Looks like the fifth Indiana Jones movie is finally happening. And guess what? It also looks like the Nazis are back. Check out the leaked set photos online and you’ll see some familiar adversaries, or at least the notorious symbols that represent them. Based on what we’ve seen, there are trains with the swasitka symbols on them, heavily indicating that the first enemies of Indiana Jones will be returning. If that’s the case, then I’m wondering in what capacity the Nazis will be returning. Most of what we saw is just a train with the swastika symbol on it in broad daylight. That alone may not be enough to confirm that Indy’s first enemies are coming back to challenge him.
When I first saw that, I wondered if that scene was meant to be a flashback. For Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, the Nazis were the main threat to Indy and his companions. And let’s remember that those two movies are considered to be the best Indiana Jones movies. That’s rightfully so, especially if you look at the other two films. Okay, so Temple of Doom was good, but not nearly as good as the first and third movie. And of course, we have to accept that the franchise left us with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. That’s back when we thought we’d never get another Indiana Jones movie, but it looks like fortune favors the patient once again. Then again, the movie hasn’t come out yet, so let’s not get our hopes up just yet.
The point is, the Nazis were the villains in the best Indiana Jones movies. There could be some kind of formula there, but maybe James Mangold is just deciding to go back to what worked in the past. I figured he would try something a little different, but then again, Steven Spielberg did that with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. We remember how that turned out, so maybe going back to the old formula isn’t really a bad idea. My biggest concern is the time period the next movie is set in.
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was set in 1957, during the early years of the Cold War. That’s why Indy was fighting Soviet agents, instead of Nazis, so it made sense. The next movie will take place in the ’60s, set two decades after the end of World War 2 and the height of the Cold War. The ideal move would be for Indy to take on Soviets once again, but these set photos suggest otherwise.
Now again, these set photos could just be implying that we’ll be seeing a flashback of young Indy fighting Nazis. That would be cool to see, but we can’t ignore the impact the Nazis had on Indy’s adventures. Indiana Jones, being the adventuring archeologist, was also a government agent who was tasked with finding ancient magical artifacts. And in the prime of his treasure-seeking career, he often crossed paths with the archenemies of the whole world, the Nazi Party.
The first movie took place in 1936, a time when the Nazi Party took full power of Germany and Hitler was in the early stages of preparing for World War 2. In reality, Hitler and his inner circle did indeed have strong beliefs about the occult and the mystical artifacts that they read about. For instance, in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Nazis were searching for the Ark of the Covenant. Hitler actually believed in it and ordered expeditions to search and claim it for his own aspirations. But he didn’t stop there. He ordered expeditions for the Spear of Destiny, the Holy Grail, and even the lost city of Atlantis. These guys were a lot crazier than you thought, huh? Now you know where George Lucas and Steven Spielberg got the ideas from.
But of course, we know that Hitler never found any of those artifacts, but in these movies, his Nazi agents did. They thought that the artifacts would grant them immortality, but it backfired on them horribly. In the case of Indiana Jones 5, it’ll probably be no different. Now yes, World War 2 is over, but we know that not all Nazis weren’t captured when it ended. Many of them fled to South America and went into hiding, and those who didn’t were put on trial and most likely executed.
We know that Mads Mikkelsen is playing the villain, who is probably a former Nazi scientist. I have a feeling he was one of the fanatics who firmly believed in Hitler’s obsession with finding those mythical artifacts. Since he and his fellow Nazis have remained in hiding for two decades, they would have plenty of time to consolidate and prepare for another expedition. Mads Mikkelsen’s character might want to use it to rebuild the Third Reich. Yeah, sounds like something we’ve seen before, but come on, Mads Mikkelsen. That alone should get you excited.
But in all seriousness, I feel like James Mangold is bringing back the Nazis for a reason. It’s likely that Indiana Jones 5 will be connected more to The Last Crusade and Raiders of the Lost Ark. It probably should be, because I doubt we’ll see few connections to the last one. Shia LaBeouf, anyone? Yeah, don’t count on it. I find it pretty intriguing that James Mangold wants to go back to what works and ignore what didn’t. If that means brining back the Nazis, then I’m all for it. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’ll be good, but I think Mangold at least has a good idea for it.
What magical artifact are the Nazis after this time? Now that they’re in hiding, they have the advantage of operating in secret. Indy might not see them coming, but we’ll see how that plays out. In fact, I doubt he’ll be too surprised. For him, it will just be like dealing with an old thuggish bully he once knocked out. The only difference now is obviously his greater age and the fact that the Nazis are working in secret. This should be fun, as long as there’s no aliens. But hey, James Mangold is smarter than that.
Follow Us
