Indiana Jones: A Legend

Indiana Jones. Everybody's seen the three original movies, plus the new 2008 one. But did you realize how big of an influence Indy has been on the television/film world? I did not, until I was reading about it.

Apparently, Indiana Jones was the inspiration for many beloved movies and television shows. Though sometimes barely noticably, and sometimes quite obvious, it's very interesting to see how the iconic tilogy shaped the movie world.

What do all of these people have in common?

Left: Robert Langdon (The Da Vinci Code movies), Rick O'Connell (The Mummy trilogy), Sydney Fox (Relic Hunter series); Right: Dastan (Prince of Persia Games & The Sands of Time), Lara Croft (Lara Croft Games & Movies), Ben Franklin Gates (National Treasure Movies).

The answer: Indiana Jones. 

Indy was an influence on all of these great characters. I can really see it in Rick O'Connell, and a bit in Sydney Fox and Lara Croft, but the rest are very subtle influences. And I think that's really awesome, when you think about it. The influences that make new characters for decades afterwards. 

Rick vs. Malcolm

I was looking at Nathan Fillion's past roles and I came across his role as Malcolm in Firefly. I immediately thought he looked like Rick O'Connell from The Mummy.  It is definitely an uncanny resemblance. The dress, the hair, the attitude/posture. They are like complete twinkles. 

Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly and Rick O'Connell from The Mummy. 

Uncanny, right? Similarities, they make me smile and take another look at these guys. 

The Mummy (1999) Pics

More pictures from the movie, The Mummy.  

Rick vs. Flynn

Rick O'Connell (The Mummy) and Flynn Rider (Tangled)

So is it just me or do these two guys resemble each other?

Last night, I was watching Tangled, to lull me to sleep, and I couldn't help feel like Flynn reminded me of someone else in a movie i've seen lately. So I thought about it throughout the movie and it finally hit me...Rick O'Connel from the Mummy movies, which, as you know, I just recently watched. 

The two characters do not only resemble each other, they act similar in their roles. In The Mummy, Rick isn't a big ball of mush until after he falls in love, same as Flynn. They both save the damsel in distress. They are adventurers. Look at the hair. They are quick with jokes. They're rough edged. Etc, etc, etc. 

It just makes me smile thinking about these two guys, some of my favorite movie characters. Maybe that's why I like them so much; because they're so similar.