Randy_Flagg
Well-known member
I know a lot of people hate the idea of UFOs in Indy film, but the more I think about it, the more I like it.
First, let me state what I DO NOT want to see--
1. No direct shots of aliens. They should be implied more than anything else, and left to the audience's imagination.
2. Absolutely no flying in UFOs. I don't want to see Indy piloting a space ship.
Now, how I think it could work--
1. It makes perfect sense for the 1950s setting, since that is the time of the Roswell crash, and the nation was getting quite interested in such phenomenon.
2. Harrison Ford said something about "inner choice and political reasons." The US government wanted to keep the Roswell incident a big secret. But perhaps they hire Indy, as an archeaologist, to study some artifact that was found around the crash site. Now, based on what he discovers about that artifact, he needs to make a choice about what needs to be done. So although the movie involves a UFO, it would still show Indy acting as an archeaologist and dealing with human enemies (government agents, crazy scientists, conspiracy theorists, and whatever else.) This way, it doesn't become a hokey Invaders from Mars type of movie, because we wouldn't see "evil aliens" attacking earth. The aliens died in the crash, and it's the humans that are Indy's biggest enemy (though there would have be some supernatural/alien phenomenon towards the end of the film... we need a spectacular showdown, after all.) Spielberg already said the movie involves Adam & Eve, so my guess would be that the relic Indy investigates from the crash site would be something that calls into question the origins of man. It's probably a question that would not really be answered in the movie, leaving us free to interpret things however we want (thus keeping this forum alive and active!)
3. It would offer a new dimension to the Indy franchise. We've seen him searching for lost artifacts in three movies already. Why do a fourth movie unless they can offer something different? On the other hand, Indy would still be very much the archaeologist. Perhaps it would also question the old theories about aliens being the builders of the pyramids.
4. UFOs fit perfectly with the B-Movie tone that Spielberg and Lucas were trying to create with the Indy series. Remember, these movies are supposed to be takes on those old black and white serials. We've seen Spielberg and Lucas have great fun with all the 1930s cliches already (his outfit, the boulder chase, revolving bookshelves, sacrificial temples, evil religious cults, etc.) Now with the setting moved to the 50s, why not some cliches from that period? One of the great things about the Indy movies is how they take old cliches and make them feel fresh again. I think they could do wonders with some of those 1950s UFO movie ideas, adding just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek humour.
5. We already know about the "Saucermen From Mars" script that was tossed around a while back. Sure, that wasn't the greatest, but it shows the tone that Lucas may be planning.
6. Spielberg could make the movie more intelligent than, say, "Independence Day" (actually, probably most of us could, too.) Imagine the subtlety of "Close Encounters" but with far more action as Indy attempts to elude government agents (or stop them from doing whatever they plan to do.)
Granted, I haven't thought out a whole plot, but I really don't think it's an unreasonable premise at all. I know, I cringed at the UFO idea originally too, but if it's handled properly, it should work very well.
I can picture the set-up for the plot quite easily though: A couple of government agents approach Indy at the University. After the prelimanary introductions--
Agent: "Dr. Jones, as I'm sure you're aware, there's been an... incident... in Roswell, New Mexico."
Indy: "I've heard about it. Not really my area of interest though."
Agent: "Perhaps not. But I think you will be interested in what we found there." (hand Indy some artifact.) "As you can see, it looks quite ancient. And those symbols aren't entirely foreign, as one would expect from something that came from another world."
Indy: "Hmmm... no. They're actually quite similar to the cuniforms used by (whatever culture Lucas chooses.) But nobody's seen genuine examples of this type of writing for several centuries."
Agent: "Yes. Our thoughts exactly. We were hoping you could tell us a bit more about it, Dr. Jones. Needless to say, the government is quite... intriqued... by it."
---
So what does everyone else think? Could it work?
[Edited by Randy_Flagg on 06-09-2003 at 08:01 am]
First, let me state what I DO NOT want to see--
1. No direct shots of aliens. They should be implied more than anything else, and left to the audience's imagination.
2. Absolutely no flying in UFOs. I don't want to see Indy piloting a space ship.
Now, how I think it could work--
1. It makes perfect sense for the 1950s setting, since that is the time of the Roswell crash, and the nation was getting quite interested in such phenomenon.
2. Harrison Ford said something about "inner choice and political reasons." The US government wanted to keep the Roswell incident a big secret. But perhaps they hire Indy, as an archeaologist, to study some artifact that was found around the crash site. Now, based on what he discovers about that artifact, he needs to make a choice about what needs to be done. So although the movie involves a UFO, it would still show Indy acting as an archeaologist and dealing with human enemies (government agents, crazy scientists, conspiracy theorists, and whatever else.) This way, it doesn't become a hokey Invaders from Mars type of movie, because we wouldn't see "evil aliens" attacking earth. The aliens died in the crash, and it's the humans that are Indy's biggest enemy (though there would have be some supernatural/alien phenomenon towards the end of the film... we need a spectacular showdown, after all.) Spielberg already said the movie involves Adam & Eve, so my guess would be that the relic Indy investigates from the crash site would be something that calls into question the origins of man. It's probably a question that would not really be answered in the movie, leaving us free to interpret things however we want (thus keeping this forum alive and active!)
3. It would offer a new dimension to the Indy franchise. We've seen him searching for lost artifacts in three movies already. Why do a fourth movie unless they can offer something different? On the other hand, Indy would still be very much the archaeologist. Perhaps it would also question the old theories about aliens being the builders of the pyramids.
4. UFOs fit perfectly with the B-Movie tone that Spielberg and Lucas were trying to create with the Indy series. Remember, these movies are supposed to be takes on those old black and white serials. We've seen Spielberg and Lucas have great fun with all the 1930s cliches already (his outfit, the boulder chase, revolving bookshelves, sacrificial temples, evil religious cults, etc.) Now with the setting moved to the 50s, why not some cliches from that period? One of the great things about the Indy movies is how they take old cliches and make them feel fresh again. I think they could do wonders with some of those 1950s UFO movie ideas, adding just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek humour.
5. We already know about the "Saucermen From Mars" script that was tossed around a while back. Sure, that wasn't the greatest, but it shows the tone that Lucas may be planning.
6. Spielberg could make the movie more intelligent than, say, "Independence Day" (actually, probably most of us could, too.) Imagine the subtlety of "Close Encounters" but with far more action as Indy attempts to elude government agents (or stop them from doing whatever they plan to do.)
Granted, I haven't thought out a whole plot, but I really don't think it's an unreasonable premise at all. I know, I cringed at the UFO idea originally too, but if it's handled properly, it should work very well.
I can picture the set-up for the plot quite easily though: A couple of government agents approach Indy at the University. After the prelimanary introductions--
Agent: "Dr. Jones, as I'm sure you're aware, there's been an... incident... in Roswell, New Mexico."
Indy: "I've heard about it. Not really my area of interest though."
Agent: "Perhaps not. But I think you will be interested in what we found there." (hand Indy some artifact.) "As you can see, it looks quite ancient. And those symbols aren't entirely foreign, as one would expect from something that came from another world."
Indy: "Hmmm... no. They're actually quite similar to the cuniforms used by (whatever culture Lucas chooses.) But nobody's seen genuine examples of this type of writing for several centuries."
Agent: "Yes. Our thoughts exactly. We were hoping you could tell us a bit more about it, Dr. Jones. Needless to say, the government is quite... intriqued... by it."
---
So what does everyone else think? Could it work?
[Edited by Randy_Flagg on 06-09-2003 at 08:01 am]