Posts tagged Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Jul 9th
Finally, 2008 saw the end of a 19 year wait for an all new instalment to the Indiana Jones series. With all sorts of rumours flying around about several different scripts such as “Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods”, “Indiana Jones and the little green men” and “Atomic Ants” etc! All code names and plots for the eventual unveiling of what was to be forever known as “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”.
I won’t dwell too much on the hype that surrounded this release, because we all know about the computer that got stolen with ‘vital’ plot information on it, court cases and ultimate secrecy that ended up becoming one of Hollywood’s worse kept secrets ever. It was obvious that this film was going to be about aliens, yes, you heard correctly. An Indiana Jones film about aliens.
Needless to say I was sceptical to say the least. The thing I loved the most about the series was the believability (is that a word?) of the stories. The fact that I was convinced that such archaeological devices existed in the Ark and the Grail etc. But for me, aliens were asking a bit much of me and the audience. It just didn’t seem to fit in to the Indiana Jones universe and lore.
Nevertheless, I paid top prices to go and view this at the cinema on opening day. It was packed out and there was an air of expectancy and excitement that only a Spielberg and/or Lucas film could conjure. As the opening scene kicks in we were treated to the Paramount mountain fading into a molehill (cliché?…mountain/molehill!) with a disappointing CGI creature popping its head out of the top. Annoyingly this creature pops up numerous times throughout the film. Perhaps the most annoying thing about this though, is the irony of Spielberg saying that he wanted to continue in the original B-Movie vein he had established with the first three films, disposing of the need for overused CGI effects. The original trilogy had a very organic/natural feel to them, the sometimes, over-use of CGI in this movie totally goes against that grain.
Mutt Williams/Henry Jones III played by Shia LeBeouf
The story centres around a middle aged Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) who, whilst on his travels, is stopped by a biker named Mutt Williams (Shia LeBeouf). He gives Jones a coded message from an old colleague, Harold Oxley (John Hurt) that tells him of a Crystal Skull with psychic and magnetic powers that he hid in the grave of Francisco de Orellana, a Conquistador who went missing in the 1500s while seeking Akator (also known as El Dorado). They are tracked by the not so evil Colonel-Doctor Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), who, in my eyes, fails to capture the true essence of an Indiana Jones antagonist. She, of course, is accompanied by Soviet soldiers.
After eventually being captured by the Soviets, Indy and Mutt find themselves in the middle of a jungle base held captive and accompanied by Oxley and Mutt’s mother, a former love interest of Jones’ who was first introduced in Raiders of the Lost Ark – Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). We see that Oxley has suffered a mental breakdown and portrays some very strange behaviour, and we also discover, during their escape, that Mutt is indeed Indy’s son.
This is particularly important as it also explains the dynamic between the characters leading up to this point. Earlier in the film we see another classic Indy bike chase, this time, Henry Jones Jnr. is the passenger seat, holding on for dear life in the waist of his, at the time unbeknown to him, son. We get a similar feel for their relationship as we do with Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in the third instalment. Only this time, Indiana has done some growing up and it’s Mutt who is doing the showing off. We also catch a glimpse of the cheeky grin and look for approval by Mutt which is quickly thwarted by the now middle-aged Jones who is clearly unimpressed and more worried about staying in one piece.
That jungle scene!
Jones and Co escape the clutches of their captors, by any means necessary involving and unconvincing and perhaps, at times, over-the-top Jungle chase. Without spoiling it too much, there is an awful scene where Mutt gets himself up a tree, accompanied by a few tree-hopping-CGI monkeys and it puts me off the whole scene entirely. It seems unnecessary and useless in an Indiana Jones film, I’m all for humour but we’ve never seen rubbish like that before in an Indy film, at least nothing that I’ve cringed at like I did in that scene.
They eventually reach the Temple of Akator but they have been followed by the Soviets all the way. They have been following a trail left by Indiana Jones’ former partner, Mac (Ray Winstone). Earlier in the film Mac defected to the Soviets, betraying Indy in the first act of the film. The escape in the jungle allowed him to get back on side with Indiana and he begs for Indy to let him join them. In a second betrayal, he leaves traces of their tracks and Spalko and her men follow them into the temple eventually revealing Macs complicity.
As they head into the chamber of 13 alien, crystal skeletons, one with the skull missing, they are appsoached by Irina Spalko who eventually proceeds to place the skull on the headless skeleton. Oxley regains his sanity amongst the chaos that replacing the skull has caused, he explains that the aliens are the secret to the Mayans advanced technology, a question that has riddled us all for hundreds of years.
As the film concludes, we see an amazing crescendo of water and the now ruined temple, with the group looking on in awe as what could only be explained as an Unidentified Flying Object rising from the ground and disappearing into thin air. As the Amazon floods the crevice left by the alien ship, it disposes of any evidence of Akator. In true modern Hollywood fashion, the film ends on a high note, a very cliché wedding. Perhaps it was necessary for this old timer though.
