Excavating Indiana Jones
Indy’s adventures are now treasures to rival the artefacts he hunts. This essay collection ponders to what extent the franchise itself “belongs in a museum”. There is plenty to critique, such as Indy’s in-built imperialism, but a collective humour bypass often trumps insight. From a dry survey of real-life archaeological digs to an unconvincing dissection of theme-park rides, it’s a pompous read even before one writer admits to wilfully misreading Raiders’ plot to better grind their axe.