It is the year 1935. Undaunted archaeology professor Dr. Indiana Jones escapes death by the skin of his teeth in Hong Kong and lands in far-off India. With the sacred Sankara Stone stolen from an impoverished community, Indiana embarks on a peril-laden quest to retrieve the precious artefact, accompanied by his trusty 12-year-old sidekick Short Round and Willie Scott, a statuesque nightclub singer. But as the evil Thuggee cult spreads through the region, Indy and his team must brave the odds to do the impossible. Will Indiana Jones get out of the cursed Temple of Doom in one piece and live to tell the tale? Temple of Doom is yet another fantastic entry into the Indiana franchise which is set a year before the explosive adventure of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), acting as a prequel to the iconic escapade. It does feel quite weird having this movie take place before the other, but I tend to watch it in order of release since, besides the year, there is no big indication towards it being set before the other. The reasoning behind this being a prequel was that they didn't want to feature the Nazis as the main villains again and I will admit, the bad guys of this movie are pretty terrifying. Just like in Raiders, this feature is jampacked full of gripping action in one of Indy's most trying adventures yet that pushes him to his limits. The opening alone is phenomenal with a deal going down in Hong Kong that, of course, goings awry with a double cross. It results in some absolutely delightful action that combines both serious and comedic elements perfectly. With Indy being poisoned, searching for the antidote, which is being kicked around the room alongside the diamond, he was offered for the job, being sought out by Willie as people run around frantically. Whilst this is going on, Indy is fighting off goons (and random people due to being drugged), the band is playing 'Anything Goes', dancers are attempting to perform among the scarpering crowd and balloons start falling from the ceiling. It's completely hectic, and I love it. Indy's escape is so memorable too, in his usual ingenious fashion by cutting down a giant gong and running behind it as a goon shoots at it with his tommy gun. On this grand adventure, he is joined by Willie as the love interest who, in my opinion, doesn't come close to what we see Indy have with Marion in the first film. Marion may have been a damsel in distress at times but she could hold her own and aid in the mission on many occasions, whereas Willie just screams a lot and is frequently afraid, which is a bit of a disappointment although, she is still funny at times. On the other hand, Short Round is fantastic. His relationship with Indy is full of chemistry and so hilarious constantly looking up to him, even copying him, like when he is thinking, etc. I further love how he constantly corrects people into calling him 'Dr. Jones' instead of Mr. He isn't just comic relief either he aids Indy tremendously from driving him out of Hong Kong to saving his life during battles, he is there for him. This film is incredibly darker than any of the others in the franchise featuring some graphic and sensitive topics from the memorable ripping out of the heart, the use of torture, voodoo and child slavery, Temple is easily the most disturbing of the lot but doesn't at all hinder the overall product, if anything, it makes it quite unique. The final third is easily the most thrilling with many noteworthy sequences such as the escape on the minecart, which is fast-paced and uses some superb effects from ILM with models and stop-motion figures. I adore the call back to the first film with the swordsman that Indy shot and was deprived of an epic fight and having no gun forces him to take them on in close combat. There is also the unforgettable conflict on the bridge where everyone is forced to battle it out whilst climbing up the dangling remnants. What an awesome collection of set pieces. Overall, Temple of Doom may be seen as the odd one out, but it is still a valid addition to the series. With plenty of exciting action that is amplified by Williams' score, it is difficult not to be left captivated and glued to the screen. Don't forget to look into the third instalment in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).
No comments:
Post a Comment