Thankfully, just before the credits, we see Indy’s hat on the floor about to be picked up and donned by the younger of the Jones’. I don’t know if it was me but everyone in the cinema sat back in shock at the thought of it…would he?…wouldn’t he?…he’d better not! Thankfully all our hearts were put at rest when Indiana Jones put on the hat as he and his new bride exit through the chapel doors.
Overall, the nostalgia factor was great, perhaps I enjoyed it more than I should have because I loved the references to the Ark and the warehouse at the beginning which appeared at the end of ‘Raiders’. Shia LeBeouf was a great addition to the cast and it was nice to see Indy become a human being again, this through the emergence of his son and becoming a husband and father, but if Mutt Williams was to carry on the flame (as suggested by Lucas and across the internet), I think it would be a shame. For once Hollywood should stick to the plan and keep it as simply Indiana Jones, not Indiana Jones and his son’s dog’s uncle.
Keep checking back for your DVD needs
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Jul 4th
Well it’s taken a month but I’m back to complete the Indiana Jones franchise. It would be a shame not to write about the last two films in the series as they are probably the most controversial of the four films, and of course, they make for good banter!
Probably, for me ‘The Last Crusade’ is the most accessible Indiana Jones film, for the fact that it has intertwining stories that we can all relate to, most notably the story of the father-son relationship between Henry Jones (Sean Connery) and Henry (Indiana) Jones Jr.
A young Indiana Jones played by River Pheonix
The third and for years, seemingly final film (until it was succeeded by 2008’s fourth instalment, ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’), kicks off with a young Indiana Jones (the late and very talented, River Pheonix) scouting around caves and basically getting up to mischief as he stumbles across some treasure hunters, he discovers the Cross of Francisco De Coronado which “should be in a museum”, much to the dismay of Indy! Three years after retrieving the Lost Ark, Jones recovers the cross once again, getting revenge on the robbers that took it back from him when he was younger.
Hi father, Henry Jones (Connery) is kidnapped by Nazis whilst searching for the Holy Grail. Guided by his seniors diary, Indy sets out to rescue him and finds both he, his father and his captors intertwined in a quest to recover probably the most sought after archaeological relics of all time.
Holding on for dear life! - Indiana Jones in the tank chase
The most memorable part of the story of the Last Crusade, for me, is the tank chase. Both Henry Jones Snr. and Marcus Brody are captured by the Nazis and held in a moving tank. Indy chases after the tank in an attempt to rescue them, however, it’s never easy and Jones finds himself hanging on for dear life as he gets squeezed between the tank and a solid rock cliff side with only a turret to hold on to! The conclusion of the scene sees the rescue of the two captives but the seeming demise of the hero as the tank pummels toward the bottom of a canyon. We see an emotional Henry Jones Sr., one that makes clear his love for his son when he sees the tank plunge to its demise, thinking that Indy is falling with it.
The emotions come to a typical father-son end when Indy emerges on the brow of the cliff, they share an intimate hug and an exchange of devotion for a short lived second or two, then Henry quickly shakes himself down and declares that they should get a move on, the Nazis are getting away! Meanwhile Indy, is still craving a little more of his fathers attention. Earlier in the film, Indy takes his father for a ride in a motorbike chase and as he pulls off his boyish stunts, he looks to his father with a cheeky grin and laugh, seeking his approval. Needless to say that Henry Sr. looks on in disapproval, unimpressed by his schoolboy antics! This is a classic man-to-man/father and son dynamic that is typical of many relationships and proves my previous point that many of us can relate to Indy and his fathers relationship. This is what, for me, makes this film stand out among the rest. With unforgettable performances from both Harrison Ford and Sean Connery, we get a real taste for the more down to earth and real side of Indiana Jones, not just the superhero/out of this world side.
Henry Jones (Sean Connery) and Henry Jones Jnr. (Harrison Ford)
They get captured by the Nazis and the crescendo of the film and epitome of their relationship comes when a Indy must walk through the temple that houses the grail avoiding deadly traps whilst guided by his fathers diary. Knowing along the way that he must save his father, the only way to do so is to retrieve the Holy Grail. He successfully navigates his way through the death traps and takes a walk of faith across a chasm to reach a Knight of the Last Crusade who guards a number of false cups as well as the real grail. His captors choices get them into trouble but Indy chooses wisely to eventually emerge the victor in a suspenseful and rewarding ending which sees Indy and his comrades ride off on horse back into the sunset.
This truly is one of my favourite films of my childhood, not because it’s necessarily the best of the Indy films but because it is one that I remember well, and the first Indiana Jones film I saw in a cinema! For nostalgic purposes this gets a top notch 4 star rating!
For your DVD needs… (click the DVD cover for amazon listing)
 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - Special Edition DVD |
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
May 30th
As I stated in yesterdays post, many people regard ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ as the definitive Indiana Jones film. However, in my opinion, it plays second fiddle to ‘Temple of Doom’. I emphasise “in my opinion” though, probably my only reasoning is because I remember much more about watching this film when I was a child than I did the first instalment. I wasn’t even a year old when ‘Temple of Doom’ arrived on our shores in the U.K. but judging by the length of time it used to take to get from the box office to the little screen, the terrestrial television rights probably didn’t occur in the U.K. until at least 1986-88 maybe? (Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, I was young!) So that means I would have been about 4-5 years of age watching this for the first time on television. I loved every minute of it!
