After foiling the Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark, intrepid Archeologist Indiana Jones is in Hong Kong swapping one priceless artefact for another. (Well actually this is a year before the happenings of Raiders, but Temple of Doom of course come out after it.) As usual when you’re dealing with criminal types, however, things don’t exactly go smoothly and without complications. After a getaway assisted by a Honk Kong youth named “Short Round” and picking up nightclub singer Wilhelmina Scott (“Willie Scott” is her stage name) along the way, Indiana soon finds himself in a much bigger plot. Marooned in India he has to help a local village get back their sacred stone, and also put a stop to the new, evil power that’s arisen at a palace in Pankot. Recognising the value of the stone the village has lost he sets forth, but his mission becomes less one of saving a priceless artefact as that of saving a community – and, perhaps, the whole world…

Harrison Ford is back in true “not a dusty old professor” mode as Dr Jones, naturally along with his ever-trusty bullwhip. Kate Capshaw provides the love interest this time and is a very different type of heroine to the one Karen Allen played in Raiders – Willie Scott is a traditional swooning screaming damsel in distress, but deliberately overplayed she becomes quite funny. (Admittedly her screaming does become annoying from time to time, but one scene in the jungle where she’s running from one dangerous animal to the next screaming her head off – and being completely ignored by Indiana and Short Round after Jones’ comment that the problem with women is that they make so much noise – is particularly funny.) Jonathon Ke Quan as Short Round plays the typical annoying kid sidekick, but he also has a few funny scenes to make up for this. Amrish Puri plays an evil human-sacrifice practicing priest Mola Ram with some gusto and Roshan Seth is smooth or creepy by turns as Chatter Lal, the prime minister (or some sort of rough equivalent to a prime minister.)

I really didn’t like the film much when I first saw it, I can’t remember how old I was but it came out when I was 7. There are parts of the film that are pretty scary for young children and it’s a little gory at times. When I watched it recently I did enjoy it, though not as much as Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Last Crusade. The sets were fantastic, particularly in the catacombs, and the special effects were mostly very good. (A few scenes did look rather unconvincing by today’s standards though.) The story holds up well and gives you a situation you can get involved with. There is plenty of action and quite a lot of humour, and all-in-all The Temple of Doom delivers plenty of entertainment. John William’s musical score is pretty near perfect, and while this isn’t one of Spielberg’s best films it did come from what I consider his “golden age” where he could do little wrong.

The film is rated PG in both the UK and US, but is up to 16 in some countries (West Germany, Norway, Portugal. It will probably seem rather tame to some but young children who are easily frightened should be kept away from this film. Otherwise, there’s much to recommend it and not a great deal to criticise. Action fans, and particularly Harrison Ford fans, will really enjoy this one, even though I still think it’s the weakest of the three Indiana Jones films (so far… ?).

Other details

I just thought it was a nice story worth recounting about Jonathon Ke Quan, who played Short Round – apparently he didn’t even go to the open audition that was held to try to get the part, but merely as morale support for his brother who was auditioning. He spent the entire time telling his brother what to do and thus caught the Casting Director’s eye.

The film won an Oscar for best visual effects, and John Williams’ musical score was nominated (Maurice Jarre’s score for “A Passage To India” beat it.)


Quotes


LOVE PATTER…

Indiana Jones: Wear your jewels to bed Princess?
Willie: Yeah... and nothing else. Shock you?
Indiana Jones: Nothing shocks me. I'm a scientist.

WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR WHEN YOU DISCOVER THE PILOT’S NOT THERE…

Willie: You know how to fly, don't you?
Indiana Jones: Um, no. Do you?

EVEN WHEN KIDS DO WHAT THEY’RE TOLD, THEY’RE WRONG…

Indiana Jones: Stop! Look, just - stand against the wall, will ya?
[Short Round stands against the wall, springing a trap]
Short Round: You say to stand against the wall! I just do what you say! Not my fault! Not my fault!

INDY’S THOUGHTS ON MOLA RAM…

“What a vivid imagination.”


Other Films starring Harrison Ford

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Firewall
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi

He also starred in several other of my Top Ten Action / Adventure Movies (actually there’s more than ten, in case you wondered…)



If you'd rather be Indiana Jones than watch him, try LEGO Indiana Jones.

Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day