Indiana Jones

He has a good point about Temple being pointlessly dark and unpleasant.

I'm told that Temple, along with Poltergeist, is actually responsible for the existence of the PG-13 rating.

I think Gremlins was responsible as well.

edited 28th Jul '12 11:01:22 AM by PurpleDalek

Even Raiders pushed the boundaries of the PG rating.

edited 28th Jul '12 7:19:08 PM by Premonition45

I wasn't as fond of Crystal Skull as I wanted to be, but not for the reasons most people don't care for it.

Because of the 20 year gap between Crusade and Crystal Skull, aging Indy was a smart move; it was either that or load Harrison Ford up with pancake makeup and force us all to pretend that he hasn't aged (which, let's face it, never goes well). Since that places the movies' time line into the 1950s, using Soviets as the Bad Guys instead of Nazis was a good touch. Also, the aliens thing can be defended...the pulp fiction of the 30s was what Indy was based on, and the pulp of the 50s had mostly to do with flying saucers and the like. So putting them into the movie made a certain amount of sense.

And let's be honest; the fridge stunt is no more ridiculous than at least fifteen other things Indy has done in the previous three movies.

My beef with Crystal Skull was simple; it was a reunion album, a farewell tour. It felt forced and artificial. The action sequences were boring, the script was flat (the one-liners in particular were wince-inducing)...basically, the whole thing carried the distinctive scent of money and self-indulgence. It was the cinema equivalent of a rich old white dude wearing a leather jacket and driving a Mustang...both really want you to think they are cool, but both just come off as trying too hard and too late.

edited 29th Jul '12 2:08:08 AM by drunkscriblerian

The pulp of the 50s was also nothing like Indiana Jones though and they did nothing to really acknowledge the pulp of that era.

Re: Temple of Doom — I've heard where a great many consider Short Round to be the hero of that particular film. Wonder where he is around the time of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?

Weren't Willie and Short Round going to have cameos in Crystal Skull?

Well, he certainly got ditched before Raiders, so by the 50s he either died during the war or he's a Triad boss in Hong Kong.

According to Young Indiana Jones, he was one of the first victims of the AIDS virus, I think.

Bumping because I was considering watching the movies, but I was wondering whether it's better to watch them in the other they were released, or the order they take place...

I'd say order released. I did the same and it worked well for me.

Two theatrical rereleases in the same month? Amazing!

I liked Temple of Doom because it was so different from the first and third, actually. The only problem I kind of have is the racism. Willie was annoying as shit, but at least she was meant to be, and Shorty I had no beef with, though I understand why people do.

@Drunk Scriberian; Funny you should say that, because the character writing (bringing back some of the key old actors, seeing them together after all these years, seeing Indy kind of overcome his snake phobia) was what made it good for me.

OMG! Big Bang Theory reveals the FLAW.

Nazis found the Ark, opened it and died.

Indiana had ZERO effect on the story. Indiana failed

Indiana wanted the Ark to be studied in a Museum.

Indiana failed. The Ark was sent to Area 51 ware-house and was ignored by top men.

It's been said dozens of times before The Big Bang Theory. And so what? We still love the film despite that flaw, just like we still love The Wizard of Oz even though the villain gets defeated in the lamest and most Deus ex Machina way possible.

Except in this case the Nazis get defeated in the most awesome and literal Deus ex Machina way possible.

edited 21st Nov '13 2:38:06 PM by Tuckerscreator

The one thing I like about the non-existent movie is that they showed where the Ark was.

If Indy hadn't gotten involved, then the Germans would have opened up the Ark on that island... and then the Ark would have stayed right there. The rest of the Nazis would send a team to find out why no one on that base was responding. Eventually they would have figured out not to touch or open the Ark, and then sent it to Hitler.

So Indy did make a difference. He just did it passively and by accident.

edited 21st Nov '13 9:33:52 PM by MetaFour

It's a subversive Hollywood ending, in that case. The hero doesn't do much other than save his own skin and get the girl; history stomps on as if nothing happened, the U.S. gets the Ark and remains the sole military powerhouse once Germany loses. It's not so far fetched; really, it's an allegory for what actually happened, except we funneled away all of the Nazis arcane relics as well as their scientists.

So it's not a "flaw", just something unexpected. Omg.

Kind of interesting that the darker follow-up has Jones actually making a real positive difference and being the only film where Indy is directly involved in the death of the bad guy.

I hate Temple of Doom - especially the constant screaming (and rampart sexism and racism in it). The movie goes on my last nerve. Cristal Skull is not necessarily good, but I don't think that it is as bad as some people say. I especially don't get the complains about the ridiculous action scenes, because they were always typical for those movies. I just wish that it had ended with something supernatural like the first and the third did, and there is too much bad CGI in it. But it has its moments. I especially like the very last scene, especially the bit with the hat. It seems to say: There is only one Indiana Jones, nobody can take his place.

Crystal Skull never hits the lows of Temple of Doom, but never hits any of the highs either. Honestly the film just feels kind of there, with some interesting ideas that are either executed a bit blandly or don't go anywhere interesting, all while hitting the checkpoints of what an Indy film is supposed to have without as much oomph behind them.

Yeah, that summons it up very well. It somewhere in the middle of things. But honestly, there are way worse sequels out there.

Crystal Skull was perfectly unremarkable. I'd almost prefer it was outright bad.

edited 22nd Nov '13 9:17:06 AM by johnnyfog

Skull was good. I prefer it to Raiders, actually.