Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (a supremely underrated prequel/sequel)

[Bor Gullet]

Temple of Doom is pure B-movie joy. It embraces its pulp ancestry. It's straight out of the serials of the 30s and 40s, down to the precocious kid, the over the top stunts, even the gore. It's blessedly over the top. It pummels the audience, saying to wit, "You want action? I'll give you action!" Granted, Michael Bay's films do that as well, but they don't have the love that TEMPLE has. It verges on silliness, but you buy into it because it's a steady build. It even has evil Indy. It's pure pulp. Unlike many other sequels, it's genuinely trying to be different from its predecessor.

As the opening song says, "anything goes." It's a crazy roller coaster ride into hell, and when Indy escapes said hell the catharsis is liberating.

It has some of the most memorable scenes in the series complete with gorgeous cinematography.

The greatest Harrison Ford line reading ever

And of course, the film is almost single-handedly responsible for the PG-13 rating. So it's place in film history is already set.

I am curious, how does the Indian community here on ERA respond to this film? Temple of Doom has been the subject of controversy due it's portrayal of India and Hinduism. From my experience, just today I was talking with one of my Indian patients at work, and we somehow started talking about Indiana Jones, and how much he liked Temple of Doom. He particular couldn't stop gushing about Amrish Puri, who was a very famous actor in India known for his evil roles, and played Mola Ram in this. I have two close Indian friends, one hates the film, and the other has said the film is a personal favorite in their household.

 

[Pickman]

2nd worst Indiana Jones film, hands down. Raiders>Last Crusade>Temple of Doom >=Crystal Skull

The thing about this one is that so many of the bit gags in it could be rearranged cookie cutter and not provide or take-away from any of the experience. It's less narrative and more schtick.

 

[Eylos]

I don't think Its underrated.

I think Steven says this movie was only good because he met his wife because of it

 

[Fancy Clown]

I get why some people might be put off by the tone or some stereotypes, but god damn you can’t deny the craft of this movie. Best looking Indiana Jones movie and Spielberg’s action direction is on point. After the insanely creative opening I love the slow ominous build up to the titular temple, it really makes it stand apart from the other movies and feels genuinely menacing before bouncing back to haunted house fun (and back to straight up scary again).

The spike room is the best trap sequence in Indy as well.

 

[Khanimus]

Fuck this movie.

 

[The Unsent]

Nah, Kate Capsaw's annoying screaming ruins it.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Racist stereotypes galore.

And his name is Amrish Puri... Only reason to even watch this movie.

 

[ObiWan]

I love all the Indy movies, this one is saved because of it's remarkable and still unbeaten third act. The rest if a rough go especially after the solid opening, carried with great charm and humor but the characters wear out their welcome quickly and the plot moves way too slow for way too long until they finally enter the Temple. Love the tension but it doesn't add enough to the characters or world to sustain it. It starts strong, then too much filler plot-wise, but it's the best final 30 minutes or so of any Indiana Jones movie.

 

[DarkSora]

The only Indiana Jones movie I've seen. Loved it as a kid but don't understand the hate for it.

 

[DIE BART DIE]

Probably my favourite and the second best one after the original.

 

[Servbot24]

I watched it for the first time last year and found to be so bad that I was bewildered by it.

 

[Cess007]

I never knew this movie was hated until I was old enough to enter the internet, because when I was a kid I loved the movie and thought it was well liked.

Spoiler

Then again, in the internet everything is the worst thing ever

 

[Fancy Clown]

The sets in this movie, and how they light them, are unbelievably good

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

I can't even fairly rank the Indiana Jones movies besides Crystal Skull in last.
Raiders is the "best" but there is just too much stuff I like in the other two.

Intro was extremely memorable, I liked the tone and Short Round and the minecart->bridge might be my favorite thing in the series.


Edit: completely forgot to mention Temple of Doom has my favorite villain as well.

 

[just_myles]

2nd worst Indiana Jones film, hands down. Raiders>Last Crusade>Temple of Doom >=Crystal Skull

The thing about this one is that so many of the bit gags in it could be rearranged cookie cutter and not provide or take-away from any of the experience. It's less narrative and more schtick.

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GTFOH

Raiders > Temple > everything else including tv show(young indiana).

 

[Poppy]

i would posit that it is still regarded pretty well

and possibly more than it deserves

 

[DoItForJohnny5Alive]

It's incredible. Before Crystal Skulls, the Indiana Jones trilogy was the best in film. Now it's Toy Story. It's the worst of the three though.

 

[Zukuu]

The only Indiana Jones movie I've seen. Loved it as a kid but don't understand the hate for it.

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Watchting 1 and 3 would be a good start.

Movie is ok - nothing more. Has some spectacular scenes, but as a movie it kinda feels inconsistent and I hate the kid with all my heart.

