The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. However, despite the iconic status of the Indiana Jones movies, due to the fact that the original trilogy was released over 3 decades ago, there will obviously be some elements of the trilogy that wouldn't have aged very well.
While some of these elements may be related to how the movie-making process has changed over several decades, others will relate to social changes that have taken place over the past few years. This article will list 10 things about the Indiana Jones franchise that haven't aged well.
It Doesn't Belong In A Museum?
One of the central character traits of Indiana Jones during the film series is his insistence that important historical artifacts belong in a museum. In fact, Indiana Jones believes in this so much that he is more than willing to put his life on the line to save certain artifacts.
It is strange, then, that Indiana Jones is willing to trade one historical artifact for another in the opening scene of Temple of Doom.
Racial Issues
One of the main criticisms of the Indiana Jones movies in recent years is how it has handled issues of race during Jones' adventures across the globe. The Indiana Jones movies often resort to portrayals of the stereotypes of the country in which Jones is currently exploring.
This is most clearly seen in Temple of Doom, where Indiana Jones interacts with a fairly clear cut stereotype of an evil Indian person, leaning heavily into stereotypes of the Thugee Cult to highlight this.
Snake Escape
Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the best adventure movies of all time. The film tells the story of a scrappy archaeologist who is tasked by the United States Government with finding the lost Ark of the Covenant. While the movie is timeless, there is one scene in particular that impacts on our immersion.
After discovering the Ark in a buried building in Indiana Jones and Marion were then thrown into the buried structure and trapped in there with a countless number of snakes. However, the two escape from the situation by knocking down a wall and then pushing a giant brick out of another wall, leading them straight to a Nazi airfield. This seems a little far-fetched, especially considering that it was right next to the Nazi airfield.
Yellowface Actor
While Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most beloved and iconic movies of all time, it still made some problematic choices during its filming. One of the clearest mistakes the movie made during production can be seen in the Nepal bar fight.
During the bar fight scene, a white stuntman called Malcolm Weaver can be seen clearly in shot wearing some terrible yellowface makeup. This is, perhaps, the most problematic moment in the Indiana Jones series.
The Aliens
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull received mixed reviews upon its initial release in 2008. While fans were undoubtedly pleased to see the return of the iconic Indiana Jones character, they were also unsure of the inclusions of Shia Labeouf and certain scenes such as the infamous 'refrigerator' scene.
One aspect in particular that fans were unsure of at the time and seem to have grown to dislike even more over the years, is the inclusion of aliens.
Special Effects
As with any movie released several decades ago (except for Jurassic Park), the special effects used in the movie may appear to be quite bad by today's standards. While Indiana Jones doesn't rely on too many crazy special effects, there were some standout moments of outdated special effects.
Perhaps the most memorable example of bad special effects came in Raiders of the Lost Ark during the Ark ceremony. While the practical effects were magnificent and disturbing, the Ark angels/demons/ghosts, are terrible by today's standards.
Portrayal Of Natives
One aspect of Indiana Jones movies that have received criticism, even more so recently, is the portrayal of native cultures in the movies. The clearest example of this stereotypical portrayal of a native culture came, again, in Raiders of the Lost Ark during the opening scene.
The Hovitos are seen to be a savage people that listen to Belloq purely because he can speak their language, with the Hovitos willing to kill Indiana Jones on a whim.
The Indian Feast
The Pankot Palace feast from Temple of Doom is certainly one of the most memorable scenes in the movie. It shows the Willie and Short Round's shock at the ridiculous food they are being presented with, including live snakes and 'chilled monkey brains'.
However, this scene leans into the myth that Asian food is weird and disgusting, relying on the audience's ignorance to get laughs. What makes this scene even more strange is the abundance of meat on offer, as most of India is vegetarian.
It Belongs In A Museum
One of Indiana Jones' most defining characteristics is his insistence on finding artifacts for a museum, allowing the artifacts to be studied and educate the countless visitors of the museum. However, in finding these foreign artifacts for museums, Indy is removing important cultural relics from their homes and bringing them to the US.
That being said, it is important to acknowledge that Indiana Jones actually grows across the first three movies, showing that he is more than willing to leave an artifact behind.
Marion Was 15
The most disturbing element from Raiders of the Lost Ark comes from a line said by Marion when Indiana Jones encounters her in Nepal. Marion says 'I was only a child. It was wrong and you knew it', a line that implies Indy took advantage of her when she was a child.
In the novelization of the movie, it is confirmed that Indiana Jones slept with Marion when she was 15, meaning that Indy would have been well into his twenties during their affair.
