INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM - 1984
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Philip Stone, Roy Chiaco, David Yip, Ric Young, and Chua Kah Joo
Genre: Fantasy Adventure (Audio clip)
Whenever I have the urge to rewatch this – probably once a year - I also feel the need to defend it as one of the most shamelessly balls-out entertaining films directed by one of the masters of shameless entertainment, Steven "Gunga Din" Spielberg! :) It's probably the film he has disavowed most and for some valid reasons: there is no shortage of juvenile gross-out humor, painfully condescending portrayals of Indian culture, and yes..some disturbing violent imagery that likely didn't belong in a film directed at the family audience. The last reason I always personally found a bit debatable - I remember seeing this in theaters when I was nine years old and honestly not finding it NEARLY as off-putting as the starkly lit, wrinkly alien creature with the creepy voice that I saw in ET: The Extraterrestrial in theaters just a year prior. :o But that was just me...
I ate this up as a kid and even taking off the nostalgia glasses, I still do...it's relentlessly paced but in a good way. Some of the action set pieces defy logic (No you CAN'T jump out of a plane in a just inflated raft and land safely. ;)) but it's all expertly staged and loads of fun to watch!
There's just SO much about this film which has been pilloried by both critics and fans that just works for me. I love the opening of the film including Spielberg's inspired homage to classic Hollywood musicals ("Anything Goes" which pretty much sums up the movie), the wacky melee at the Club Obi Wan (!), and the equally wacky chase that follows. I still find the Short Round character to be one of THE more likeable kid sidekicks...OSCAR WINNER Ke Huy Quan just brings a joy to every scene and I still really dig that's it's actually his character who saves the day once they're captured by the Thugee cult.
I still REALLY enjoy the inventive mine-cart chase sequence which might even be the most impressive action sequence of the franchise – just a true masterclass of model work, rear projection, the actual performances from the actors, and of course top-flight editing thanks to one of the true masters, Michael Kahn who has edited most of Spielberg’s films going back decades. (Audio clip)
And beyond that, I still even get such a kick out of the final climax, especially the smug look on Ford's face when he's about to cut that bridge with his sword...actually that AND the audible freakouts from both Willy and Short Round, just one of those memorable “Oh shit” moments which help make this an enduring classic so many decades later. (Audio clip)
Best Needle-drop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film):
Undoubtedly one aspect of this film which as aged the best and one of its biggest strengths is the score, another true banger from the Man, the Myth, the Legend…..John Williams! The whimsical theme assigned to the Short Round character is certainly one of the highlights, with its playful mix of French horns, strings and bells – we pretty much hear it throughout the film but never more bombastic than during their main trek through India atop elephants. (Audio clip)
As far as I’m concerned, the TRUE standout and what I would consider to be one of THE catchier musical themes of the 1980’s would be the music which we hear as Indy, Short Round, and Willy lead that exodus of child slaves from the Temple of Doom in the final third of te film. This sequence kicks off with what might ALSO be the most iconic image of this character from the whole franchise….yup right after he punches out that guard as the camera closes in on Indy himself standing defiantly with his whip at his side. I mean come on, we are talking about the ULTIMATE hero shot here! (Audio clip)
And as we see these stirring images of the kids swarming around Willy and Short Round as they unlock their chains, the music just swells further….it’s rousing, bombastic, and also what I would consider this franchise’s true equivalent to the Imperial March. Very percussive and with soaring strings, now for YEARS now….even though I owned the soundtrack as a teenager, I had always mistaken the title of this particular piece of music as the Temple of Doom theme. Alas it is not….no there is a track referred to as “Temple of Doom” but that actually comprises thumping chant which is heard earlier in the temple. Nope this GLORIOUS track is officially referred to as….”Slave Children’s Crusade.” Hey it works….(Audio clip)
Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film):
Yup I’m going to be contrarian here as I KNOW this has been one of the fiercest criticisms of this movie…..I’m referring to the character of Willie Scott played by Kate Capshaw. If I'm being honest, I never had much of an issue with her. Willie is of course Indy's constantly shrieking love interest in this...and yes she's a SIGNIFICANT downgrade from Karen Allen in the first movie and yes her character is far from being a Feminist icon. :/ But she's clearly playing a type from an earlier era and whatever was written on the page for her, she's generally performing it as well as any one could...she has ok chemistry with Ford and sorry but she's also nice to look at.
Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):
This might be a strange choice considering some of the genuinely impressive high octane action highlights which surround it throughout the movie. Regardless for me, THE highlight might also be the FUNNIEST one too. I’m referring to a sequence roughly about an hour into the movie as our protagonists are now venturing deeper underground….towards the Temple of Doom. And we Indy and Shorty suddenly TRAPPED within a collapsing tunnel – the only person who can save them is Willie who apparently has access to a lever just outside of this collapsing room…..only the area she’s in including the opening where that lever is, well it’s COVERED with all types of creepy, crawly BUGS. Needless to say there’s some tense back-and-forth between Willie and Indy as this is all going down….LITERALLY…. (Audio clip)
And as far as I’m concerned, this scene culminates with a key moment when the camera suddenly closes on Ford through an opening getting all Ralph Cramden and shouting angrily, "We...are....going to DIE!!!" :p What’s not only hysterical is the prolonged way he says this but the clenched expression on is face - just pure comic gold!
MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film):
Now in retrospect, do I WISH that Lucas and Spielberg had hired stronger screenwriters who had actually BEEN to India and KNEW aspects of the history and culture there? Yes of course…..bottom line this is a culturally insensitive movie which just didn’t have to be: from portraying voodoo in this part of the world where it is NOT a thing to the RIDICULOUS gross-out stuff at the dinner table….it’s just not necessary and it does even bog the film down at points. As a directing/producing team, they delivered a very effective sequel….wit some
As a result, it makes the most sense to anoint as MVP’s the TWO performers who are unassailable in their contributions. They not only carry this movie from an acting standpoint but it’s THEIR touching relationship which is the emotional core of the story….to the point where it’s somewhat egregious that we have never seen them together on-screen SINCE then even with three more sequels to come. I mean seriously….WHY couldn’t we have an older Short Round join Indy in ‘Crystal Skull as opposed to LeBouf’s Mutt? Bottom line it’s Indy and Shorty…..Harrison Ford and Ke Huy Quan are your CO-MVP’s! (Audio clip)
Final Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
'Temple of Doom does what it sets out to do...it takes you on a fun, mindless ride with some admittedly broad characters. It's not reinventing the wheel nor is it ever trying to...it's really just Spielberg cutting loose to give us a goofy throwback adventure that any nine year-old boy could appreciate, even forty years later. ;) happy 40th to not the actual best entry – that would still be Raiders – but my personal favorite Indiana Jones movie!
Streaming on Disney Plus, fubo, and Paramount Plus
And that ends another FORTUNE AND GLORY review!
