Steven Spielberg and George Lucas stand as two of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Alongside their remarkable careers, the pair shares a decades-long friendship and a collaborative effort on the action-adventure franchise starring Harrison Ford. Lucas is credited with crafting the story for the initial four Indiana Jones films, while Spielberg took the helm as director.
Despite the overwhelming success of their collaboration, the fourth installment has garnered criticism as the least favored entry in the franchise. Spielberg seemingly attributed the film’s reputation to his friend and collaborator, suggesting he was just translating Lucas’ vision to the screen.
Steven Spielberg Attributed George Lucas’ Story to Criticism of Indiana Jones 4
Released in 2008, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull follows the renowned archaeologist on a quest to explore the mystery behind the Crystal Skull. While the film was a box office hit, making $790 million worldwide, it is still considered the weakest installment by numerous fans.
Criticism of the film centers around multiple aspects, from the overreliance on CGI effects, and character dynamics, to lacking the weight and intrigue of previous religious artifacts as MacGuffins. One of the most controversial aspects of the film has also been the inclusion of aliens in the plot.
Discussing the same in an interview with Empire, Steven Spielberg shared that he is very content with the film. He further shared that he himself never liked the “MacGuffin” and also argued against the idea of “aliens or inter-dimensional beings.” However, despite his personal reservations about such things, he remained loyal to Lucas’ vision for the movie. He shared,
“But I am loyal to my best friend. When he writes a story he believes in – even if I don’t believe in it – I’m going to shoot the movie the way George envisaged it.”
While he acknowledged that he adds his own creative contributions and makes decisions during filming, he ultimately respects George Lucas as the primary storyteller of the Indiana Jones series and will always defer to Lucas’s vision for the franchise.
Steven Spielberg Took Responsibility For Certain Controversial Elements
He argued that his friend George Lucas was in charge of shaping the narrative for the adventures of Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones. However, Steven Spielberg took responsibility for certain controversial elements, notably the infamous scene featuring Jones surviving a nuclear blast by hiding in a refrigerator. He said,
“What people really jumped at was Indy climbing into a refrigerator and getting blown into the sky by an atom-bomb blast. Blame me. Don’t blame George. That was my silly idea.”
However, the filmmaker also expressed pride in creating the phrase “nuked the fridge,” which has become synonymous with a moment of absurdity in popular culture. “They now say, nuked the fridge,” he said before adding, “I’m glad I was able to bring that into popular culture.”
In 2023, Disney released the fifth installment in the franchise, marking the first film in the series not helmed by Steven Spielberg or conceived by George Lucas. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny garnered mixed reviews and ultimately underperformed at the box office, becoming a financial disappointment.
The Indiana Jones franchise is available to stream on Disney+.
