY saw it was a friggin alien head. Not really leading up to any great reveals when the mystery is solved right out of the gate. Shame on Koepp - Darabont draft was the REAL Indy 4. Or shame on Lucas. Or shame on Spielberg. Whoever.
  • Holliday
    I agree. I think KOTCS would've been much better if it had been titled: Indy and the City of Gold. the city of gold is more widely known than crystal skulls, would've let you still include all of that folklore via Indy research (instead of that dumb prison cell scene), still could've included aliens at the end as the 'twist.' I wouldn't have been so heavy handed with it, just left it implied, but still.
  • I always liked the idea that was thrown around in the 90's about finding Atlantis.
  • #4 sucked
  • John
    I have to say: I'm all for another Indiana Jones movies. Sure, KOTCS wasn't great, but if Spielberg could learn from the mistakes of that movie and manage to be more discriminate towards Lucas's creative decisions, Indy 5 could come out as an improvement.
  • LOTCS wasn't class IJ, but I was entertained quite a bit. Yeah, aliens weren't a great idea, but I bet if they give it another go they could do something awesome. But I think Spielberg was a big part of the creative process. He LOVES aliens, so I really don't doubt his input. Also, George Lucas claimed fans wouldn't like the movie before the release (apparently he was bitter about something...) and Spielberg said he thought they'd love it.
  • jabolly!
    yeah. i mean the aliens part is heavily attached to the crystal skulls since scientists really do believe the crystal skulls came from aliens. But maybe they should return to religious items... but what? hm... maybe a japanese sword! nah.. heh. remember it's like the 1950's for them now. hm....
  • CyT
    I think you need to read The Complete Making of Indiana Jones: The Definitive Story Behind All Four Films by J.W. Rinzler as it has a different take on it. Lucas was the driver of the Aliens idea as he wanted to do a 50's corny sci-fi style movie. And I mean really corny and crappy like you see at 2am in the morning. Speilberg said that wouldnt work and collaborated on making it a bigger budget movie. He didnt want it to be aliens (he doesnt specifically say that but it is inferred) but Lucas is the exec producer so he couldnt cut them out completely. In the end he won by leaving it as a mystery type thing and only revealing them in at the end.

    The aliens wasnt what made the movie bad though. It was the introduction of Ray Winstone and John Hurt that sucked. The story lost it there. If it was just Indy and his son with Marion it would have felt much more like the other three movies. Although its pretty clear that John Hurt was supposed to be Sean Connery. Why Sean didnt come back is beyond me!
  • I feel like they do religious artifacts best. Let's find that crucifix of Jesus Christ! Or the entrance to Eden!

    Just kidding, but I do like it when they've gone up that road.
  • CyT
    Exactly! All they need to do is adapt the story already written: Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings

    Or the Spear of Destiny would be good.
  • Imposter
    Garden of Eden is a wicked idea, but it would turn out to be some Alien-human hybridization plant... Damn....
  • remember when the last crusade's title had a nifty double-meaning? good times...
  • Troy
    Well, there's no way it can be worse...right?
  • kingjimbo
    Agreed. That's the only reason I'm not freaking out about the fact that there is going to be a fifth Indiana Jones movie. They've already soiled the franchise beyond repair, why not at least try to go out on a good note?
  • whsmith
    Was Attack of the Clones worse than Phantom Menace? is it a question that is even worth asking? I'll just let that sink in for a moment. ....
  • I have to say a really enjoyed KOTCS until the end. I have not met one person who knew what the hell that ending meant. I suppose if you throw a bunch of crystal alien bones in a blender and spin 'em really fast you get one live alien that sets your head on fire with limitless knowledge of what perhaps . . . we will never know. I'm all in for a fifth installment though, I can't get enough of Indy and his adventures.
  • Yah
    Looks like Lucas is gearing up to drop trow and take a nice big sloppy dump
  • The ending of IJ4 could have been better but it was the first movie in a long time that had me smiling the entire time. It was fun to watch, and it was my first time to see an Indy movie in theaters. People complain about the inclusion of aliens, but what were 3 of the biggest ideas during the 50's not just in movie but in real life? Communists, Nuclear Bombs and Aliens.

