Review of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) by Danny R — 25 Jul 2015

Steven Spielberg's thrilling, non-stop action prequel which is far more darker and graphic than the original classic film. It finds Indiana Jones, brilliantly played to perfection by Harrison Ford who is at his physical peak here, in Shanghai, China circa 1935, it opens with a terrific title sequence at the club Obi-Wan with a superb Kate Capshaw, as torch singer Willie Scott, who sings Cole Porter's 'Anything Goes' with a chorus line of gorgeous dancing girls.

While Indy is in the club to make a trade with some Oriental mobsters for a diamond, in which he is poisoned during the deal, it then turns into an enormous brawl as Indy fights to get an antidote from the mobsters, when he finally gets it he makes a spectacular escape with the help of his young, print-size sidekick Short Round, played with real grit by the charismatic Ke Huy Quan.

They head by plane to the mountains of India, where they are force to jump out of the plane in inflatable raft and into a raging river, which leads them to remote impoverished village, there Indy discovers that all the children have been taken and enslaved by the evil Thuggee cult in a fortress-like mine to dig for a long missing mystical stones of power.

Indy goes to save the children along with Short Round and the reluctant nightclub singer Willie Scott. What occurs during the rest of this striking fantasy adventure is jaw-dropping and filled with plenty of suspense and awesome action sequences, as well as some chilling twists.

Exquisite direction by Steven Spielberg and fine supporting performances by Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, and Philip Stone. John Williams wonderfully evocative score, the impressive cinematography by Douglas Slocomble, and the magnificent Oscar winning visual effects by ILM makes this fabulous roller-coaster of a fantasy adventure a real treat.

Highly Recommended.