Just released: The first trailer for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”!!

Two quick thoughts: 1) I bet we’ll be able to craft a great drinking game based solely on how many “I’m too old” cracks Harrison Ford makes. 2) I know “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was clearly the best one, but am I alone in having a soft spot for “Temple of Doom”? I just can’t help it.

They’ve announced the title of the fourth Indiana Jones movie: “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull“!! It’s set for release in May 2008. Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of my all-time favorites, and I really want this one to be good. Some promising news is that it includes Cate Blanchett, John Hurt, and Jim Broadbent who are all first-rate actors. Causing me to be slightly more skeptical is Harrison Ford’s co-star Shia LaBeouf. His stint in Transformers didn’t exactly inspire me, so that’s a strike against him for a mediocre turn in one beloved childhood institution. If he ruins Indiana Jones I won’t be too happy.

Which brings me to another point: Is it some kind of growing trend to pair aging action stars and young ‘indie alternative’ actors? Is this how they appeal to the young generation? I’m thinking of Bruce Willis and Justin Long in Die Hard 4, and now Harrison and Shia:

Maybe the studios have focus groups telling them to add these young hot-shots? I say James Bond never had a young sidekick, and unless your name is Short Round, Indiana Jones shouldn’t either.