 

[jelly]

It has some of the best scenes hands down but there is some poor bits and the stereotypes in hindsight are quite bad. Visually stunning. Great memories, the bridge and mine scenes I'll never forget. I usually hate kids in films but he was actually okay, maybe of the time when I watched it.

 

[Deleted member 11069]

Saw it last week again and boy, its so much darker then I remembered. Not gonna show my son this film until he pays taxes.
Had fun spotting the dolls in the mine cart scene.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Amrish Puri’s mad cackle as he disappears down the trap door like a scooby doo villain >>>

And anyone who loves Resident Evil 4 gotta pay this movie some props

 

[siddx]

It's racist garbage. Boring, stupid, plodding pile of racist shit.

 

[jelly]

Saw it last week again and boy, its so much darker then I remembered. Not gonna show my son this film until he pays taxes.
Had fun spotting the dolls in the mine cart scene.

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Ruined.

 

[Plinko]

This movie was garbage and a huge disappointment after Raiders. The Last Crusade absolutely destroys it in every possible area.

 

[Z-Beat]

How'd they survive in that raft?

 

[Branaghs]

Is the movie racist in how it portrays the characters or was it Lucas just did not understand what he was writing?

 

[TheCthultist]

I don’t know, I always felt it was given just the right amount of respect by fans: very littlle, if any. I couldn’t stand this movie. Like, to the point that it was almost on par with Crystal Skull for me.
But you do you, I guess.

 

[Fancy Clown]

This movie was garbage and a huge disappointment after Raiders. The Last Crusade absolutely destroys it in every possible area.

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Temple of Doom is the better looking movie and has better action

 

[Fularu]

So because we called out this movie as a racist piece of garbage you had to come defend its honor?

Afaik « reaction threads » are against the tos

 

[bionic77]

I don’t get the hate for this movie.

It is a super fun movie and a great change of pace from Nazis.

It is not as good as Raiders but what is?

 

[One Eyed Willy]

Awesome movie, definitely not underrated.

 

[CoolestSpot]

Hey I just rewatched this today!

Lesser to the movie before it and after it in my opinion. Willie sucks, short round is short round, and Indiana doesn't isn't even needed for the villains to lose. The movie has great moments, but it's the weakest of the first three in my opinion. It's also on par with skull, a movie that gets too much hate for a lackluster 3rd portion.

This is just my opinon though, anything goes.

 

[Disco]

Temple of Doom is the better looking movie and has better action

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Absolutely. It's a fun as hell pulpy adventure movie, complete with the problematic stereotypes too sadly but as a whole it's definitely a better effort from Spielberg than Last Crusade

 

[CoolestSpot]

How'd they survive in that raft?

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People complain about the fridge after this movie have me rolling.

 

[TeenageFBI]

Yeah, the movie has some great scenes but I adore it for having one of the all-time best John Williams themes:

 

[Bor Gullet]

So because we called out this movie as a racist piece of garbage you had to come defend its honor?

Afaik « reaction threads » are against the tos

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Nah. I'm a big Indy fan and today I happened to talk with one of my patients at work about the film. Made this thread during my lunch break.

 

[Mage_of_Cinder]

A likeable movie, cheesy at times; but I can't get over is how much of a step down Willie was from Marion.

But that kali ma scene...is still grusomely awesome.

 

[138]

How'd they survive in that raft?

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Shush, you. How can we be enraged about the fridge if people remember stupid shit like this?

 

[Dook's Revenge]

The best Indy flick.

 

[blinky]

I agree that this movie is underrated. It's the weakest of the three original films, but it's still enjoyable and light-years better than Crystal Skull.

 

[Mona]

1 annoying side character is bad, 2 is to much

 

[Big Wazu]

Absolutely love Temple of Doom. The intro is one of my favorites, and I like the slower pace of the film. Now I want to go and watch the trilogy again.

 

[StargazerXL]

Serious question...was Temple of Doom the first movie prequel?

 

[Dook's Revenge]

Serious question...was Temple of Doom the first movie prequel?

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No.

 

[TaterTots]

Its my favorite in the franchise. Just stupid fun.

 

[Deleted member 431]

Racist trash that is too dark and not fun at all. Some individual scenes like the Shanghai sequence and the mine carts are fun.

 

[digitalrelic]

Last Crusade > Raiders >>>>>>>> Crystal Skull > Temple of Doom

 

[Border]

No.

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What prequels came before Temple of Doom? Godfather Part II (sort of I guess)?

 

[s_mirage]

Toss up between this and Crystal Skull as my least favourite of the franchise. I don't think it's dated well, some of the acting is god awful, the depiction of Indians is questionable, and it's tonally a bit all over the place (it's got some of the most over the top stuff ridiculous in the series outside of "the fridge", but it's also the darkest). It has some fun parts but it just doesn't do much for me.

 

[Dook's Revenge]

What prequels came before Temple of Doom? Godfather Part II (sort of I guess)?

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There's probably some from decades before, but off the top of my head, Butch and Sundance: The Early Days.