The second film in the Indiana Jones series.It involves Indy getting into some trouble in pre-communist China, involving nearly getting poisoned to death, and crashing a plane in the Himalayas. The main plot is him fighting against an evil cult in India, who stole sacred stones and kidnapped children for slave labor.The film got heavy criticism for its violence, which wasn't bad enough for an R, but was considered too much for PG. Even Steven Spielberg admitted this. The film, and the first Gremlins film, are a large reason the PG-13 rating was created in the US.
Aren't You Going to Ravish Me?: Willie during the entire scene where Indy bursts into her room to look for the secret entrance to Kali's temple. "I'm right here!"
Artistic License: No, Kali worship isn't really like that, nor are the Thuggees. These films are intentional mimicry of early century pulp fiction.
Banned In China: Temporarily banned in India due to its offensive representation of their culture. The writers claimed any inaccuracies were supposed to be deliberate clues that Mola Ram was evil.
Beat Still, My Heart: Mola Ram does the whole heart-pulled-out-of-chest-alive thing.
Bilingual Bonus: The Maharajah of the temple is called 'Zalim' which means evil in Hindi. Fitting, as he is the bad guy. But only because his second-in-command was feeding him mind-control juice.
Car Cushion: Slight subversion in the beginning. The car is their means of escape.
Category Traitor: Jones accuses Mola Ram of betraying Shiva — a deity that neither of them worshiped, but it mattered to the ancient text about the sankara stones.
Bizarrely, it's the one decent piece of Hinduism in the movie. Kali is Shiva's bride and both part of the same over-deity. Mola Ram is a blasphemer on a big-big scale.
Conveyor Belt-O-Doom: Indy fights a big Thugee on one that leads to a rock crusher.
Convection Schmonvection: Zig-zagged. It's averted when the first sacrificial victim bursts into flames well before plunging into the lava pit. Then it's played straight when Willie is in the exact same situation. Perhaps because her heart didn't get ripped out.
Creator Breakdown: The film was produced while Lucas was going through a divorce, as well as Steven Spielberg's then-current breakup with Amy Irving, hence the scene where a sacrificial victim gets his heart ripped out and set ablaze. Lucas has admitted that this may be why the film was made so much Darker and Edgier than its predecessor.
They also admitted that they weren't in the best of moods during production.
Crowd Hockey: The film's opening shootout at Club Obi Wan also has Willie chasing a diamond all over the place while fleeing customers kick it around, including into a spilled bucket of ice.
Evil Chancellor: Chattar Lal, the Prime Minister of Pankot, is in cahoots with the Thuggee.
Fake Shemp: Harrison Ford injured his back during filming, and was out for several weeks. To continue production Spielberg used Ford's stuntman Vic Armstrong to perform the action sequences (even the simpler ones Ford could do) from behind and Harrison later filmed a few token close-ups.
Foot Focus: Willie walking barefoot through the jungle.
It's All Greek to Me: Only Mola Ram (who is played by an Indian actor) speaks Hindi in the second film. The movie was shot in Sri Lanka, and all extras speak Sinhalese as a result.
Meaningful Name: Willie Scott's first name is, rather aptly, a nod to the Wilhelm Scream.
Mood Dissonance: There's a scene where Indy and Short Round are trapped in a room with a Descending Ceiling and filled with spikes. In order to free them, Willie has to reach into a hole filled to the brim with bugs. Scary, but thanks to Indy and Willie both freaking out, it's also hilarious.
Noisy Nature: One scene had enough wildlife sounds to supply a trip to the zoo.
Noodle Incident: During dinner at Pankot Palace, the Prime Minister said something about Indy being threatened with the loss of his head by the Sultan of Madagascar.
Oh Crap: Indy actually lets out a little yelp of terror when he realises he doesn't have his gun.
Papa Wolf: Indy. "They're innocent children... Mola Ram, prepare to meet Kali, IN HELL!!"
Pet the Dog: The normally cynical and selfish Indy letting himself be captured and tortured by the Thugee to save a little boy from being whipped to death.
Ready for Lovemaking: Played for Laughs, where Indy and Willie have an argument over their Belligerent Sexual Tension. Each one is certain that the other is hot for them (and they're both right), but their egos won't allow either to "submit". Thus, they retire to their individual rooms and the audience is treated to a montage as they prepare themselves for a wild night of raunchy sex, only to (angrily) realize that neither one is biting. Then, the trope is played its straightest after Indy is almost assassinated in his room and barges into Willie's to check for another assassin, with Willie reclining on the bed, positively giddy to see a crazed Indy bursting her door down.
When Indy grabs the breasts of a statue (to push to reveal a secret entrance), Willie growls, gesturing to her own breasts, "I'm over here!"
Tastes Like Friendship: Indy and Willie are given food in the village. He makes her eat it even though it tastes awful because he knows the villagers gave them all they had.
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