I saw Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom this week on the tellybox. I used to think it was pants compared to the first two movies but it really is growing on me.
It has its own iconography. The golden rocks, the blond heroine, the boy, the temple and it's thuggee crew, the black sleep and Kalimar.
The feast scene is grotesque, so I'll not say more on that though.
Is it a classic? What do you think Readers! Is the temple doomed?
Is it not the second movie in the franchise followed by the
ReplyDeleteLast crusade?
May well be. My bad.
DeleteYou're right. It was the second film.
ReplyDeleteIt was the one I saw first, and it's one of my very favorite films!
ReplyDeleteI can see why Baron.
DeleteIn so many ways, a love letter to Colonialism!
ReplyDeleteVery astute Looey.
DeleteIts the second outing and in my opinion, the weakest. It may have done wonders for Harrison Fords pin up career, flexing manfully on the bridge with his shirt off, but the actual plot was pants. The feast scene is comically disgusting, as is the insect filled corridor, but there's so many plot holes, you could drive an elephant through it. For a start, what are the mystical baked potatoes that everyone is so keen to own and what power do they grant ? The Thuggee cult were a sect which specialised in strangulation and abduction and were not given to barbecuing folk. At the beginning, a poor unfortunate is lowered into the pit on the portable griddle and is consumed into flaming ash within a few seconds, yet the prince is dropped almost on top of the molten magma for several minutes and barely breaks a sweat!
ReplyDeleteGive me the classic third installment about the Grail and the fabulous interaction between Ford and Connery. Brilliant. Also, the much maligned Crystal Skull has its bloopers, but is much more entertaining (apart from the irritating Shia LeBarfe). I watched the latest outing - Dial of Destiny recently and it returns more to the classic Raiders recipe - nasty nazi's, chase scenes, mystical artefacts and a little light comedy. It does come across as a little sad towards the end and is not nearly as good as its predecessors, but poor old Indy is an ancient artefact himself now! Bill
That's a lot of holes Bill. For me the big difference with Raiders is how much Temple stays inside one building the whole film, which can never be great. I need to watch Crusade again. I'd forgotten it was done in 89, so a while ago. Not fussed about the modern bashes.
DeleteNot being a fan of the Indiana Jones franchise, I liked Temple of Doom best of all, because it went way off-script from the others in ways that I liked. Saw it on a BIG screen in New York City, and it was quite impressive visually, at least.
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