Only really with a hat and a whip: Harrison Ford is back in Cannes with “Indiana Jones” and is being celebrated by the fans. Can the fifth part of the film series make up for the artistic failure of its predecessor?
With Harrison Ford in his role as Indiana Jones, one of the greatest heroes in film history has returned to Cannes. The fifth part of the legendary film series premiered at the film festival on Thursday evening. Cheered on by numerous fans, Ford walked the red carpet accompanied by his wife Calista Flockhart. Composer John Williams’ signature Indiana Jones theme echoed across the Croisette (“da-da-da-daaaaa da-da-daaa”). In the cinema hall, Ford received a Golden Palm of Honour.
After a fourth part that largely fell through with criticism, “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny” makes up for a lot. You can see: A Harrison Ford who is still jolly at the age of 80. Phoebe Waller-Bridge as a pleasantly anarchic female counterpart. Fast-paced, larger-than-life action scenes. Mads Mikkelsen as the nasty German Nazi. And the German Thomas Kretschmann in a supporting role.
He’s fighting nasty Nazis again
In “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny”, which opens in German cinemas on June 29, “Indy” is once again on the hunt for a valuable artifact. The archaeologist is no longer as adventurous as he used to be. We are in the year 1969. A private stroke of fate depresses his mood and he is about to retire. But then his goddaughter Helena (Waller-Bridge) shows up in Manhattan. For certain reasons, she is interested in tracking down a special historical item: The Wheel of Destiny, the “Antikythera”. This is a device that some people believe can change the course of history by traveling back in time.
Part of the broken wheel has long been in Jones’ possession. The other is missing. While the archaeologist doesn’t believe in the magic powers of the piece, Helena isn’t the only one who wants it badly. A physicist (Mikkelsen) who works for NASA and is involved in the Apollo mission also wants to get his hands on it. Thanks to the film’s opening scene, we know that he is actually a German Nazi.
In “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny”, which opens in German cinemas on June 29, “Indy” is once again on the hunt for a valuable artifact. The archaeologist is no longer as adventurous as he used to be. We are in the year 1969. A private stroke of fate depresses his mood and he is about to retire. But then his goddaughter Helena (Waller-Bridge) shows up in Manhattan. For certain reasons, she is interested in tracking down a special historical item: The Wheel of Destiny, the “Antikythera”. This is a device that some people believe can change the course of history by traveling back in time.
He was shot nine times – but he lives
It’s great that “Indiana Jones”, directed by James Mangold for the first time, picks up on one of his trademarks, namely: right in the first few minutes, there are such crazy action scenes that you are immediately sucked into the story. First, Indiana is almost hanged by the Nazis until an Allied bomb hits their camp. On the spectacular escape, the archaeologist then fights on a moving motorbike and on a rattling train.
At the beginning of “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny” a lot of German is spoken – also by Mikkelsen with a cute accent. “They’re German, they don’t have to try to be funny,” Jones jokes at one point.
Waller-Bridge’s role has succeeded in modernizing the series in a subtle way. Helena is unlike previous female characters in Indiana Jones. Not just smart, combative and a bit criminal. But also funny: Sometimes she describes Jones as an “aging grave robber”, at other times she certifies that his legendary fedora hat makes him at least two years younger.
But some things have remained the same to this day. The first “Indiana Jones” film was released in 1981. Even then, the hero was already fighting the Nazis. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” won several Oscars and became an incredible financial success. The sequels in 1984 and 1989 also wowed audiences. “Indiana Jones” became a cult phenomenon with its mischievous adventure hero who always somehow got the curve. (By the way, the fourth part, published in 2008, also premiered in Cannes.)
He was shot nine times over time, explains “Indy” Helena in the new film. But in the end, he always mysteriously manages to survive. In “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny” he keeps a horde of armed opponents in check with just his whip. Sharp objects pierce through the wall and miss his body by a few millimeters. It withstands falls from meter depths unscathed. Everything is back to how it should be.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
