Indiana’s Doom March 25, 2008
Posted by ghostof82 in : Film General , trackbackFlicking through the channels on Easter Sunday I came across INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM starting up on BBC3. Been years since I saw it, so i watched a little of it, remembering that I’d got the DVD upstairs somewhere and deciding that I’d have to give it a go.
So last night I dug out the DVD and watched the whole movie. Well, I’ve never been the biggest fan of the film and to be honest, it has not aged well either. It’s just too silly. It’s just too dark. I don’t know- is it the most schizophrenic film of all time? It doesn’t know if it’s a kids adventure film, an horror film, a comedy… at least with RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK there was an even tone throughout. TEMPLE OF DOOM lurches from one extreme to another and comes across as a very ill-judged film. It also informs the worst excesses of the later LAST CRUSADE. And increases fears about the upcoming KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL.
Good points? Well, it’s always a marvel nowadays to see Harrison Ford back in his prime, exuding his genuine on-screen charisma and presence. It’s amazing how much he fits the old matinee-idol persona that the Indiana Jones and Star Wars films aim at. Also Kate Capshaw impresses- as well as looking beautiful she shows great comic timing and is probably, in hindsight, the best of the Jones girls. The film isn’t a disaster, it has it’s moments - the opening sequence in Shangai is good fun, and infers that a movie-length Shangai Adventure would have been a far better movie. But really, as far as good points are concerned, thats really about it. The fights don’t thrill, most of the stunts are just too OTT to take (the leap out of the plane? What were they thinking?), and the big villain of the movie just doesn’t engage the viewer.
So anyway, the DVD went back in the case and the case went back upstairs. I may never watch the film ever again. Maybe I sound too harsh but, hell, I just don’t get what some people love about this film. Some people think it’s their fave Indiana Jones movie. I just cannot understand that. As it is, it rates as one of Spielberg’s weakest efforts in my opinion.
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I watched it on the broadcast and couldn’t believe how bad it was. Was it just me or was some of the editing really bad ?
Disagree about Capshaw though, too hysterical for my taste now. Karen Allen was much better in the 1st one although its been awhile since i’ve seen that one as well.
And to think I saw this twice at the local ABC
Regards the editing, yes I noticed that too. I’ve not seen the uncut American version, but it would certainly seem that the UK cuts were far from seemless.