AP MOVIE BUZZ: SHIA GOES 'BRANDO' IN 'INDY 4'

**MichaelDoran** · 05-26-2008, 12:54 PM

by CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Whether critics walked out of ``Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' loving or hating it, most had something to say about Shia LaBeouf's dramatic entrance.

The 21-year-old actor plays Harrison Ford's sidekick in this fourth installment in the Indy franchise, and when he first appears on screen, he's a dead ringer for Marlon Brando's young punk in 1953's ``The Wild One.''

We're not talking a kinda-sorta resemblance. He's got the same off-kilter cap, same black leather jacket and he rides up on a motorcycle, full of 'tude. Brando played the leader of a biker gang that terrorized a small town back then. But LaBeouf? As young Mutt Williams, he's still a rebel in search of a cause in Steven Spielberg's latest blockbuster, set in 1957. And to his credit, the actor knows it.

``Steven wrote a little note on my script that said, `OK, now it's time to transform yourself into Mutt! Signed, Steven,' and then he gave me three movies to watch,'' LaBeouf says in the film's production notes. They were: ``Blackboard Jungle,'' ``Rebel Without a Cause'' and _ wouldn't you know it? _ ``The Wild One.''

``As though I was supposed to go home and watch `The Wild One' and go, `Oh yeah, I see how Marlon Brando did it!''' he adds.

But how convincing is LaBeouf? Most critics reviewing ``Crystal Skull'' mention the homage merely in passing, without passing judgment.

Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said the young actor is ``introduced as a total copy of Marlon Brando on a motorcycle in 'The Wild One,''' and adds, ``LaBeouf doesn't seem completely comfortable in his disaffected teen role, a part that does not play to the innate likability that is one of his strengths.''

In a rare pan of the movie, Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips said disdainfully that LaBeouf's entrance ``rips off Brando.'' And Robert Wilonsky of the Village Voice newspaper chain riffs that he's ``The Mild One.''

It certainly wasn't easy for costume designer Mary Zophres, whose job it was to come up with LaBeouf's trademark ensemble of leather jackets and motorcycle boots. She and colleague Jenny Eagan found several vintage jackets and had LaBeouf try them all on until they discovered the one that looked best. Then they had to recreate it several times.

``Mutt was inspired by Marlon Brando in `The Wild One,''' Zophres says in the press notes, continuing the theme. ``We had to make about 30 of those motorcycle jackets because Shia does a lot of stunts and his costume got worn and dirty.''

Fans of the former child star, who won a Daytime Emmy in 2003 for the Disney Channel series ``Even Stevens,'' may have a hard time accepting him as a tough guy. But as LaBeouf said last year in an interview with The Associated Press _ when rumors of his casting in ``Indiana Jones'' were swirling but still unconfirmed _ this is a transition he's been planning for a long time.

``I want to get bigger. I'm sick of being a boy,'' LaBeouf said then of his workout regimen while promoting the teen thriller ``Disturbia.''

``I know that there's this innocence that I have but I feel like I've played that guy. The whole goal for me has been diversity and diversifying your portfolio and making sure you do a whole bunch of different things and you don't get typecast. If I become a type, my career is over.

``I want to be an intimidating presence. I want to be a ... killer.''

(SPOILER ALERT!)

There's still plenty of time for LaBeouf to prove himself. If you read into the symbolism at the end of the movie, Mutt may eventually have to trade in his cap and leather jacket for Indy's famous fedora and bullwhip.

NobleSon · 05-26-2008, 01:01 PM

What would an Indy movie be like with someone else as the hero?

LostAndFoundFan · 05-26-2008, 01:06 PM

In Indy 5, Shia will fight alligators with his knife, to continue the 'Jungle Hunt' theme from Crystal Skull.

caanan · 05-26-2008, 01:41 PM

I kinda thought that pseudo-James Dean vibe worked in his favour.

Like, here's a kid trying to be cool, but he obviously has no idea who he his. I think Shia could easily be the next big action hero. Especially for those of us who have never even seen, or heard of, Even Stevens.

**MattBrady** · 05-26-2008, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LostAndFoundFan

In Indy 5, Shia will fight alligators with his knife, to continue the 'Jungle Hunt' theme from Crystal Skull.

hey now - there might be some swinging on vines over pits that open and close menacingly...

MattB

umanumanamo · 05-26-2008, 02:01 PM

I enjoyed his performance in this. &!$$ on the critics - the whole movie was great, IMO.

Time Master · 05-26-2008, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBrady

hey now - there might be some swinging on vines over pits that open and close menacingly...

MattB

So Mutt is actually Pitfall Harry?

moochavelli · 05-26-2008, 03:02 PM

Well, He does have problems with scorpions....

Switch625 · 05-26-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NobleSon

What would an Indy movie be like with someone else as the hero?

