Harrison Ford Doesn't Care That You Didn't See the New 'Indiana Jones'

Late-stage sequels to films that have existed for decades are hit or miss. Regardless, they are indicative of a larger problem in Hollywood. There is a lack of risk to the films that studios produce. They are banking on nostalgia to make a buck and create new fans when new, exciting material could do that job just as well. Instead, studios want to give you the same thing, but different, but not really different. It’s exhausting and depressing, but occasionally gives you a chance to see a long-beloved actor in what could be their final role on the big screen. That’s how I felt with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Harrison Ford is delivering fantastic work on the small screen with shows like Shrinking and 1923. Still, the man is a movie star. He deserves to be seen on the biggest screen you can find, so his smile can make your heart go pitter-pat. However, that man is 82 years old. We don’t have much Ford goodness left. So, when it was announced that he would return as Indiana Jones for one last ride, I ditched my lack of excitement for late-stage sequels and dragged myself to the theater to marvel at Ford’s charisma. It was fine.

I enjoyed the film! And, to be frank, Ford is committed to the role in a way he wasn’t in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. All the performances in the movie are spectacular, it just lacked a certain magic and refused to commit to being an end to Jones’ story, making a lot of the experience feel hollow. But, I sat in that near-empty theater and enjoyed myself, kind of bummed that more people weren’t there to lap up one of the greatest big-screen performers in what will likely be one of his last movies (and possibly the last one where he doesn’t turn red). Ford does not share my sentiment.

The actor recently sat down with The Wall Street Journal Magazine and was asked about Dial of Destiny being a critical and commercial failure. In short, he’s not letting it get him down. “When [Indy] had suffered the consequences of the life that he had to live, I wanted one more chance to pick him up and shake the dust off his ass and stick him out there, bereft of some of his vigor, to see what happened,” Ford explained. “I’m still happy I made that movie.” His response speaks to some of the stronger aspects of the film.

Jones reveals partway through the film that his son, the infamous Mutt Williams, died fighting in the Vietnam War. He isn’t speaking about him like one would a maligned character played by an a**hole actor, he’s lamenting the death of his son. It’s an emotionally charged moment that Ford plays excellently and shows off a kind of melancholy that runs throughout the movie. Given his statement, it seems pretty clear that those aspects attracted Ford to the film.

I wish the movie would have been more successful, and folks will get a chance to see Ford on the big screen one more (last?) time in the new Captain America. But, if Ford is happy that he got to pop on the fedora one last time, then I’m happy (even if he grabbed it back at the last second for some goddamn reason).