Review: Indy is back with a rush of nostalgia

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Seeing Indiana Jones in his familiar outfit nearly 20 years after his last appearance frankly gave me the chills -- followed by an unexpected rush of nostalgia.

Steven Spielberg knew the importance of this moment, capturing it beautifully with a silhouette of the movie icon against a drab-green army car as a roughed-up Indy dons his famous fedora once again.

A flood of memories return as snippets of his many adventures flash through your mind's eye. And, if you are too young to have experienced those wonderful films or are too old to remember, I thought I'd share some of my most memorable Indiana Jones moments from over these many years.

I'll never forget the summer of '81, in a packed house at the old Villa Theatre. We got there late, so the only seats remaining were in the front row. That's where I witnessed my first of many Indiana Jones spectacles, as that massive boulder came thundering toward a fleeing Dr. Jones in that web-enshrouded cave.

I was so caught off guard that I ducked like an idiot and half-expected to see the mammoth stone (actually made of fiberglass) bouncing over the first dozen rows or so.

I knew we were in for a real treat that night -- and that was just the beginning.

'Raiders'

Most of my favorite Indy scenes come from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," later renamed "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark." (It will always be simply "Raiders" to me.)

Before we move on, here are a couple of did-you-knows that might be of interest about that first film.

Did you know Tom Selleck was originally committed to play Indiana Jones, but CBS wouldn't part with him after "Magnum P.I." became such a huge hit? George Lucas was adamant about not hiring Harrison Ford (Spielberg's first choice) because he'd already used him in his "Star Wars" and "American Graffiti" movies.

Lucas said, "I don't want him to become my Bobby De Niro" -- referring to Martin Scorsese's constant use of the acclaimed actor.

Three weeks before production on "Raiders" was to begin, Lucas relented and agreed to bring Ford on board.

Another favorite scene came quite by accident -- it was certainly not scripted.

During a hot and difficult shoot in Tunisia, most of the cast and crew were sick from eating the native cuisine (Spielberg was unaffected, since he brought cans of SpaghettiOs from the States).

The now-famous sequence where Indy takes on the skilled desert swordsmen was not coming together. He was supposed to use his whip to get the weapons out of their hands. It was taking all day, and a sickly Harrison couldn't make it work.

Finally, someone suggested, "Why don't you just shoot (him) and be done with it?" Spielberg liked the idea, and the rest is history.

Another memorable moment comes in the military truck chase that took eight weeks to film.

They wanted to re-create a dangerous stunt as a tribute to John Ford's "Stagecoach" (1939). It's the segment when Indy retreats beneath a fast-moving truck, drags himself on the ground between the wheels and emerges out the back. Stuntman Terry Leonard pulls it off triumphantly, but close-up takes of Ford doing portions of the stunt left the actor with severely bruised ribs and this quote, "If it was really that dangerous, they would have filmed more of the movie first."

That wasn't the only injury he suffered on the film. In another favorite fight scene, involving the rotating plane, the big bruiser and the unfortunate encounter with a propeller, Ford suffered ligament damage to his knee when the plane's landing gear ran over him during one take.

Ford had the knee packed in ice and went on with the shoot.

OK, so enough about "Raiders."

'Temple of Doom'

What memorable moments came from the second installment "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"?

About the only memorable scene from "Temple of Doom," besides the ripping out of the guy's heart, is the runaway mine-car chase. It was basically one small section of track. They would just change the lighting to make it look different and longer.

Spielberg met the future Mrs. Spielberg (Kate Capshaw) on this project, and Harrison Ford had to be flown back to Los Angeles to have emergency surgery on his back after a scene wrestling a bear went awry -- the segment ended up on the cutting-room floor.

'Last Crusade'

For Utahns, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" is especially memorable, because a young Indiana (River Phoenix) is living with his dad, Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), in Moab, following the death of Indy's mother back East.

The opening shots of Arches National Park are immediately recognizable as we also learn why "Junior" has such a fear of snakes (circus tank), how he got that scar on his chin (first attempt at cracking the whip) and how he came across his signature fedora (a parting gift from a kind rogue).

Contrary to what many believe, and according to an elaborate backstory, Indiana Jones was not born in Moab (sorry), but Princeton, N.J., in 1899. He was only in Moab for a few years (1912-1916) as his father took a job teaching at the make-believe Four Corners College in Las Mesas. You remember those fighting Four Corner Falcons, don't you?

Originally, Ford was not keen on Sean Connery playing his dad, since there's only 12 years between them in age. But once they started working together, the chemistry was immediate and the two became quite fond of each other, almost tempting Connery to come out of retirement for "Indy 4." (You'll see how it's handled in "Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls.")

Then there's the riveting tank chase scene where Indy runs down an old German war machine on horseback. The stunt won an award, and the effort won over audiences again. They liked Indiana Jones as he fought not only the Nazis but also had to deal with a doubting dad.

'Crystal Skull'

So what about this fourth installment? Any particular moments that will be remembered?

I'll be careful here to not create any spoilers, but pretty much all of the Hanger 51 warehouse bit is golden, as is the atomic test firing and the motorcycle chase through the college campus.

And what of future Indiana Jones adventures? Spielberg says it's too early to think about it, but he leaves the door open.

Lucas says it's a strong possibility, and Ford says he'd be up for a fifth if they didn't wait another 19 years to do it.

So we shall see.

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