'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'

Here's an old film which had high expectations. The Indiana Jones films are iconic for their lighthearted situations and give an overall feeling of adventure to the audience. Especially after the 1981 film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, did so well among viewers, Temple of Doom was expected to be just as good. It concerns me that Temple of Doom is considered the sequal of the Raiders. However, it takes place two years before the events in Raiders of the Lost Ark take place.

The film starts out with the Paramount logo fading into the first scene. It then progresses into a Broadway musical number in Chinese, and there is some giant sound stage that appears out of thin air, where an army of Betty Whites do a dance number. This is where I began to wonder if I put in the right movie. But it continues on to where we get to see Indy, dressed like James Bond, end one adventure to begin another.

With Dr. Jones this time isn't Marion Ravenwood like the first film. Instead we get a singer named Willie, and a little Chinese boy named Short Round. Oh, my trees, are both characters annoying. Willie is the ideal description of a dame in distress. If she isn't complaining every other line, she is screaming her head off. I found out that before this film, the actress Kate Capshaw didn't know how to scream. I believe it, because throughout this film, she screams so much that it is like any person after learning a new skill to keep doing that skill to show off their new talent. She does practically nothing to help the story line go, except one scene where she has to save Indy and Short Round from a spiked chamber. If I were in that situation, I would prefer to die because it is more dignified than saying I was rescued by someone that makes Princess Peach look like a Samurai warrior. Short Round doesn't escape my critical whip today, either. He, too, is just as annoying. Every single line he has is yelled. He also gets into situations where he is in over his head. There is only one scene in the entire film I actually enjoy, besides the credits, and that is when Indy has turned to the enemy's side and is doing nothing but cruelty to Willie and Shorty.

Aside from the characters, the movie in general is just dark and unpleasant. All that is shown is people suffering, which is almost the complete opposite of what makes a good Indiana Jones film. It shows a village that has next to nothing, a cult kidnaps children and beats them to death while forcing them to mine for some special rocks, and it is pretty much just two hours of watching people in pain.

One the other hand, I do have to admit that Temple of Doom took risks and will always be remembered as an Indiana Jones film. In fact, it is because of this film why the PG-13 (and 14) rating was created. I will admit there are a few times I did chuckle from some of the one liners that Indy is well known for. So it can be looked at as a dark version of an Indiana Jones adventure. But if you have the option to chose a film, and you want to be happy at the end of it, I wouldn't suggest this one. I am the Desmo Critic.