Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
It has been known that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is my least favorite film from the original trilogy…and only by a very slim margin. Ultimately, the film is a technical triumph, a rousing adventure, and an excellent sequel to 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones is at his best when he is fighting Nazis, but I think he does quite well fending off an evil Indian cult. Yes, the sequel (actually, it’s a prequel) is plenty darker than the first film, but it all makes for a very interesting watch.
When the film received its initial treatment, director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas were going through turbulent times in their lives mainly through divorces. Those dark moments represent the darker tone of the story. The duo originally wanted Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote Raiders, to return but he felt the story was too dark and unpleasant for his taste. They hired Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck to write the screenplay mainly because of their knowledge about Indian culture.
Outside of one smaller scene in the middle portion of the movie, the film is relentless in its action and pace. The editing is fantastic in terms of how the movie is stitched together. The beginning starts with an escape from Shanghai gangsters which leads to a plane crash in the Himalayan Mountains followed by an introduction to a devilish Indian cult which leads into fantastic chase sequences and a thrilling, nail-biting rope bridge scene. Yeah, you might want to hold your breath for two hours as the events unfold before your very eyes.
It is 1935. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is in China working on a trade with a Chinese gangster and his two sons. The trade is ill-fated from the start and narrowly escaped. He was able to rescue the damsel in distress, performer Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw). Along with Indiana’s preteen sidekick, Short Round (Ke Huy Quan), they board a plane unknowingly that it belongs to the Chinese gangster. Over India, the pilots are given the order to crash the plane into the Himalayan Mountains. After surviving this ordeal, they end in a village where the leader tells them three stones with magical powers were stolen, along with their children to a strange palace. At this palace, they learn of a terroristic cult led by the powerful Mola Ram (Amrish Puri) which kidnapped the children and forced them to work for them. Meanwhile, the cult captured Indy and his friends to be sacrificed but Indy has other plans!
Harrison Ford continues to show why he is perfect casting for Indiana Jones. His action skills, his ability to generate funny one-liners, and just being a great action hero. On the other hand, Kate Capshaw is the reason why the film is my least favorite film in the trilogy. She is utterly annoying as the screeching romantic interest. I had to cover my ears to block out her incessant screaming. Where are you, Marion Ravenwood? I did like her film-opening musical number. Ke Huy Quan (although known as Jonathan) gets a pass in my book. Some people found his character annoying, but I found him cute. I mean, any action hero would want an eleven-year-old being able to drive a car!
The film received its share of controversy upon release. Some people attacked the film for being racist towards Indian culture. The main sequence that people talk about is the dinner scene where the audience is treated to some legitimate gross-out gags. In a great display of visual beauty, Indy and his friends are treated to monkey brains and slimy bugs. Some people claimed this was an attack on Hindu culture because they do not eat meat. This scene was meant to be a subtle joke and I actually got what Spielberg/Lucas were going for. People also did give the film trouble for the treatment of the Indian cult in general, which I did find a little troublesome. That said, they were effective as villains because they terrified me.
The film is known for its darker overtone and its violence. Are you familiar with the MPAA rating system? Are you wondering how on earth did this film earn a PG rating? Well, the PG-13 was not invented yet. You have this film to thank for that rating. Thanks to the effort of Spielberg, the PG-13 would be introduced a mere two months after this film’s release.
Overall, I thought Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a fantastic middle piece of the original Indiana Jones trilogy. It does to this trilogy just what Empire Strikes Back did for Star Wars. While I really thought the film was effective, it could have done better with a better written and acted female character. At least, Spielberg married Capshaw after meeting on set, so there’s that I suppose. Still, this is a fun adventure in its own right. Another excellent score from John Williams and some great cinematography/lighting from Douglas Slocombe. If you want to know how monkey brains will taste, well…get ready!
My Grade: A-
It has been known that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is my least favorite film from the original trilogy…and only by a very slim margin. Ultimately, the film is a technical triumph, a rousing adventure, and an excellent sequel to 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones is at his best when he is fighting Nazis, but I think he does quite well fending off an evil Indian cult. Yes, the sequel (actually, it’s a prequel) is plenty darker than the first film, but it all makes for a very interesting watch.
When the film received its initial treatment, director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas were going through turbulent times in their lives mainly through divorces. Those dark moments represent the darker tone of the story. The duo originally wanted Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote Raiders, to return but he felt the story was too dark and unpleasant for his taste. They hired Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck to write the screenplay mainly because of their knowledge about Indian culture.
Outside of one smaller scene in the middle portion of the movie, the film is relentless in its action and pace. The editing is fantastic in terms of how the movie is stitched together. The beginning starts with an escape from Shanghai gangsters which leads to a plane crash in the Himalayan Mountains followed by an introduction to a devilish Indian cult which leads into fantastic chase sequences and a thrilling, nail-biting rope bridge scene. Yeah, you might want to hold your breath for two hours as the events unfold before your very eyes.
It is 1935. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is in China working on a trade with a Chinese gangster and his two sons. The trade is ill-fated from the start and narrowly escaped. He was able to rescue the damsel in distress, performer Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw). Along with Indiana’s preteen sidekick, Short Round (Ke Huy Quan), they board a plane unknowingly that it belongs to the Chinese gangster. Over India, the pilots are given the order to crash the plane into the Himalayan Mountains. After surviving this ordeal, they end in a village where the leader tells them three stones with magical powers were stolen, along with their children to a strange palace. At this palace, they learn of a terroristic cult led by the powerful Mola Ram (Amrish Puri) which kidnapped the children and forced them to work for them. Meanwhile, the cult captured Indy and his friends to be sacrificed but Indy has other plans!
Harrison Ford continues to show why he is perfect casting for Indiana Jones. His action skills, his ability to generate funny one-liners, and just being a great action hero. On the other hand, Kate Capshaw is the reason why the film is my least favorite film in the trilogy. She is utterly annoying as the screeching romantic interest. I had to cover my ears to block out her incessant screaming. Where are you, Marion Ravenwood? I did like her film-opening musical number. Ke Huy Quan (although known as Jonathan) gets a pass in my book. Some people found his character annoying, but I found him cute. I mean, any action hero would want an eleven-year-old being able to drive a car!
The film received its share of controversy upon release. Some people attacked the film for being racist towards Indian culture. The main sequence that people talk about is the dinner scene where the audience is treated to some legitimate gross-out gags. In a great display of visual beauty, Indy and his friends are treated to monkey brains and slimy bugs. Some people claimed this was an attack on Hindu culture because they do not eat meat. This scene was meant to be a subtle joke and I actually got what Spielberg/Lucas were going for. People also did give the film trouble for the treatment of the Indian cult in general, which I did find a little troublesome. That said, they were effective as villains because they terrified me.
The film is known for its darker overtone and its violence. Are you familiar with the MPAA rating system? Are you wondering how on earth did this film earn a PG rating? Well, the PG-13 was not invented yet. You have this film to thank for that rating. Thanks to the effort of Spielberg, the PG-13 would be introduced a mere two months after this film’s release.
Overall, I thought Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a fantastic middle piece of the original Indiana Jones trilogy. It does to this trilogy just what Empire Strikes Back did for Star Wars. While I really thought the film was effective, it could have done better with a better written and acted female character. At least, Spielberg married Capshaw after meeting on set, so there’s that I suppose. Still, this is a fun adventure in its own right. Another excellent score from John Williams and some great cinematography/lighting from Douglas Slocombe. If you want to know how monkey brains will taste, well…get ready!
My Grade: A-
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