B-

Worst movie of the Indiana Jones trilogy. To be truthful I really didn't like it at all. Of course Harrison Ford is its saving grace.

I agree with BTTF, the worst of all the IJ films, but still pretty good. I give it a B+

The Weakest Link of the Indiana Jones Trilogy. The whole Indian stuff just doesn't work out and the kid and Spielbergs soon-to-be-wife are just too annoying. However the action is awesome with the roller coaster ride being one of the best action scenes ever and Harrison Ford is a joy in this role. B+

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Less than Spectacular. But still great.

A

A

I know I am an exception, but this is my favorite Indiana Jones movie. The chase scene is still one of the best ones ever made.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - B+

Amazing film. Most memorable for me. But Last Crusade is the best Indy film.

This is the ultimate movie character!




Indiana Jones is one the most unique film characters ever created. He is not a superhero, he is not incredibly well built and he does not exhibit Einstein like smarts.However, he does have is the most relentless desire to succeed and never give up. He started that in Raiders of the Lost Ark and he continues it in Temple of Doom.

I once saw an interview with Steven Spielberg years after Temple was released. He was being asked about Temple of Doom and he said that when him and George Lucas looked at the screenplay for Temple of Doom Steven turned to George and asked him if they could do all that was written. George turned back to him and said " I have no idea. " But they started filming and when it came to doing what seemed to be the impossible, they somehow managed to do it. Because that is what you get when you put two of the greatest minds in the business today together, success. Reality says that there are limitations to what can be done. Steven and George take that reality and laugh at it. Maybe now a days, some 16 years later, things like the mine care chase and the pit of fire seem like simple things to film but remember this is 1984. Special effects were not as advanced as they are now and to create some of what they did is realy quite incredible. I don't know how long it must have taken to film the mine cart scene but think of difficult and arduos a process that would be. Spielberg will always be the king of motion pictures in my book and films like this helped solidify that title. The man is a genius, he really is. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a fantastic film and it furthers his character. The film isn't just a rehash of the first, it actually expands on the story. And to make it even more fun, it takes place before the events in Raiders do.

One of the most entertaining parts of Temple of Doom is Indy's new sidekick named Short Round, Shorty for short. Ke Huy Quan plays shorty with so much energy and he becomes an integral part of the film. He has a few good one liners and his physical acting skills are a perfect match for Harrison Fords.

The film starts off much in the same way that Raiders does, with something that really has little to do with the rest of the film. It is here that we are introduced to Indy once again, Willie Scott, the beautiful nightclub singer, Short Round and even to one of Indy's old friends named Mohan, who loses his life abruptly. The reason I mention Mohan is because Marion had a friend named Mohan at her bar in Nepal. I wonder if these two guys were related somehow.

After the energy at the beginning of the film it slows down to explain the story and set it up for us. But from the moment Indy and Short Round go into the secret wall in their room, the film never slows down. It is from here that we witness all the things that we now expect from an Indiana Jones movie: boobie traps, evil bad guys, bugs, perilous turns at every corner and of course the bullwhip. Some of the funniest parts in the film are also when Indy and Shorty are stuck in the cavern with the ceiling slowly caving in on them. Willie can hear their screams of help and she has to come and rescue them. She gingerly and slowly walks down the cave and gets to them. As she puts her hand into the hole in the wall to release them, Indy sticks his hand out and says "the other right, the other right, your other right. " and then just before they are about to be crushed he looks at her and with a child like face he says " Willie, we are going to die! " It is such a funny moment that if you haven't seen Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom then you should just for this one part.

Temple of Doom is so full of energy and action that it is definitely a film ahead of its time. People complained that the film was too violent and that it wasn't suitable for kids so they actually changed the rating system in the U.S for this movie. PG-13 was born just for Temple of Doom. Interesting piece of trivia there for you.

As for the movie itself, Indiana Jones becomes somewhat of a deity to some villagers outside of Shanghai. They have lost their three stones that supposedly bring good luck to the village. They also have their children kidnapped by the Thugees, led by a nasty villain named Mola Rom. He is a human sacrificing menacing man that pulls people's hearts out of their chest just before he lowers them into a hellacious pit of fire as a human sacrifice to Sheeba. Indy is then captured and put under a spell by having to drink some blood. It is here that the movie gets it's PG-13 rating when not only Indy but Short Round are whipped with the cat-o-nine tails. It is quite disturbing and I guess if kids were going to watch the film it would be a bit much for them.

Temple of Doom is a great film and it is a great sequel to Raiders and a perfect prequel to Last Crusade. It remembers its roots as it has Indy reaching for his gun in a dangerous situation only to find that it is not there and it creates some of its own new history as there are many breath taking action sequences. I don't know how George and Steven do it but they just keep on entertaining us with movies like this and Star Wars. I sincerely hope they make a fourth installment of the Indiana Jones series. It has been ten years since the last one and that is way too long.

