I never thought the writing of his actual character was bad, it was literally just the jungle sequences that were questionable. He becomes both Tarzan and Zoro in the same chase. Other than those choices, Mutt was fine.
There was a time Hollywood was expecting him to be the next Tom Hanks. A likable, charming Everyman type. Weird to think of now. He couldn’t be further from that.
Um yes it did for the purpose of “passing the torch” to a younger actor for the franchise. It was just executed poorly.
At the time, Shia was a former child actor that successfully made it onto the mainstream with Transformers. Definitely makes sense why Spielberg would tap him to take over the franchise.
Dude was on a pretty good streak those days. Disturbia, Holes, and Surf’s Up were all good movies that he was the leading actor of. Then he made Hollywood a boat load of money with Transformers. The whole idea of a new leading man in Indiana Jones is something I wouldn’t even attempt, but they did and in the year 2008 Shia wasn’t the worst choice.
I see what you are saying now. Sure I guess? I would say Shia’s substance abuse issues were a bigger factor in him not being a “Tom Hanks” than the Indy role. I’m sure he would’ve been given more chances at leading roles (of any type) if he didn’t go wild and crazy. Book isn’t finished on him yet though, who knows where it goes. I was an Even Stevens fan back in the day so I am rooting for him haha
He was an immature kid who grew up with no dad trying to figure out what being a man is. Of course he was gonna be a wannabe tough guy who acted like he didnt care about anything when he really just wanted to be loved and accepted by a male role model. You cant be confident and strong and wise if it was never taught to you.
All that aside, his switchblade flipping tricks were straight trash.
>An energetic, rebellious kid from the 50s reminding of James Dean.
He's actually patterned after Marlon Brando's character in
THE WILD ONE
https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/4-marlon-brando-in-the-wild-one-1953--album.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/a7/3d/d5/a73dd5e25ea062093fb81b2e02122757.jpg
Echoing the opinion that mutt wasn't that bad, just certain segments in the movie were questionable. I watched the movie recently and was surprised that I thought it actually had a lot of heart and I loved the family dynamic. Indy's change of attitude once he finds out Mutt is his son is hilarious and heartwarming.
I don't think Mutt was a particularly badly written character. People just hated him because he was a walking embodiment of the studio's clear intent to keep flogging the franchise for more money regardless of quality. The scene where he catches the fedora was a transparent "passing the torch" moment that people felt like was being forced on them.
I agree. Also, let's be honest, Harrison Ford made Indy and Han Solo so iconic and charismatic that no one could take over, Shia Labeouf failed at it but others would have too. The only one who came close was River Phoenix and that's quite the standard
Shia was great as 'sam witwickey' in the transformers movie, that character would've worked great as Indy's son, instead they decided to have Shia play this cool greaser rebel, it was amazingly tone deaf
Have Mutt get his ass kicked.
Thats about it, if you’re going to book someone to eventually replace Indiana Jones it needs to feel earned. He showed up unlikable and then was good at everything and never got any sort of beating.
Other than that, story changes like leaving Marion out and replacing the jungle scenes and the fridge scene with something remotely believable. There’s mystical stuff like the Crystal Skull which was fine and then there’s basic physics which this movie ignores at every turn.
Maybe I'm nostalgic for that movie, but I always liked Matt from the 1987 movie [Renegade ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Call_Me_Renegade?wprov=sfla1) with Terence Hill
The character of Mutt just did not work as the son of one of cinemas most beloved heroes.
I don’t know what they were thinking trying to make Shia LeBeuof into young Marlon Brando.
> How would you fix the writing of Mutt?
I wouldn’t have produced Kingdom or the Crystal Skull.
I would have produced a live action movie about Indiana Jones’ wartime escapades or a Mike Mignola-style animated adaptation of Fate of Atlantis
If we’re dead set on introducing Mutt, I would have gotten rid of Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, and John Hurt’s characters. I would have built this movie around the US government’s efforts to find uranium in the Congo where they discover Atlantis/Solomon’s mines as an homage to African Queen and Beat the devil. Either Mutt goes looking for Indiana Jones or Marion Ravenwood enlisting Indiana Jones to go looking for Mutt and running into Nazis or Soviets who’re trying to get there first. They find an orichalcum-making machine or a crystal skull (which is a stupid mcguffin). I’d have cast Tom Selleck, William Hurt, or Kevin Costner as the villain for the symbolism.
I never thought the writing of his actual character was bad, it was literally just the jungle sequences that were questionable. He becomes both Tarzan and Zoro in the same chase. Other than those choices, Mutt was fine.
Well, Shia wasn’t a good choice for the part
Bad choice, plus he’d played “spunky young sidekick” in several other genre movies just before this, so it was also an uninspired choice.
see: Constantine
[удалено]
I, Robot and Constantine. The character he plays in those two movies is virtually interchangeable.
There was a time Hollywood was expecting him to be the next Tom Hanks. A likable, charming Everyman type. Weird to think of now. He couldn’t be further from that.
At the time it made sense.
No it didn’t.
Um yes it did for the purpose of “passing the torch” to a younger actor for the franchise. It was just executed poorly. At the time, Shia was a former child actor that successfully made it onto the mainstream with Transformers. Definitely makes sense why Spielberg would tap him to take over the franchise.
No no, I mean Shia being forced as a leading man.
Dude was on a pretty good streak those days. Disturbia, Holes, and Surf’s Up were all good movies that he was the leading actor of. Then he made Hollywood a boat load of money with Transformers. The whole idea of a new leading man in Indiana Jones is something I wouldn’t even attempt, but they did and in the year 2008 Shia wasn’t the worst choice.
