For many people, Indiana Jones is more than just entertainment. And that’s normal. The hero portrayed by Harrison Ford was born out of Steven Spielberg’s frustration in not being able to acquire the rights to James Bond, and the rest is history.
Indiana Jones has influenced millions of people, thousands of works, hundreds of films, and dozens of video games. Because the impact the archaeologist and history professor had in the 80s was such that, in the midst of 2023, we still talk about him.
Today we review the life and work of Indiana Jones, from the movie hero to the protagonist of some of the great video games of his time. Indy is one of the greats and deserves a fair tribute now that his last great adventure arrives on Disney+.
Who is Indiana Jones?
Indiana Jones, portrayed by cinema icon Harrison Ford, is an archaeology professor and adventurer who travels the world in search of ancient artifacts.
He’s handsome and charming, with bravery and intelligence to match. He’s also reflective, sensible, and quick-witted. And he despises Nazis with all his being. His only weaknesses? Snakes and beautiful women. After all, he’s an archaeologist James Bond.
He first appears on the big screen in 1981, in the film “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and then stars in two other movies in the 1980s: “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984) and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989). A poorly received fourth installment, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” followed in 2008.
The fifth installment, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” concluded Indy’s adventures on the big screen in the summer of 2023.
Created by George Lucas and directed by Steven Spielberg, the character of Indiana Jones is inspired by adventure serials from the 1930s and 1940s, such as Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. The character is also influenced by real-life archaeologists like Hiram Bingham, who discovered the ancient city of Machu Picchu.
The success of Indiana Jones explained
After the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark, critics and fans praised the movie for its action-packed scenes, memorable characters, and innovative cinematography.
The adventures of Indy transcended the big screen and soon found their home on television, as well as in books, comics, and video games.
Indy’s whip is as intrinsic to his character as the lightsaber is to Luke Skywalker or the vibranium shield is to Captain America. The tool and weapon he uses to swing across gaps and battle enemies symbolize the bravery and resourcefulness of the character.
The hat and the whip have become so popular that they’ve appeared in countless movies and TV shows, as well as in advertisements and merchandise articles.
Even the soundtrack, composed by the legendary John Williams, is one of the most recognizable of all time. But the significance of the character in pop culture doesn’t end there.
Indiana Jones has had a significant impact on pop culture and video games
“Raiders of the Lost Ark” and its sequels marked a before and after in Hollywood, helping to popularize the adventure film genre. In the decades that followed, more swashbuckling adventurers followed Indy’s example.
In the fall of 1996, video game developers Core Design released Tomb Raider, starring the adventurer and archaeologist Lara Croft. Core’s original intention was to create a male action hero, but their initial creation resembled Indiana Jones so much that they feared legal action.
After redesigning the character, they ultimately created Croft, a British aristocrat who possesses many of Indy’s characteristic traits: swagger, intelligence, bravery, and an ironic sense of humor.
The 1999 film “The Mummy,” starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, along with its sequels, also draw inspiration from Indy’s adventures, from its rugged hero to its period setting.
The film and TV franchise “National Treasure” by Jerry Bruckheimer, the syndicated adventure series “Relic Hunter” starring Tia Carrere, and even the Marvel Studios series “Moon Knight” contain elements popularized by Indiana Jones.
Likewise, the video game franchise “Uncharted” and the adventure comedy “The Lost City” starring Sandra Bullock owe a debt of gratitude to Indy and the precedent set by his movies as action-adventure blockbusters. For all this, thank you Steven, George, Harrison, and John.