My friend, we have finally found some common ground!

Personally, I think Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is the greatest action picture ever made. Thrilling, funny and scary from frame one, it's some kind of crazy, anything-goes, we-don't-fucking care, masterpiece of the absurd. Spielberg and co. had license to do whatever the hell they wanted, and they sure did. It never slows down, not for a second.

The awe-inspiring Busby Berkeley-inspired musical opening is, in my opinion, the most exhilarating, drunk-on-cinema sequence Spielberg ever filmed. I even love Kate Capshaw's much-maligned performance, a perfect parody of the screaming, helpless damsel-in-distress so common to films of this nature. It's just that she, like every other aspect of this movie, is multiplied by about a million.

It's terrifying, hilarious, and exciting like no other action movie ever made.

The last few years, Spielberg and Lucas (and their respective output reflects this) have been suffering from a severe, perhaps terminal case of old-coot-itis, literally apologizing for the dark content in the movie.

Yeah, Xenu forbid an action/adventure movie with supernatural elements be the least bit dark or scary. Apologizing? Fuck those guys. They clearly have no idea what they accomplished here.

To quote Sam Spade: "The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of."

Heh - gotta agree with you on this one Doc. Also my fave of the series for it's pure kinetic thrill ride energy. On e of the few Spielberg films I can rate as high as:

4 out of 5.

A-

I don't like it as much as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but it's a lot more ambitious as a movie.

I still don't like it that much. The movie is too dark for me. I like the more light-hearted nature of ROTLA and LC.

-B

It's the worst out of the three, but that's not a bad thing. It's still a fantastic film.

My problem with it is that they are a little too over the top with some things (Monkey heads, hearts, bugs, slaves). Still, it's a lot of fun.

A

I love the fact that with all sequels doing more of the same, we get a darker tale that is a completely different Adventure of Indy. And what do you get. Probably some of the most rememborably action sequences, fun supporting cast, and an probably Fords most grueling and intersting performance of all three films. You see the more gambling side of archeology in this one and Indy is definately more of a playboy. Needless to say I love this film for being one of the most original sequels ever made, and still pacts all the goods, despite its darker material.

I'm with Yoshue and Lecter on this one. It's the best Indiana Jones film, and probably the best Spielberg film to boot.

A+

by far the worst indy film bleh. once was enough it had horrible acting nad the kid should've never been in the film out of all the films this was the fakest and worst.

I am in agreement with Appy here, the worst Indiana Jones, by far, way far.

1. The horrifyingly bad song and dance routine at the beginning of the movie. I actually managed to burn this from my memory I suppose, as I did not remember it at all until I watched it again once I got the trilogy on DVD.

2. Short Round

3. The god awful annoying horrible bad ear bleeding inducing vomit causing screeching female lead.

This movie garners a * out of ****

You dug this up just to rankle me, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?!! Well it won't work Squee. You can't make me hate you... No matter what you say or do, I'll always love you in a way.

Might be my personal favorite in my favorite trilogy A

I always used to hate this film. I just thought it was terribly acted and overtly gross. I still think that, but it's not as bad overall. Kate Capshaw is terrible. No way around it. All she does is whine and scream. The little Chinese kid is irritating. Even Harrison Ford isn't as endearing. But the action scenes are terrific (especially the mine cart chase). The visuals are impressive (and frightening). And it's got some great humour. It doesn't hold a candle to the other two, but it's not terrible. Just disappointing.

Wow! This thread is full of closet Temple of Doom lovers...

6 or 7 WOKJer's rate it the best of the series, and Snrub even agrees with me that it's Spielberg's best movie...

I actually find myself agreeing with you on films quite a bit, Bradley. Now if you'd drop that silly Hillary obsession of yours maybe we could finally elope.

It seems odd that I've not given my full thoughts on this, my favourite Indy, nay, Spielberg film. The "which Indy is best" debate is probably the argument about film I have most often among friends, and probably the only one (barring Children of Men not being a masterpiece) that I genuinely can't wrap my head around. I truly believe it's the definitive summer blockbuster. The ultimate escapist flick that - for some reason - tapped into every single one of my pre(and post)-adolescent fantasies about what adventure and action could and should be.

One thing I've never understood is the criticism that it's too dark. For all it's heart-pulling and child slavery, it's a lot more cartoonish than Raiders - which is an infinitely more "adult" film both structurally and thematically - and, if anything, is actually more relatable to children because of it's outlandish plot and villain.

It's pace is relentless, it's action-packed, it has some of the most memorable and fun set-pieces of any movie ever released, and It also has the honour of being blessed with John Williams best ever score (particularly the mine theme that goes, "dun-nuh-nuh nah-nah! dun-nuh-nah nuh-nuh nah-nuh-nah!"). What more could anyone want from an Indy film? Oh, right... Sean Connery using his umbrella to scare a flock of pigeons into flying into a Nazi plane. That's what was missing.

A+