The man in the hat is back... - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Reviews

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom has caught a LOT of flack over the years since its first release. It's hard to say whether or not the criticism has died down a bit; the movie sure does seem to have its fan base. Admittedly, not all the stated faults are unfair or have no justification; this is indeed the most flawed of the Indiana Jones adventures. But as such, a deeply flawed Jones outing is still likely more fun than the next dozen summer blockbusters you're likely to see all year long. Set in 1935 (meaning this is a prequel to Raiders), Harrison Ford once again stars as our titular hero, this time in a Chinese nightclub, making a trade for a valuable diamond. Things don't go as planned and an all-out brawl ensues, finally resulting in Jones, singer Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), and kid sidekick Short Round (Ke Huy Quan) on the run from a Chinese gang. They eventually take off on a plane carrying poultry cargo, but the pilots happen to work for the leader of that gang Jones had the run in with. Thus, Jones and his two partners are stuck in India, where they arrive at a devastated village. Investigating further, Jones decides to head to Pankot Palace, which seems to be the source of the problem. There he discovers the renewed Thugee Cult, bent on world domination with the complete collection of the Sankara Stones. Just what these stones will do...the movie doesn't specify. But this all leads to Indiana Jones kicking [butt], and lots of it, too. The somewhat lukewarm response Temple of Doom initially received wasn't surprising. As the sequel to (at the time) the greatest action movie in existence, there's a lot to live up to. I, for one, was not disappointed. The movie promised a breathless thrill ride and it delivered one. And where else are you going to see elaborate booby traps and exotic settings? Temple of Doom's first half is sensationally entertaining, actually about the equal of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The movie's opening action sequence is a knockout, and the scenes afterward find the right touch of creepiness to make for an intriguing story. It only gets better when they reach Pankot Palace, as we witness the classic dinner scene, truly funny romantic interaction between Jones and Willie, and a spike-filled booby trap scene that is alternately suspenseful and hilarious, thanks to Ford's dead-on reaction ("We are going to Die!"). It's the second half that isn't as successful. Once Jones actually encounters the Thuggee Cult, things get rather unpleasant. The sight of children being whipped stops the fun to a dead halt, and there's a fairly graphic depiction of a man whose heart is removed...by hand. These scenes are also set underground, which makes for a very grimy and dark setting, not necessarily the best for an adventure movie. But thankfully, things pick up significantly for the final half-hour, which is arguably the most exciting extended action sequence of the whole trilogy. It all begins with thrilling fistfights and whip-swinging, then turns to a rollercoaster ride on a minecart, then concludes on a shaky bridge overlooking a river full of alligators. The action is wildly thrilling and breathtaking, featuring awesome stunts and brilliant cinematography (particularly during the minecart chase). There's also one shot which features Jones standing poised right before he knocks out a villain (off-screen) that's probably the coolest single scene in the whole series. Interestingly enough, Temple of Doom happens to be the only Jones film that ends on an action sequence; in this case, we get four. How can anyone complain about that, especially considering just how damned entertaining these action scenes are? Yeah, there are a few implausibly silly moments, especially the scene where Willie and Short Round cross an entire bridge without noticing the villain on the other side. But such contrivances are forgivable given just how viscerally exciting the movie is. John Williams' score nicely reuses the Raiders march theme to great effect. The other themes in the score are nicely done, a fitting match to the movie's tone and pacing. The special effects and production values are mostly excellent, only the imposition of the alligators at the end is slightly unconvincing. Otherwise, the movie looks like it could have just been released for the first time yesterday. Where Temple of Doom definitely improves over Raiders is the humor quotient, which is a few notches higher in quantity and quality here. Harrison Ford's performance contributes highly to this factor, just note his reaction to a threat off-screen (you'll know what I'm talking about, it's the scene right after he dispatches of two swordfighters). I think we're all in agreement when we say no one else could have played this role half as well as Ford. It's the part he was born for, and he's absolutely terrific. As for Kate Capshaw, she can be loud and annoying, but I actually prefer her over Karen Allen, if only because she and Ford have better chemistry together. At any rate, The Temple of Doom is still great fun, and certainly superior to any bit of escapist entertainment Hollywood's churned out the past several months. Apparently, Spielberg didn't much like this film, so The Last Crusade was his atonement. He didn't need to apologize, but it's nice to see his apology wound up being the best action film I've ever seen. By the way, has anybody else wondered how Indiana Jones managed to retrieve his brown coat (which was left in the cave) and still get ahead of the children at the end? If you like this movie, I also recommend: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The English Patient, Citizen Kane, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.