Harrison Ford playing an archeologist in the last movie of the series: the Hollywood star turns 70 today. Publicity photo.
Today, Harrison Ford turns 70, but the aging star is likely fed up with birthday wishes, being the crabby genius he is. This post isn’t for him, though; it’s for our readers who learned to be a bit less jellylike from the eternal Indiana Jones.
1. MINIMUM FORCE, MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY
Indiana Jones and Jiu-Jitsu always taught us that flashy moves don’t get you anywhere; all they do is wear you out. The following, from Raiders of the Lost Ark, is surely one of the best Hollywood death scenes of all times. Skip to second 35 of the video. (Note from author: we’re not asking anyone to go ballistic on anybody. It’s just a movie. Thanks.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOKfQK7fs0c
2. THERE’S ALWAYS TIME
It’s one of the most entertaining action scenes of the whole series. However, the simple sequence, from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, also stores some lessons. For example: there’s always time. If the fight ain’t over, there’s still a chance you can pull it off. If you like something, make time for it. And if you’ve got something you value, there’s always a breach for you to finagle getting it back. All that in a scene about a hat? Well, we really like Indiana Jones. Rewatch the classic scene at minute 1:10 of the following video.
3. DON’T RISK IT IF YOU DON’T HAVE A FIRM GRIP
Still in …Temple of Doom, Indiana wreaks havoc on the devils from the enemy army when he cuts the ropes of the bridge. But not before wrapping himself up in the bridge handrail, teaching you that you need a good grip if you’re going to stick yourself in a position of risk. The lesson here isn’t to get tied up, but to have faith in your grips.
4. YOU’VE GOT TO BE IN SHAPE ALL THE TIME
The recurring scenes played by Harrison Ford ultimately teach us that we never know when a giant boulder is going to suddenly start rolling in our direction. Metaphorically, of course. Even so, you need to always be in good physical shape so your head will work right when the going gets rough, whatever that may be. Ah, and the legs too, if that’s the case. Refresh your memory with the scene below. It’s the opening scene from the first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
5. PICK A SOUNDTRACK ON PAR WITH YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS
It doesn’t matter what you do, the soundtrack has to be worthy. Would Indiana Jones be the revered hero he is without the following theme music? We’ll never know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg7C9qwLoqE
Whatever the situation may be, the following tip rings true, especially for our friend Fabricio Werdum: if you truly dream of beating Junior Cigano and becoming the heavyweight champion of the UFC, forget about walking in to Michel Teló. The UFC and our ears will thank you!
