Harrison Ford is back as Indiana Jones. This film is actually a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, taking place in 1935. It doesn’t have the globetrotting of Raiders. It takes place between China and India. It is still a good film with plenty of action. Harrison Ford proves he can carry a film. He is given some comic relief in the way of Short Round, (Ke Huy Quan). The laughs keep going with the Willie Scott character. She is challenged with elephant riding, and thinks its a good idea, to put perfume on an elephant. It is quite funny when Jones is terrified of a snake, and Willie, unknowingly brushes it aside.The villain of the piece, is Mola Ram, played by Amrish Puri. Puri gives the audience a bad man who delights in human sacrifice. He also operates a mining operation using child labor. There is also another villainous character in the beginning of the film, Lao Che, (Roy Chiao). His main purpose is to set up Indy for the story.
Our ever resourceful hero, Dr. Jones, having fled Lao Che and his henchmen, finds an airplane, piloted by the Chinese gangsters, employees. The pilots dump the plane’s fuel and parachute out of the plane, in mid air. This leaves Indiana, Short Round and Willie Scott: a singer, formerly Lao Che’s girlfriend, about to crash. Fortunately, Short Round finds a raft, and the trio leave the plane, and end up landing in a river. They come ashore, and find a village that is decimated, by the loss of magic jewels, that were stolen. The villagers think Indy is their savior, and he’s persuaded to recover them.
Indy and company go after fortune and glory, a recurring theme in the film. Unfortunately before either of these two things are found, misery and suffering are found. This is what makes this a much darker film than the first. It doesn’t become lighter until the very end. In between our hero endures suffering, and a silly plot device, involving a doll. There is even a fight between Indy and the The Chief Guard, (Pat Roach). It’s reminiscent of the single wing sequence in Raiders The climax of the film is good, taking place on a rope bridge above a river. This lends to some good good lines, which are “Is he nuts”? and “He’s not nuts, he’s crazy”. These films do have some great quotes.
Despite this film being very different, from the first, it has great action scenes. The beginning of the movie is the confrontation with Lao Che, who’s poisoned Indy and the desperate attempt by Jones, to recover the antidote. This takes place amidst gunfire, and Willie Scott, (Kate Capshaw), chasing after a large diamond, rolling around on the floor:payment for Dr. Jones’ services to Lao Che. Jones gets the antidote, and using a gong as cover, jumps out the window, with Willie, falling into a car driven by Short Round. There is also the spiked ceiling in the palace coming down on our two heroes. Willie Scott, braving every insect imaginable, and strong verbal persuasion by Jones, manages to save them. Also, Indiana manages to outrun assassins, and avoids a slew of arrows, fired by archery team washouts.
The architect of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is Steven Spielberg. He has managed to make a good film out of a less than stellar screenplay, by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz. Spielberg has impressive production design, courtesy of Elliot Scott. The sets are very good. He’s given the bright airy look to Bangkot Palace and the appropriately dreary look to the mines. There is a very weird banquet scene, that doesn’t lend anything to the film, unless gross and disgusting make a better movie. It is a difficult task to follow Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but some scenes like the mine car chase scene, make it a more action than story movie. Steven Spielberg hasn’t made a better film, but has at least kept the action going. He does work well with child actors. This is shown with Key Hu Luke. Luke‘s character is holding his own with Indiana Jones, and helps lighten the otherwise dark tone of this movie.
Harrison Ford dominates this movie, from his entrance in a white tuxedo, to the end credits. He has done something with this film, that very few actors have done. He has created two immortal film characters, one in Han Solo in the Star Wars films and Indiana Jones. Although Ford would go on to become a huge movie star, he will always be Indiana jones to most filmgoers.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is as far away from Raiders of the Lost Ark, as True Grit is from Rooster Cogburn. Both films are very different, but should be judged differently. The audience may not say lets’s see that film again, soon, but the up and down action, make it worthwhile viewing.