Scene From ‘Indiana Jones’ Gets Backlash for a Controversial Effect That Disney “Almost” Got Right 

Hollywood is notorious for pushings its actors to age backward. Seemingly segmenting anyone over 30 into an “aging” category, it’s an anomaly when actors withstand the test of time with silver screen appearances. Sometimes it takes being associated with an artisan class of box-office-breaking films, especially ones like Indiana Jones.

Harrison Ford, the man behind two of Disney and film history’s most significant successes, is a rare example of an actor thriving onscreen into his 80s. Cultivating sprawling fan bases through the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, the indelible actor hasn’t seemed concerned with aging in La La Land. With over four decades of hero worship to his name, it’s unsurprising Ford has no qualms with aging gracefully.

In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Ford commented on the beauty of the Indy franchise’s final film, The Dial of Destiny, honoring the “frailty and changing nature of life.” Despite the prevailing messaging embracing the complexity of aging, a flashback scene didn’t quite land the plane.

Fans Call Out Ford’s Voice

Since the mid-2010s, about two dozen big-budget films have featured an editing tool that has yet to go off without a hitch. Movies like The Irishman and Captain Marvel have deployed de-aging technology for actors like Robert DeNiro and Samuel L. Jackson, respectively. Most recently, Harrison Ford was transformed by the tool in The Dial of Destiny.

While the crew could successfully smooth out crow’s feet in a scene from the new Indiana Jones film, they forgot a significant detail: Ford’s voice. The spritely Ford from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) doesn’t sound quite the same as he does today, which wouldn’t be up for question as long as the scene’s portrayal of a young Indiana Jones was reflected when he spoke.

Despite the VFX effects nailing the visual appearance, fans struggle to get behind the prominent actor’s mismatched voice in the scene. However, The Dial of Destiny outshines other films with its take on controversial technology—and any franchise with a robust following, unlike Indy himself, doesn’t escape its premiere weekend unscathed.

Bigger Flop than ‘The Flash’?

With Disney Park promotions, pop-up Indiana Jones shops, heartwarming media moments, and more, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has been marketed as a surefire win at the box office. Despite the titular character’s loyal following, the film has opened to disappointing domestic and international numbers.

According to Collider, despite having a budget of between $250 million and $330 million, The Dial of Destiny only scored $130 million worldwide during its premiere weekend. One of the most expensive movies of all time, the last hurrah for Ford as Indy was even eclipsed by the controversial film The Flash. The Ezra Miller-fronted film outshined the beloved Indy by about $10 million and was considered a box office flop.

While it’s still early in the film’s theatrical run, the unproblematic Ford has an expansive fan base rooting for him, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and America’s favorite hero: Indiana Jones.