“Indiana Jones — let’s be honest — never was a memorable movie character.”
Oh yeah? I've got a fedora, a bullwhip, and two Nazi-punching fists that say otherwise.
More to the point, I've got my usual Halloween costume that NEVER FAILS TO BE RECOGNIZED BY EVERY PERSON I RUN INTO. Nobody ever looks at the Indy outfit and says "Oh, sweet! Magnum P.I. in that one episode!" Nobody ever says "I don't get it...you're a guy in a hat?"
Saying Indy isn't a memorable character would be like saying "You know, Michael Bay's Transformers really wasn't a successful picture." It isn't simply a matter of opinion. It's demonstrably false.
Now, if you want to argue "Raiders is just a pastiche of old Republic serials with a slightly more modern take," then I wouldn't disagree. I would, however, say "What's your point?" If you want to say "I don't particularly LIKE Raiders," hey, no problem. That's your opinion. But to claim Indy isn't a memorable character...that's either a critic saying crap to get noticed, or a critic who lives in a bubble.