The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor
Sahara
National Treasure
National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle Of Life

Firestar84 · 05-26-2008, 04:18 PM

well, i went sunday with my baby(oops. sorry Andy, i ment YOUNGER brother). maybe it was for the time of the show (5 o'clock... ehy, here in italy the life has a biiig cost, if i can pay lessbecause i went to the show of the 5 instead of the one of 8, well, no problem) but there were just children with parents.
I've alwys been a great fan on Indi. i loved him, and i cried when he told that his dad was dead... well, in italy he never actually said the word dead, but it's what you understand, so...
i didn't the all <2extradiemnsional creature>" thing, at this point, what will have next time, a cross-over with STARGATE SG1?
but i have to admit, shia (who i get to know in TRANSFORMERS and disturbia. saaw the trailer of Eagleeye, too, it seems quite interesting....) and the cast wasn't bad, and i loved the "quote" from the wild one, something that, i think, i was the only one to understand, since i was the only one "grown-up"....

thefourthman · 05-26-2008, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switch625

The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor
Sahara
National Treasure
National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle Of Life

You forgot Stargate and Atlantis

alias28 · 05-26-2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switch625

The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor
Sahara
National Treasure
National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle Of Life

add The Phantom to that list too.

FireLight · 05-26-2008, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alias28

add The Phantom to that list too.

Romancing the Stone
&
Alan Quartermain (80's remakes)

should be there, too.

User Name · 05-26-2008, 08:31 PM

The irony of all these "look how many movies ripped off Indy" posts is that the whole Indiana Jones series wasn't exactly original in the first place (nor was it intended to be - it was always an homage to the old movie serials)

alias28 · 05-26-2008, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by User Name

The irony of all these "look how many movies ripped off Indy" posts is that the whole Indiana Jones series wasn't exactly original in the first place (nor was it intended to be - it was always an homage to the old movie serials)

the original question wasn't that these ripped off indy, it was what would a indy film look like without indy and these were the answers, did you actually read above comments, nobody clamied these were rip-offs.

beta-ray · 05-26-2008, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireLight

Romancing the Stone
&
Alan Quartermain (80's remakes)

should be there, too.

How about...

or

(yeah more like Tomb Raider)

The Funketeer · 05-26-2008, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switch625

The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor
Sahara
National Treasure
National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle Of Life

Ah. Crappy. Thanks for answering.

joe.perez · 05-27-2008, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Robert Wilonsky of the Village Voice newspaper chain riffs that he's ``The Mild One.''

Wilonsky doesn't like anything that isn't from a foreign director or from a independent film company. Anything with a budget over 20 million is already in the Wilonsky doghouse.

Michael Heide · 05-27-2008, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelDoran

(SPOILER ALERT!)

There's still plenty of time for LaBeouf to prove himself. If you read into the symbolism at the end of the movie, Mutt may eventually have to trade in his cap and leather jacket for Indy's famous fedora and bullwhip.

I disagree. The ending pretty much cemented that Mutt isn't worthy of wearing the hat. At least yet.

The Funketeer · 05-27-2008, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Heide

I disagree. The ending pretty much cemented that Mutt isn't worthy of wearing the hat. At least yet.

If they ever go with a Muttcentric sequel, I doubt very much that they'd put him in the same outfit.

Peasily · 05-27-2008, 06:17 PM

Doc Savage got there first.

Michael Heide · 05-28-2008, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Funketeer

If they ever go with a Muttcentric sequel, I doubt very much that they'd put him in the same outfit.

Yeah, but then... what's the point? I could live with someone else in the costume (Sean Patrick Flanery, Dennis Quaid, maybe even Sam Rockwell). But as soon as they get rid of the Fedora and the whip, it's not an Indiana Jones movie.

DaVeO · 05-29-2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Heide

Yeah, but then... what's the point? I could live with someone else in the costume (Sean Patrick Flanery, Dennis Quaid, maybe even Sam Rockwell). But as soon as they get rid of the Fedora and the whip, it's not an Indiana Jones movie.

As soon as they get rid of Indiana Jones, it's no longer an Indiana Jones movie. People may think Harrison Ford is interchangeable like James Bond. But I don't think he is. At least not to me.

Firestar84 · 05-29-2008, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaVeO

As soon as they get rid of Indiana Jones, it's no longer an Indiana Jones movie. People may think Harrison Ford is interchangeable like James Bond. But I don't think he is. At least not to me.

I'm with you, Indiana Johns IS Harrison Ford, there's no Indy without him, but, although I don't think his son's character is already ready to have his possible future "spin-off", I think I could like the idea, because here we're no more speaking about an Indiana, but, as suggested by the one of last images, a spin-off, based on Henry "Mutt" Johns the third; we'd speaking about another character here, not about changing actor.

Jeremy Williams · 06-01-2008, 05:27 AM

Why do actors have to play "bad" to outgrow things? It's like actors these days have the attention span of squirels. Ever heard of Jimmy Stewart? He played good guys all his life. But he has been one of the greats. Same with Tom Cruise. I think if actors have to build themselves a legend, and be remembered...heck even if it's just to make big money it's better to figure out what you do best and then just pick the best progects that would feed that icon. Some say Boggart was always playing the same character or was playing himself. But to me he not only was one of the greatest but playing variations of yourself is better and more real than playng artificial made-up characters(no i'm no Johnny Depp fan just for that). And Bogart made more great movies as this tough guy than any other actors.