Indiana Jones Superhero or Just an Ordinary Guy?
Some critics complained that some of the action scenes of the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull make Indiana Jones appear more like a superhero rather than an ordinary guy. So, the question to ask is: Indiana Jones a superhero or just an ordinary guy? For the answer, let's look at the origins of Indiana Jones legend.
George Lucas said that Indiana Jones is a homage to action heroes of the 1930s particularly matinée serial western cliffhangers, Flash Gordon movies and pulp comics with a good measure of Sherlock Holmes thrown in. These heroes did not have superpowers but they have special abilities which sets them apart from ordinary folks like us.
Superheroes have 2 persona, so does Indiana Jones:
- as a University lecturer, Henry Joe Jr, he is bespectacled, Joe Average;
- as an archaeologist, Indiana Jones he is a swashbuckling treasure hunter with lighting reflexes.
His superhero alter-ego is a way for Indy to escape from the boredom of teaching. He can take hard knocks (though he does definitely feel pain), never gets emotionally upset and is always willing to forgive his adversaries no matter what they have done to him earlier. He does not generally use weapons except for his multi-purpose 10 foot bull whip and mainly for defensive reasons.
We know that apart from his "cover" job, he had been a WWI trench soldier, undercover agent in Europe, stunt man in his younger days and this have given him the agility to perform feats that normal people may find difficulty doing. However, there are hints that he may be a superhero more than an ordinary guy.
Indiana Jones also expresses his duality with:
- his self-depreciating humor,
- his fear for snakes but carries a snake-like weapon (the bull whip)
- he is not a Christian but hunts for mythical Christian treasures, and
- his prized, hard won treasures often end up discarded in an unknown warehouse
- his changing "uniform" - when he changes his professor's clothes for adventure gear, he is transformed to a superhero of sorts. He also sheds his eye glasses just like Clark Kent / Superman
- he has a love of his life, but never seems to be able to hold on to her because she is the source of his weaknesses.
- he does possess physical prowess like superior skill, ability, strength, courage, or daring when put to the fight or die test
- like most superheroes, he is more interested in justice than personal gain. Being rich does not seem to be high on his agenda judging from his lifestyle and the clothes he wears.
- his adversaries are usually the rich or people with power
He also has a secret weakness. This usually takes the form of his vulnerability when he is near someone he loves. He is also most vulnerable when he is near an ancient relic but this relic rarely destroys him because of his hidden (maybe mental) powers. The power being his intimate knowledge of the secret properties of the relic.
It is also noted that Indy is at the height of his powers when he has his fedora on. One can find similarities of Indy's fedora with a head mask / gear donned by many modern pulp comic superheroes.
Also remember, that Indiana Jones have been exposed to some amazing relics that have proved to be fatal to other mere mortals like those in the "Raiders". In particular, fans must have recalled that in the "Last Crusade", he drank the water of life from the true holy grail. This could have endowed him with powers after the 3rd installment of the Indy series. He seems to have lived through the same timeline of many of today's superheroes and there is no indication of his death, though he appeared old in 1993. From our own sources, we gather that he was born in 1899 and took his nickname "Indiana" from his family dog.
It remains to be seen if Indiana Jones' son have inherited the magical qualities of his illustrious dad. Though from the "Crystal Skull" movie, it appears to be so.
With this perspective in mind, it is not surprising that Indiana Jones can perform super stunts. The only reason such stunts was not featured in earlier Indy movies is simply that they did not have state of the art CGI back in the '80s. Such stunts are now common place in today's action movies.
In that light, it is not uncharacteristic for Indiana Jones movies to feature super stunts. The stunts are part of the fun of going to see a superhero action/adventure genre film particularly if it is slapstick. Maybe some of it is overdone and over the top. But what harm is that? Our lives are already filled with 22 hours of reality each day. When we buy a movie ticket, we expect 2 hours or so of pure entertainment and fun. There is nothing extraordinary in being an ordinary guy. Think like a superhero. In your own mind, you are a superhero like Indiana Jones.
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