    My suggestion for Indy 5: Noah's Ark. There might be better ideas but its the only one I can think of that resembles The Arc of the Covenant and the Holy Grail.
  • whsmith
    3 of the biggest ideas - there's the problem - 3 underdeveloped ideas stitched together quite obviously from different script version over the years. The Commie subplot was never resolved. The nuclear bomb was idiotic. The alien storyline mediocre - the reveal of UFOs and alien bodies - bad. It was the first movie in a long time I nearly walked out of in disgust.
    Raiders of the Lost Noah's Ark? They are both spelled "ark" BTW - it would be extremely cheesy. But the bar is so low now, why the hell not? How about Indians Jones and the Dinosaur Egg of Doom? Spielberg could combine Jurassic Park and Indy - natural fit. George Lucas could market a line of plush toys with Indy riding a brontosaurus.
  • jack
    Oh quit whining, Indy's always been sort of far fetched but that's the fun of it. I'm so sick of these goofballs out there wanting a "realistic" portrayal of some super hero, it was dumb in Dark Knight (incredibly flawed movie (if you didn't recognize the incredibly goofy flaws then you were blinded by hype) that people simply spewed all over because of Ledger's death when all he did was portray the Joker as if he were a clone of Brandon Lee's "The Crow"). The last movie was a bit flashy in the animation department but it's not like jumping out of a crashing airplane in a boat and landing perfectly fine wasn't off in the first place. Admit it, you went in hating the movie already because it was coming out the same time as the deceased Ledger's movie.
  • Geist
    I was gonna say something like the Garden of Eden of the Fountain of Youth but technically the Grail did that already. Excalibur would be an interesting one.
  • Ender
    Okay, here's are five easy fixes to get Indy 5 back in the good graces of viewers:

    1. Make it a prequel by a few years to Crystal Skull—meaning don't include Mutt.

    2. For God's sake, choose a good religious artifact this time, perhaps Buddhist.

    3. Bring back Sallah.

    4. Use as little CGI as possible, meaning no gophers, monkeys, or aliens.

    5. Make Indy the star of the movie like "Raiders," not part of an ensemble.
  • Justin Craig
    I couldn't agree more! That's exactly what needs to be done! The CGI, lack of Indy as a central character, and missing Sallah were a huge bummer. Instead we got Mutt and shitty alien storyline. Hopefully they'll listen to you. Then again, Lucas went so far as to include CG stormtroopers in the Star Wars movies and Spielberg is responsible for War of the Worlds, so who knows what we'll get.
  • whsmith
    6. Use the Men in Black device to totally erase my memory of Crystal Skull.
  • CyT
    Perfect :) Definitely bring back Sallah!
  • phil
    OK, damon....I'm not saying this to spite you personally but I am constantly annoyed by comments similar to yours. The title 'The Last Crusade' was not implying it was Indy's last adventure. It is a reference to THE CRUSADES and Indy's search for the grail being a continuation of the knights' quest. That being said, I wholeheartedly agree....Spielberg, Lucas, et al are really just beating a dead horse at this point.
  • TheMarquis
    Hence the DOUBLE meaning-- knights quest crusades AND the last Indy movie.
  • whsmith
    Exactly what you said, not a double meaning. I don't think it was ever intended to be a definitive last Indy movie. I personally wish they had made several more - BACK THEN. Back when Ford was still in his prime and Lucas wasn't a crazy hack desperate to destroy his own franchises.
  • I'll see any Indiana Jones movie at least once. Bring on Indy V!!!
  • Aaron
    I hate to say it, but I agree with GiantYoda. I'll give any Indiana Jones film at least one shot. If for no other reason that to say: "It can't possibly get worse."
  • Do we really need another Indiana Jones film?
    Why can't Hollywood come up with a new original swashbuckling character (of course, I forgot Indy makes more money).
    They have a guaranteed fanbase with the Indy films, especially the last one they are guaranteed to get all the old fans to turn out, that's why they will never do anything original.
    When was the last time Hollywood did a 100% original summer blockbuster, not based on a book, comic, video game, sequel, short story, short film, true story, etc...???
  • bomberman
    Independence Day?
  • Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Why must Hollywood kill the things I love?
  • AOLAOL
    I really don't get the disgust with the Aliens plot? Its just as valid as any of the other story lines before it. Is there some kind of government induced giggle factor about the subject so people wont take it seriously and therefore, wont take ANY UFO reports seriously either, and therefore wont question why the government has done nothing (Publicly) about the UFO phenom. Yea it all seems to be so convenient.
  • deathmetalhero
    dude this is what Ive tried to tell people too. religion is cool in Indy movies but aliens arent?! how does that work? No one can prove Jesus walked on earth, and no one can prove Aliens actually exist. Life outside of earth is every bit as believeable to me as the son of god dying and getting back up 3 days later and not eating brains. And I'm not even going to bring up the chariots of the gods theories. It seems like two pees in the same pod if you ask me. Deal with it /film, the aliens work perfectly with Indy.
  • TheMarquis
    If i'm not mistaken, there are actual roman records saying that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. So regardless of whether or not he was the son of god, lots of people can prove that Jesus walked on the earth.
  • And there is alien life, to some degree. Rivers once flowed on Mars, and bacteria has been found.

