The Indiana Jones Trilogy

A six-minute introduction by Lucas and Spielberg is the prime special feature, with both men candidly addressing the film's good and bad points (Lucas points out that the second Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, was also the darkest of the original three; as for Spielberg, the fact that the leading lady would soon become his wife was the best part of the whole trip). Also good are "The Creepy Crawlies," a mini-doc about the thousands of snakes, bugs, rats and other scary critters that populate the trilogy, and "Travels with Indy," a look at some of the films' cool locations. Storyboards and a photo gallery are included as well. --Sam Graham

Steven Spielberg's first prequel, the blockbuster "Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom" is a rollercoaster ride that, after 20 years (and one day), is still effective long after its 5/23/84 release.

Taking place a year before the events in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", Indiana Jones, with the help of his sidekick Short Round and lounge singer Willie Scott, does battle with a strong religous cult, known as the Thugee, trying to retrieve a sacred stone (called The Sankara Stone that is one of four stones, & if combined could make the Thugee all powerful) for a battered, decaying village. Along the way, Indy also frees the village's children that the cult has kidnapped (the kids are used for slave labor to dig for the missing fourth stone).

Much darker than "Raiders" (and is the dark heart of the trilogy), "Temple of Doom" doesn't let up until the last frame fadeout. The opening is a classic, with the Cole Porter song "Anything Goes", with "Temple of Doom" then taking a nose dive into its first big action sequence - an allout chaotic nightclub brawl that has Indiana searching for the antidote vial to the poison he drank while fighting off anything that gets in his way, including cigarette girls. The viewer also gets a crash course in avation (not a good one though, since Indy crashes the plane), a lesson on how to be more specific when ordering soup in a foreign country (just ask for broth, no eyeballs & also stick to munching on fruit), the correct way in waking someone up "from the black sleep of the Kali" (make sure to have a torch and lighter fluid handy), and Dr. Jones demonstrates the correct way on cutting a rope bridge (make sure to hang on...tight).

The film's production did have its problems.
Kate Capshaw didn't read the entire script before she got the part and was scared stiff to find out that some of her co-stars were going to be snakes and bugs. The scene where Willie falls off her elephant was cut short to her whining that she could lose her voice. In the original treatment of the script, Willie was to be surrounded in the mudpuddle with a bunch of snakes. Since Capshaw is deathly afraid of snakes (the day production was set to shoot the scene she was pale as a ghost and shaking) Spielberg opted to cut the scene from the film in exchange for the python, elephant trunk scene instead.
Harrison Ford had a severe herniated back problem after filming the fight between Indiana Jones and the Thugee Guard (the guard winds up getting hung up in the ceiling fan) in Indiana's quarters (the backflip while the guard is choking Ford is what caused the back problem). With Ford being out for 5 weeks, Jack Dearlove, Harrison Ford's stuntdouble, can be seen in all the long, tracking shots in the fight scene that leads up to the mine car chase (that includes the fight between Indiana and the huge Thugee Guard on the rock crusher). Ford and Spielberg did all the close up shots six weeks after shooting concluded on that particular sequence.

The film caused major controversy over the violent content in the film (an impaling, a hanging, and a heart sacrifice are heavy stuff for the PG going crowd). Spielberg went to Jack Valentii, the head of the Motion Picture Association of America, and asked if there could be a middle ground between PG and R ratings. By the end of the summer of 1984, and with the release of the Patrick Swayze film "Red Dawn", the PG-13 rating was born.

I watched the film last night (the first time in a long time & to celebrate its 20th anniversary) and I still say that "Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom" is decent enough entertainment and belongs in any video library (preferably DVD).


just compare this to the recent release of Blade Runner   March 9, 2008
vailsy (UK)
16 out of 34 found this review helpful

lets compare how George Lucas treats fans of his movies, as compared to Ridley Scott

Scott carefully remasters his films for DVD, but then also is not afraid to give fans polished versions of every release possible so that people can make up their own minds. the result? the film sells in droves

Scott gives us everything and substantial value for money

and then we get this effort from Lucas timed nicely *ahead* of the release of the next Indiana Jones film, after which we'll be fleeced for further scraps and rereleases. and this on the back of his crappy treatment of star wars.

oh boy.




Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom   October 25, 2000
Sandy Rigas (Wellsville, New York)
15 out of 20 found this review helpful

The second installment in the Indiana Jones, set 2 years before Raiders, finds Indy going after the Shonkara stones and trying to rescue children enslaved by the Thagee Cult. He is joined by young Short Round (Key He Quan) and nighclub vocalist Willie Scott, played very well by Kate Capshaw, the current Mrs.Spielberg. While Karen Allen's Marion Ravenwood was a two-fisted hellraiser, Scott is a pampered indoor brat, and in turn is brilliant, plus her character is quite funny also, as is Short Round. Amrish Puri is a chilling as the villainous cult leader.

Though Temple of Doom lacks Sallah, Marcus Brody, and the Nazis, it is an improvement over Raiders in more than a few ways. To start, Ford is even better as Indy for his character is tested more. Douglas Slocombe's photography is more effective, and John Williams' music score is even more diverse and genius. Temple of Doom is also more creative, emotionally effective, and imaginative. However, it lacks the spectacle of the first film and is far more controversial and violent.This is the movie that created the PG-13 rating.

Dennis Muren's stunning Oscar-winning visual effects match Richard Edlund's effects in Raiders, yet they are not as awe-inspiring or important to the story. Elliot Scott's production design is terrific, and the cult sequences are very intense. The stunts top the ones in Raiders and are really good. The most memorable sequences have to be the mine car chase, the creature feature dinner, the Shanghai nightclub opening, the duel at the cult platform, and the rope bridge finale, incredible. Though Temple of Doom isn't as good as Raiders or Last Crusade it is highly recommended and is one of the best adventure films ever made.


Racist, Sexist, and defamatory to Hinduism.   May 27, 2001
15 out of 27 found this review helpful

A trifecta of shame.

The Racism: Stands out like the flaming, eviscerated heart in Mola Ram's hand. Indians in this movie are portrayed as either comical, corrupt, or weak, broken slaves. White people save the day, surprise, surprise. Steven Spielberg is also apparently a big fan of colonialism; hence, the British military saves the day for Indy.

The Sexism: Willie is no Marion Ravenwood to say the least. She inexplicably allows Indy to bully her around and essentially kidnap her at the start of the film. After nearly being killed in a plane crash and dragged through the Indian jungle, Dr. Jones' selfish and chauvinistic demeanour apparently wins her over. Typical 1980's doormat female-lead who is controlled and manipulated by the male hero throughout the movie.

The Defamation of Hinduism, particulary Kali: Not surprisingly the belittling view of the Indians as a people extends to their religion as well. FYI, this film was banned in Indian. While I cannot support such ex post facto censorship, I am nonetheless outraged by the portrayal of Mother Kali. Kali is not a satanic demon lusting for blood. No true devotee would ever kill another living thing in Kali's name. She is the ego-slayer and represents the destruction of exactly the sort of selfish, myopic mindset which permits films this offensive to even be made. If Steven Spielberg or Harrison Ford were the thoughtful men they are portrayed as in the media, then they would never have associated themselves with this grotesque portrayal of the Hindu spiritual life. If some one were to portray Judaism in the same light, they would be tarred as an anti-Semite faster than Mola Ram could tear their heart out. So I guess this film serves best as a lesson in Hollywood hypocrisy.

To the Indiana Jones fan-boys who will undoubtedly think I'm just an angry feminist: ask yourself if you would like your country and your spiritual beliefs portrayed in such a malicious and unfounded manner.


I like the middle of Oreos best--but in the case of this series...   May 20, 2008
R. Kyle (USA)
13 out of 17 found this review helpful

I did want to see the whole series for continuity, but in a lot of ways, "Temple of Doom" blows continuity right out of the water. If you really want to watch the films in chronological order, you need to start with "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (occurs in 1935) then watch "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (occurs in 1936).

When "Temple" opens, Indy's (Ford) trying to get an idol from Chinese gangsters. He manages to escape them--but unwittingly ends up on one of their planes with nightclub singer Willy (Capshaw) and 12-year-old Chinese orphan boy Short Round (Jonathan Ke Quan).

Indy wakens to discover their pilot has bailed out and left them without parachutes. They crashland and end up in India. A beleaguered village elder seeks Indy's help to recover their sacred stones and the kidnapped village children. What they discover is a Thugge cult.

This is probably the roughest of the Jones flicks so far and IMHO, stretches the PG-13 rating to the breaking point with violence, harm to children. Capshaw is supposed to be a comedic foil, but she just comes off useless. Short Round is cute, but he's not Sallah and Spielberg must have realized that, because he doesn't appear in later films. Harrison Ford is good--he just can't quite carry the whole film on his rugged shoulders.

Rebecca Kyle, May 2008