I can understand not liking it, but it was a quite intentional thing on the filmmakers’ parts to go from taking inspiration from cheesy 30s serials in the 1980s to taking inspiration from cheesy 50s movies in the 2000s.

Ah, I didn’t know that. Perhaps that was part of the problem.

Probably also watching shitloads of SG-1 desensitized me to crossover of religion/ancient astronaut/archaelogist heroes.

The crossover in SG-1 doesn’t bother me in the least – it’s a sci fi show. But Indiana Jones wasn’t sci fi, so plopping aliens into it just didn’t work for me. It screwed with my mental construction of proper Indiana Jones mythos.

I can understand not liking it, but it was a quite intentional thing on the filmmakers’ parts to go from taking inspiration from cheesy 30s serials in the 1980s to taking inspiration from cheesy 50s movies in the 2000s.

While it’s not one of the best Indy films, I enjoyed it. Part of it is my wanting to enjoy it, though. Since the originals came out when I was aged -1 through 7 I didn’t appreciate them until much later, and I know I’m willing to overlook a lot to get what I can out of one I can be a part of from the beginning.

The aliens were something different, but really for me they’re less unbelievable than legitimate Judeo-Christian artifacts. Probably also watching shitloads of SG-1 desensitized me to crossover of religion/ancient astronaut/archaelogist heroes.

I’ll forever be haunted by the thought of Indy’s son going Tarzan.

I’d forgotten about that horrible scene. I don’t recall what I said at the time, but it was something like, “Well, this is utterly stupid.” Indy being saved from a nuclear explosion by hopping in a refrigerator was also a bit much for me.

Also, lucky you – I’ve never seen an Indy whip at all. I’m sure I could buy one online for a few hundred bucks, but then I’d end up in the hospital after trying to do some fantastic Indy trick.

Tom: I might watch it again somewhere down the road to see if I feel the same about it. I’m sure I’ll still dislike the aliens, and think the Tarzan moment is idiotic, but perhaps it would ease my dislike a bit.

Still, though… if I’ve got time to rewatch an Indy film, it’ll probably be one of the originals, which I know I love.

While I didn’t like too much either, I’m going to suggest something you probably won’t do (and I only did because I was bored and roomies were doing it). Watch the film a second time.

Watching it a second time made moved me from utter hatred and rage the butchery (1st viewing) to mild disappointment. It might to the same for you. All I can say is that I’m very surprised how much a second viewing changed my mind about the film. I’m not sure why but I found it wasn’t as bad as I had thought when I watched it the first time.

I yearned to be him; I had a brown aviator’s jacket that looked vaguely like Indiana’s jacket, and I consistently asked for an Indiana Jones hat.

It was the hat+whip combo for me. I only once saw a whip like that. In a completely Indy-unrelated airport store in Boston… of all places. (I didn’t get it. Too expensive. But that memory is so vivid I can almost reach it.)

The movie was fun, but ‘over the top’ couldn’t be a better description. I’ll forever be haunted by the thought of Indy’s son going Tarzan.