As Harrison Ford, 65, waits for response to his fourth screen outing as Indiana Jones, he might want to check out what happened to another cherished star who rolled through an action movie in his mid-60s.

The year was 1973; the star, John Wayne, one of the few actors to match Ford's outsize appeal. Wayne made "Cahill: United States Marshal" at 66, but The New York Times' razor-penned critic Vincent Canby showed no reverence.

"Unlike most people as they age, Wayne is not shrinking and shriveling, nor is he becoming in any way decrepit," Canby wrote. "Instead, he is swelling up like a balloon. He is not only getting bigger and rounder, he is also getting visibly lighter.

"He sort of floats through this movie with no heft whatsoever. He gets shot several times, and stabbed once, but he seems less indestructible than puncture-proof, automatically and wondrously self-sealing. He is a plastic man."

(Ouch! Pow! Wham! Take that, John Wayne!)

Ford's movie, "Indiana Jones and and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," debuts Sunday at Cannes and nationwide on Thursday. Out on the Web, mean reviewers are waiting. But as Bob Dylan remarked in a movie theme song, "Things Have Changed."

Consider this: Based on average life expectancy when he was born in 1942, Harrison Ford should be dead now. People who live to 65 today can expect another 16 years easily.

Throw Ford another five years for being not just wealthy, but zillionaire-loaded. (Yes, rich people usually do live longer.)

He also has other key elements of aging covered: a healthy weight; a close family, including forever-young girlfriend Calista Flockhart; meaningful work. Some may question Ford's lefty politics, but he's an inveterate do-gooder for humanitarian causes.

And, judging by trailers -- the actual film is being closely guarded -- Ford remains in good shape. He continues to swing on ropes and take on deadly villains despite the smashed knees, injured back, broken teeth, herniated discs and separated shoulder he has suffered in movie roles.

So was he wise to roll again in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"?

"I feel fit to continue and bring the same physical action," Ford said 18 months ago, when Indy 4 was first confirmed.

But will audiences turn out for older Indy, fighting the Russians in 1957 instead of the Nazis in the late '30s? Despite the much-predicted tidal wave of baby boomers elsewhere, young people continue to rule at the movies.

In the end, the judgment that matters on Ford and "Crystal Skull" will come via text messages Thursday, when teens and 20-somethings will stroll out of the theaters and hit their cell phones.

Will they text "Indy 4: GR8" or use a nastier acronym?