Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - Review

“Prepare to meet Kali... IN HELL!” – A review of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. 

Having loved the first film as a child, I was so excited when my parents loaded in Temple of Doom into the VHS, and I was delighted with what I saw. The second instalment in franchise, Temple of Doom is set in 1935, as we follow our iconic hero Indiana Jones, alongside his faithful companion Short Round and nightclub singer Willie Scott, as they search for the sacred Sankara Stone and attempt to rescue kidnapped children after a crash landing in a remote Indian village. Black magic, snake pits, human sacrifice and terrifying rituals stand in our hero’s way – will they retrieve the stone and save the children, or will they be lost to the sinister cult?

This is a very different film in tone compared to the first. Much darker, more gothic and full of suspense and creepy imagery, this film is slightly less reliant on cheeky humour and quick wit (although that is still to be found). Child enslavement and human sacrifice bring an incredibly dark atmosphere to this plot, and the audience gets the sense that danger and death lurk around every turn.

With that being said, there are still some incredibly funny moments to break the tension. Short Round is a hilarious and heartfelt addition to the film, with his cheerful “Okey Dokey, Doctor Jones” making me smile every time I hear it, and one of my favourite lines from the film being “Hey, Dr. Jones, no time for love. We've got company." He also brings so much heart to the role; "Wake up, Indy! You're my best friend!" makes me tear up every time.

I can’t pretend that I’m a huge fan of Willie. She lacks the tenacity and wit of Mariom, and is a character draped in the “Damsel in Distress” trope. She screams over 70 times in the film, completely lacks depth or substance, and I just generally found her to be incredibly annoying. This isn’t to say that the acting was poor though; this is an issue with the writing. Short Round and Indy are both capable of keeping their cool, whilst Willie screams and cries her way through the adventure, which is a shame.

Cult leader and antagonist Mola Ram is, however, one of my favourite film villains ever. A truly menacing, murderous villain, Mola Ram is looking for world domination, lacks a conscience, and is played with a truly unsettling gravitas. Whilst the rituals he performs throughout the film are controversial, I cannot deny how scary this villain was, and how many nightmares I had about him as a child.

There are some incredibly memorable moments throughout the film, including the iconic mine cart chase, which is arguably one of the best action sequences from the franchise. I love the pacing, which is just as fast as the first film, and the music is still fantastic.

This film definitely has its issues though. The portrayal of Indian culture is not culturally accurate to say the least, and depictions of local customs as superstitions is of course problematic. The tone is so dark that Spielberg himself actually apologised for it, and the film led to the invention of the PG-13 rating, which is unsurprising when you consider how graphic some of the violence is, which is strange for what was supposed to be a family friendly adventure.

I can’t bring myself to dislike this film despite these criticisms though. Yes, it has its problems, yes, it’s darker, and yes it gave me incredibly intense nightmares about having my heart ripped out of my chest as a child for months after watching it. That being said, it’s bold, it’s fast paced, and it’s an edge of your seat adventure from my favourite archaeologist. Is it the best in the franchise? Absolutely not. Is it an incredible adventure full of danger and darkness which I still enjoy to this day? Most definitely.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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