Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is one of the greatest actors to ever appear on celluloid. The Indiana Jones franchise holds similar lofty distinctions in the realm of adventure cinema or trilogies. "Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford" combine both of those things with aplomb. Ostensibly, this "Timeless Heroes" doc is meant to promote the Disney+ drop of "Dial of Destiny". But because it focuses on such a vibrant subject--Ford--it turns out to be quite a bit more than just "advertisement".

This doc does two things pretty much simultaneously:

First, it is a love letter to the entire Indy franchise, with relevant interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from all the films. Seeing as how the series represents the pinnacle of adventure filmmaking, it never gets old seeing Ford, Spielberg, Lucas, and the rest do their thing. There were definitely some clips here that I had not seen before.

Secondly, it is a tribute to Harrison Ford himself. At least a third of the hour-and-ninety-minute runtime is given to Ford's acting bio. This includes his early days as a bit-part player and professional-grade carpenter, his break in Lucas' American Graffiti, and then his ascent to the stratosphere with Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Even his more serious, critically-acclaimed roles like in Witness, Regarding Henry, or The Fugitive are discussed, alongside his recent work on Paramount and Apple streamers. It never hurts that Ford's quirky--yet always endearing--personality shines through every time he speaks.

Though the fictional/series content side of Disney+ has perhaps been a bit wanting of late, it is a good to see that they are capable of putting out a top-notch caliber documentary if/when needed.

The Indiana Jones documentary on Disney+ starts off strong, offering a compelling look at the origins of the iconic character and the man who brought him to life. The first half is particularly well-crafted, focusing on Harrison Ford's early career and the behind-the-scenes journey of creating Raiders of the Lost Ark. It delivers fascinating insights, interviews, and archival footage that highlight the creative vision of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, as well as Ford's transformation into the legendary archaeologist-adventurer. For fans of film history and classic cinema, this portion is a real treat.

Unfortunately, the documentary loses steam after that. Rather than giving equal weight to the rest of the franchise, Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull are given little more than passing mentions. These films-each significant in their own right-deserve far more attention, whether for their cultural impact, behind-the-scenes challenges, or evolving tone across the series.

The latter half of the documentary then shifts almost entirely to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, spending an inordinate amount of time on a film widely considered the weakest in the franchise. While it's understandable that Disney would want to promote the most recent entry, the imbalance is glaring. Rather than feeling like a celebration of the full Indiana Jones legacy, the documentary ends up feeling like a promotional piece for the new movie.

If you're a longtime fan of the franchise, I'd still recommend watching the first half for its rich storytelling and detailed look at how Raiders came to be. But once the focus shifts away from the classic trilogy, you're not missing much by turning it off.

Harrison here, Harrison there... there was a lot of gossip about what a fighter he is. Because he de facto is :) But I somehow missed the dramatic insert in the documentary. It was too sweet. One did not learn anything new. A couple of new backstage shots were nice.

Very low coverage of Blade Runner movie. I know it is called Indiana Jones and Harrison, but Han Solo was covered a lot as well. Rick Deckard only minimally. Which is pity because he was epic in that role. I heard he did not like it too much. Looking into that would be good dramatical insert in this docu.

But anyway, I turned it off sometime before the end. It's good for sleeping when getting rid of a Friday Saturday hangover.

A very enjoyable look at Harrison Ford and the making of many films not just Indiana Jones although that is a big part of the film.

Great look at behind the scenes at relationships and how the characters developed over time, feeling the magnitude of time that has past.

I think it gives a cool look at the last film and gives a new appreciation for the films as a whole. It's neat to see the making of the last film and to the wombat character it makes me like the last film.

Over all worth a watch and gives ideas on some films starring Harrison Ford that maybe you haven't seen and now can watch.