The opening scene, a little out of place in an action adventure movie, starts with Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) signing in a Chinese nightclub. Indiana Jones is trying to negotiate the trading of an artefact from Chinese gangsters. Things go horribly wrong, Jones and Willie end up scrambling amongst chaos to find a crystal and a life saving antidote that will cure Indy from a deadly poison fed to him by the Chinese gangsters during the negotiations. They manage to escape with the help of a little friend, 12-year-old Short Round (Ke Huy Quan), a mini Indiana Jones wannabe who adds a lot of comic relief to the film.
As they find their way out of the clutches of the gangsters they board a plane, and are left for dead mid-flight. When hey safely avoid crashing inside the plane, they find their way to a distressed Indian village. The village has been stripped of all it’s life, the people are starving and their children have been taken. The shaman tells Indy that he must recover a sacred stone that belongs to the village, that he believes will restore the village back to its natural thriving state. They discover it is one of the Sankara stones, stones that have a magical effect on whoever possesses them, hense why the village has seen such a depression since it was taken.
As they set out on their journey, they arrive at Pankot Palace and everything seems fine and they are treated like royalty. Until they stumble across the Temple of Doom where rituals of a sacrificial nature are being carried out and we find out that the village children are forced into labour underground in a mine.
Indy sets out to retrieve the stone and to free the children from slavery, in the process he meets some near death experiences including being possessed and almost having his heart ripped out by the Thuggee’s psychopathic high priest – Mola Ram (Puri).
The Chase is on!
In one of the most memorable scenes of my childhood, they break the children free after raising havoc in the Temple, and they set out to escape the clutches of the Thuggee warriors. In a wild chase they race through tunnels within the mine shafts in a small rail carriage. Closely followed by the warriors, as the warriors slowly meet their demise one by one, Mola Ram spills a massive reservoir of water that will no doubt flush Indy, Willie and Short Round out of the mines, in the aim of killing them off once and for all.
Needless to say Indy saves the day in spectacular fashion and returns safely to the village, stone in hand and children by his side. On recent viewing this film stands out as one of my favourite movies of my childhood. There were no effects, like there were at the end of Raiders which made it look its age, just simple fun. I think this film optimises, for me, the way Indiana Jones films still manage to take you out of reality and place you in suspended fantasy for a couple of hours!
For your DVD needs… (click the DVD cover for amazon listing)
 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - Special Edition DVD |
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
May 29th
Righteo people, hope you had a good bank holiday weekend. This week we’re kicking off with a bit of an Indiana Jones special, the last week (and the rest!) has been absolute Indy mania across the globe and what better way to start the week than pay homage to one of the greatest action heroes of our time.
The first of the now four Indiana Jones feature films was made before I was born but somehow I still managed to remember a lot about the film from when I was a child. I was brought up watching Indy, like many of us, on the ITV weekend repeats every so often back in the 80’s and 90’s. I loved the character and the adventure; I was always into puzzles and watching Indiana Jones try to manoeuvre through temples and ancient relics always made me smile. It opened up my mind to actually believe I too could be an archaeologist who could find long lost treasure that “needs to be in a museum”!
Indiana Jones when he attempts to replace the statue with a bag of sand!
Raiders kicks off with probably one of the most memorable scenes of all of the films put together, Indy a jungle with Alfred “Doc Ock” Molina searching for a golden statue. When they find it, we see the classic Harrison Ford victorious grin, until he realises he’s just set off a trap and now he needs to run! In the process of escaping this deadly tomb he gets betrayed by Satipo (Molina) and left for dead. Miraculously fighting his way out of the pickle in true Indiana Jones fashion he passes a now dead Satipo on his way out and encounters the evil Belloq (Paul Freeman), the foe that causes most of the problems for the duration of his journey in pursuit of the Ark of the Covenant.
The film is probably the most loved of the quadrilogy, with such memorable scenes underground when Indy finds the Ark only to lose his grip on it when Belloq finds him. This leads to both Indy and Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) getting trapped with hundreds, if not thousands of snakes. This scene itself pretty much sums up the classic mix of humour and action/adventure that we have all came to love about the Indiana Jones films.
In his pursuit of the Ark, Jones finds himself escaping the caves, blowing up aeroplanes and catching a ride on a submarine to an island where Belloq and the Nazis want to open the Ark in the hope of finding the tablets on which Moses made the covenant with God.
The final scenes lead to a crescendo of what can only be described as God’s wrath and in classic B-movie fashion Spielberg pulls off some old school (but no doubt breakthrough at the time) effects to create a truly nostalgic 1930’s feel.
On recent viewing (in readiness for the new instalment), the closing scene at the warehouse was reminiscent of a closing scene in an X-Files episode. Events in the fourth film made more sense when thinking back to this very scene in the Raiders of the Lost Ark.
And for your DVD needs…
 Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark - Special Edition DVD |