    I love the aliens idea for KOTCS, it wasn't that that made it a bad movie. It was Koepp's silly script. Act one was fine, act two was a chase, and act three - I don't know who was supposed to be chasing who - and for what reason. The characters became bystanders and didn't have to make any hard decisions.
  • Weyland_Yutani
    It's not the aliens that were the problem. It was the handling of that myth and how they lost sight of it trying to tell a story that was so patched together, it didn't stand a chance. Couple that with the complete loss of dramatic tension that is the core of Indiana Jones, and you have a terrible, failed film.

    Anyone that knows anything about the Crystal Skull Mythology, cna see that there was something much bigger and better available to this story, but it was swallowed by a laundry list of bad ideas.
  • DRF
    I think knowledge should be the macguffin. Totally gung ho for the knowledge being the treasure of the next one. That would be F'N awesome.
  • How is this possible when they haven't even cracked the story of Indy 4 KOTCS yet?
  • My favourite comment on this post so far, I think.
  • A throwaway quote + three paragraphs for an opinion that we spent all last year hearing = worthy news.
  • Doc
    LOL. I think I need to find another movie blog site cause I'm starting to get tired of the crap I'm reading here.
  • whsmith
    A guy saying he doesn't agree with the blog posts opinion = a worthy comment.
  • Lewis
    The worst thing Alfred Hitchcock ever did was invent the Macguffin (or, at least, popularize it as a technique). He used it brilliantly - as an excuse to make a movie, as a plot device that wouldn't overwhelm the characters or other, more important elements of storytelling). But a Macguffin a movie does not make. Macguffins are the least relevant element of any film (or, at least, they should be). It should be as simple as "They've taken the papers. Go get the papers." And the movie should be about how this guy goes and gets the papers (we don't spend twenty or so minutes finding out what is contained in the papers because it doesn't matter). But what the Macguffin has become is a strange hybrid of the 'paper' metaphor mixed with the sometimes satisfying twist revelation followed by denouement, where the whole movie is devoted to that revelation in some way (Flight Club, Sixth Sense, etc.). Modern filmmakers have given too much meaning to the Macguffin and that's a big fucking problem because when you give meaning to something that should be nothing then you're spending time explaining something about nothing (meaning less time seeing our favourite characters having a kick-ass time and more time seeing them on expositing on how mind blowing nothing is). And that was Indy 4's mistake - it wanted the best of both worlds, mind-blowing revelation and a good time with our favourite character. It makes me sad and I wish Alfred Hitchcock was still around so he and George could have a jowl-slapping contest.
  • Weyland_Yutani
    Don't forget the huge storytelling mistake of giving the prize, magical problem solving abilities.
    Nothing kills a film faster than creating a magic problem solver. The Crystal Skull was an instant tension killer.
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