Would better casting in the female lead have saved/greatly improved the movie? She's not a bad actress but I didn't find her charismatic enough, and didn't really want to see her on screen. Yet the movie is pretty strongly focused on her. I wasn't invested in what I guess are supposed to be her light-hearted shenanigans of seducing rich Arab men and breaking their hearts, nor did it seem believable.
shareIt's not the actress, it's the character. The problem with Mutt wasn't the actor, either, but the fact that no one's interested in Indy's kids. Helena is just a Mutt v2.
shareTo be honest, I had definitely more problems with Shia LaBeouf as with Mutt. I dislike him as much as I dislike Sam Worthington. Both have to act hard, before I start liking them in the movie, everytime I see them, I have my doubts. For him was mostly because he screwed up so bad in Transformers (first contact for me). He does not feel like a greaser, totally miscasted as one in the movie. He is everything I would not expect from a child born and raised by Marion Ravenwood with Indy's genes in him. Another actor could have potentially a better fit, without proper research I would say e.g. Zac Efron.
Of course also the role of Mutt was unredeemable, the Tarzan scene is for me still one of the major sins in movie history.
Honestly, I would've preferred just Jones and his buddy Sallah going on the adventure, Sallah actually was all ready to go but Jones told him to fuck off because uhm reasons, I guess. Unlike many others here, Waller-Bridge did not make or break my enjoyment at all. I paid to see Harrison Ford and got to see plenty of him.
sharethey could've bagged Emily Blunt if she hadn't been busy with Oppenheimer
shareIt was not Phoebe Waller-Bridge per se, it was her role. As she has writing credits, HERE you can definitely blame her. But I am convinced her role would not work with any actress, as she is a stupid scumbag.
The role needed some rewrites, like not being related to Indy in the first place, just doing research that Indy has the artifact, acting as interested student to obtain it and Indy, aware of the danger, hunting her. That would work, and she could be redeemed on the way, when the Nazis join in. Or completely cut the New York part, and her reaching out to Indy from Tangier after she fucked it up by associating with Nazis. Both would have potential, could have worked with her too. But her being a snitch, bringing her old godfather in danger and then basically have the whole Antonio Banderas troop getting killed, makes her unlikeable to the max. But its the role I don't like first.
I wanted short round back.
shareI don’t think you are supposed to like her. Her character is selfish until the end when she doesn’t want to leave Indy behind. Indy even scolds her after the explosion on the boat because she was flippant about it.
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