INDIANA JONES
AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM 
Originally Released May 23, 1984

Starring: Harrison Ford
Actors: Kate Capshaw Quan Ke Huy Amrish Puri 
Director: Steven Spielberg 
Producer: Robert Watts
Screenplay: William Huyck and Gloria Katz
Rated: PG
Run Length: 118 min

Review By John Barker
- Take a pot shot but be warned.

This is, contrary to public opinion, not a sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark but in fact a prequel. This film is probably the weakest of the series on both the entertainment and plotting fronts. But it is still better than most adventure yarns that are around today and the creative duo of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas still manage to come up with some wildly exiting action scenes.

Set just one year before the events of the first film, we find Indy in Shanghai where after conducting some risky business and picking up singer Willie Scott, (Kate Capshaw), and sidekick Short Round, (Ke Huy Quan), they then escape from a crashing plane and find themselves in India. A local village enlists Indy’s help as all of resident’s children have been stolen and the suspected cause of the evil is located in Pancock Palace. They arrive there and must free the children and the palace from the curse of a cult.

Firstly, it is important, I think to shed light on the movies faults of which there are many. The storyline is highly un-involving as the ‘bad guys’ aren’t really bad enough and the narrative drive for Indy to rescue the kids isn’t developed fully and so it seems to be rather a pointless exercise for him. Also take this as you will, but some consider the portrayal of some of the Indian’s rather stereotypical and even racist. There is also the matter of the films romantic interest, Willie, who is annoying and a formulaic blonde, if she hadn’t turned out to be Spielberg’s wife I would accuse him of being a misogynist considering the almost ritual punishing that she receives.

The action scenes are the obvious highpoints of this instalment and it may even contain the finest set piece of the saga; the mine-shaft chase which is quite simply a rollercoaster ride incorporating every extravagance possible. The opening dance number/shootout is a great combination of ideas, styles and brings back memories of the classic MGM musicals.

There is the ever present Spielberg sentimentality to be found in the relationship between Indy as a surrogate father and Short Round as his son with Willie providing the maternal aspect of this un-nuclear family. It should be commended that the world’s most famous director still includes authorial traits such as this, but I think that in showing progression as a filmmaker it may have been more helpful for him, critically, if he had included a more splintered family relationship.

These minor issues aside the film is still entertainment in a good way but don’t expect to find anything of meaning under this superficial layer.