With Indiana Jones 5 on the way, everyone’s favorite archeologist with a whip is sneaking his way back onto the internet. Where there’s any big character from an even bigger franchise, there are memes, and Indy is no exception. Although an avatar of the ’80s, Indiana Jones is also proving himself as a man for the 2020s.
Memes celebrating (or mocking) Indy’s standout personality, partly shaped through his adventures, are helping to introduce him to a whole new generation. Most of these lean on iconic scenes from the first three movies in the franchise, but there’s always room for more.
If Indy Had a Little Brother
All the last-born children in the crowd recognize that this is sometimes the only way to get in some screen time. Unfortunately, eldest kids know all too well that this usually comes at their expense.
This moment from LEGO Indiana Jones probably wouldn’t have worked as a meme if Indy didn’t showcase such strong only-child energy. According to MindBodyGreen, only children tend to show independence, self-sufficiency, good self-esteem, and plenty of ambition. That should sound familiar to Jones fans.
Indiana Jones: Baby Daddy
The first three Indiana Jones films took a leaf from James Bond‘s life in granting him a curious exemption from fatherhood, despite there being a special girl in every film and an overnight spent together at every scene change. Just like 007, Jones’ playboy lifestyle fed strongly into his character and popularity.
But Indiana Jones’ promiscuity caught up with him in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, the fourth installment of the franchise. Set in the 1950s, the film provided plenty of time for one of Indy’s paramours from the first film to raise a child. To his credit, an older Jones, as perhaps befitting of his older years, settled down and maintained involvement in his son’s life.
Trying To Change History – Winding Up With A Car Warranty Ad
Although lately under fire in pop culture for ploughing fields riddled with plot holes, Indiana Jones movies leaned heavily on the mystical elements of a culture or religion to grab viewers’ attention. Indiana Jones’ passion for archeology led him on intricately plotted adventures, but he almost always wound up empty-handed.
These elements collided in Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark, which saw Indy in a thrilling race to find the Ark of the Covenant, but some argue he had zero actual effect on the plot. It was about as disappointing as seeing an actual, real letter in the mailbox, but opening it only to find an ad about your vehicle’s extended warranty.
Evolution Of A Teacher
Fans don’t see much of Indiana Jones in the classroom, but when they do, he’s fresh as August, complete with swooning co-eds. That helps add to his Bond-like mystique, but every college teacher knows that there was no way Indy could spend so much time “in the field,” as it were, if he didn’t first plow through a full semester every once in a while.
Much of the motivation for these action-adventures sprang from Dr. Jones’ fascination with the ancient world, as well as his open-minded nature. His life as a teacher, ironically, prepared him well for climbing his way through snake pits.
Not A Church-Going Man
While Indiana Jones might operate partly on a fascination with other religions (and even a bit of magic), it’s interesting that he himself hasn’t fallen to his knees and converted. The events of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Last Ark alone would have put other men in a monastery for life.
But Indiana Jones is not most men. In Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, his agnosticism (for, as this quote shows, he does believe in God) was challenged to also include the possibility of alien life forms. True to his scholastic nature, Indy was willing to ride the alien train as far as it took him.
Bringing Down The House
There is a lot of this, isn’t there? One element that’s consistent across the entire Indiana Jones franchise is — in addition to plenty of ionic characters — an adventure that includes at least one ancient temple spectacularly crumbling into dust.
Real-life archeologists take plenty of time on digs, removing tons of dirt with toothbrushes so as not to disturb the site or damage artifacts. Indiana Jones’ method probably isn’t the most friendly way to wrap up an investigation, but on the other hand, he doesn’t come off as the most patient guy in the world.
Bringing A Gun To A Sword Fight
The behind-the-scenes story of this instantly classic scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark comes courtesy of Indian Jones’ forever-iconic portrayer, Harrison Ford.
As Ford once confirmed on a Reddit AMA, Indy was slated to undertake an elaborate sword vs. whip fight with his impressive opponent. However, the exhausted leading man was suffering from dysentery on location in Tunisia, and, when the day to film arrived, he asked somewhat seriously, “Can’t I just shoot him?” There’s a lot of Ford in Jones, so if it seems like Indy and Han Solo had a lot of humor (and just the right use of a pistol) to offer the audience, that’s no accident.
Anything Could Happen
Certain dependable truths hold this franchise together, not least of which is Indiana Jones’ fear of snakes, but those third act twists are what vault the films into blockbusters.
Perhaps the most vivid example of this is that Lucasfilm was willing to (kind of) let the good guy lose. For example, in Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark, the protagonist did prevent the Ark of the Covenant from falling into the worst possible hands, but the prize certainly didn’t wind up where viewers might have expected.
Avoiding The Obvious
Part of what sets Indiana Jones apart from most action heroes is his academic background and aptitude with foreign languages. He had his father to thank for that, as fans learned in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, and in fact, this chapter of the franchise installed Indiana Jones and his father an all-time beloved dad-and-son pair.
One of the most thrilling moments from Last Crusade depended on Indiana Jones’ knowledge of the Latin alphabet, which involved a trick question of its own, one Indy realized at the last possible second. With that kind of brain, there was no worry that the leading man would reach for the plate. Although, unlike everyone else, he no doubt noticed it was there.