Review of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) by James S — 11 Apr 2014

Be forewarned: this movie is really dark and kind of gross. If you frighten (or get squeamish) easily, I will not begrudge you skipping to the next film. That said, if you are up to seeing this, you'll be in for a very entertaining ride.

In true Jones form, the film begins with our esteemed archaeologist wrapping up a previous engagement. After some complications that involve him teaming up with singer Willie Scott, they find themselves in a small village that has a problem in need of solving. So, they pack up, eat some dinner, and embark on a series of strange and action-packed adventures that are a thrill a minute.

There are some problems, though. Early in the film, it feels like you're jumping around a lot, with no real time to get to know the new characters. On the flip side, during the second half of the film, some sequences are really dragged out, and you just want to know what happens next. Finally, Willie Scott is just plain annoying, and serves little purpose outside of a damsel in distress.

The acting is moderate. Harrison Ford is always entertaining, and Jonathan Ke Quan is fun as Short Round. Kate Capshaw, while providing an important foil to Jones, is really not selling it for me here. Amrish Puri really sells it as a villain here, being creepily committed to the part.

An entertaining romp that is unfortunately overshadowed by its superior predecessor and successor.