Good points!James said:...or Raiders back in 1981.
I see where you're coming from, but that type of thing generally doesn't happen with every sequel. It didn't with Blair Witch 2 or Batman Begins.
I think the low-key marketing owed more to the fact that Indy 4 was such a long awaited project. Audiences didn't really need to be sold on the idea of going to see another Indiana Jones film, and everyone involved knew it.
But while I don't expect Indy to ever be "the" must-see film of the summer again, it's also in a category that most franchises would love to inhabit: The "Of Course I'll See" film.
Much like Star Wars, audiences will probably continue to go see Indy films as long as they are being made. Many fans were absolutely gutted by The Phantom Menace, but it didn't stop them from going to see Attack of the Clones or Revenge of the Sith. None of those were really "the" must-see film either- even TPM was upstaged by The Matrix- but it didn't exactly hurt them at the box office.
Though I won't rule out Indy V being a "must-see film" completely! If it looks like an even better picture then KOTCS, has dynamite marketing, and one hell of a McGuffin, there's potential for an even bigger box office then KOTCS's! It's not likely, but possible! Only time will tell.
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