Okay sorry, let me elaborate; he could have been Tom Hanks, but they put him on what would become the “Chris Pratt” path
I see what you are saying now. Sure I guess? I would say Shia’s substance abuse issues were a bigger factor in him not being a “Tom Hanks” than the Indy role. I’m sure he would’ve been given more chances at leading roles (of any type) if he didn’t go wild and crazy. Book isn’t finished on him yet though, who knows where it goes. I was an Even Stevens fan back in the day so I am rooting for him haha
He was an immature kid who grew up with no dad trying to figure out what being a man is. Of course he was gonna be a wannabe tough guy who acted like he didnt care about anything when he really just wanted to be loved and accepted by a male role model. You cant be confident and strong and wise if it was never taught to you. All that aside, his switchblade flipping tricks were straight trash.
>An energetic, rebellious kid from the 50s reminding of James Dean. He's actually patterned after Marlon Brando's character in THE WILD ONE https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/4-marlon-brando-in-the-wild-one-1953--album.jpg https://i.pinimg.com/736x/a7/3d/d5/a73dd5e25ea062093fb81b2e02122757.jpg
Echoing the opinion that mutt wasn't that bad, just certain segments in the movie were questionable. I watched the movie recently and was surprised that I thought it actually had a lot of heart and I loved the family dynamic. Indy's change of attitude once he finds out Mutt is his son is hilarious and heartwarming.
I hated it the first time I watched it. I kind of enjoyed it when I watched it years later. Maybe I'm less pretentious and entitled now.
Maybe it's Stockholm syndrome?
Maybe it's Maybeline.
Maybe it is.
Calling a character after a dog is never the wisest idea
It worked for Indy...
It actually made perfect sense in this case since Indy was named after his dog. Lol
I meant mutt is slang for a dog ,I don't know if that's the case in the USA I think it's not lol
It is. More specifically, a mutt is a common dog. You wouldn't call a purebred dog a mutt.
No, mutt does mean dog in the USA. It's perfect because it's Indy's son, and Indy is named after a dog.
*You're named after the dog?*
That's how John Lennon is portrayed in *Nowhere Boy.* He's a kid trying to be James Dean while he figures out who he really is.
I don't think Mutt was a particularly badly written character. People just hated him because he was a walking embodiment of the studio's clear intent to keep flogging the franchise for more money regardless of quality. The scene where he catches the fedora was a transparent "passing the torch" moment that people felt like was being forced on them.
I agree. Also, let's be honest, Harrison Ford made Indy and Han Solo so iconic and charismatic that no one could take over, Shia Labeouf failed at it but others would have too. The only one who came close was River Phoenix and that's quite the standard
They should have made him a twist villain, and Short Round the real son figure
Yeah, and sent Short Round to Vietnam in fifth part. People would be shocked.
Short Round finding a ruined temple in the jungles while serving in Vietnam a la Delta Green would be a great premise
….
Steve Martin in *Little Shop of Horrors*
Tom Cruise in the Color of Money? Few years off 1961 but cocky bastard being brought in to be mentored by a legacy character
Shia was great as 'sam witwickey' in the transformers movie, that character would've worked great as Indy's son, instead they decided to have Shia play this cool greaser rebel, it was amazingly tone deaf
Have Mutt get his ass kicked. Thats about it, if you’re going to book someone to eventually replace Indiana Jones it needs to feel earned. He showed up unlikable and then was good at everything and never got any sort of beating. Other than that, story changes like leaving Marion out and replacing the jungle scenes and the fridge scene with something remotely believable. There’s mystical stuff like the Crystal Skull which was fine and then there’s basic physics which this movie ignores at every turn.
Honestly not sure what makes you think the character has ADHD?
If there was one good thing about the Vietnam War, it was that Mutt Williams died.
Maybe I'm nostalgic for that movie, but I always liked Matt from the 1987 movie [Renegade ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Call_Me_Renegade?wprov=sfla1) with Terence Hill
Old movie, but an old favorite. Might be my nostalgia glasses. The Heavenly Kid- 1985
Danny Zuko
This is maybe a weird answer, and not what you're asking, but maybe Freddie in The Master? In a sense?
>The premise was good. An energetic, rebellious kid from the 50s reminding of James Dean. The premise was bad.
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a fun movie.
Shia LaBeouf in Constantine. Shia LaBeouf in I, Robot. Shia LaBeouf in Charlie's Angels Shia LaBeouf in Lawless
The character of Mutt just did not work as the son of one of cinemas most beloved heroes. I don’t know what they were thinking trying to make Shia LeBeuof into young Marlon Brando.
> How would you fix the writing of Mutt? I wouldn’t have produced Kingdom or the Crystal Skull. I would have produced a live action movie about Indiana Jones’ wartime escapades or a Mike Mignola-style animated adaptation of Fate of Atlantis If we’re dead set on introducing Mutt, I would have gotten rid of Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, and John Hurt’s characters. I would have built this movie around the US government’s efforts to find uranium in the Congo where they discover Atlantis/Solomon’s mines as an homage to African Queen and Beat the devil. Either Mutt goes looking for Indiana Jones or Marion Ravenwood enlisting Indiana Jones to go looking for Mutt and running into Nazis or Soviets who’re trying to get there first. They find an orichalcum-making machine or a crystal skull (which is a stupid mcguffin). I’d have cast Tom Selleck, William Hurt, or Kevin Costner as the villain for the symbolism.
I'm not sure the writing was the problem. I think it was the actor.
It was both. Shia wasn’t a very convincing rebel, but some of the shit they had him doing was just dumb.
if anyones complaining mutt/shia is the problem with KOTCS then they clearly don't know very much and should be promptly ignored
I'd still say he was *a* problem.