A Reel 40: INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

 

“Fortune and glory…”

 

This month marks the 40^th anniversary of INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM. 

 

Directed by Steven Spielberg and created by George Lucas, TEMPLE OF DOOM was the second cinematic adventure of swashbuckling archeologist Indiana Jones, as played by Harrison Ford…after making his debut in 1981 in the magnificent RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. 

 

As the follow-up to one of the best films of all time, TEMPLE OF DOOM surprised audiences by striking a different, hellish tone. Where RAIDERS had Indy chasing Biblical artifacts and punching Nazi’s to great audience delight, DOOM went much darker…traveling to India to battle a bloodthirsty black-magic cult which used children as slaves. Executive producer and story writer George Lucas would set the film before the events of RAIDERS, making it a prequel. The darker tone would be attributed to both Lucas and Spielberg going through respective divorces at the time. 

 

Going further in distancing itself from the whimsy and fun of RAIDERS, the female lead was made to be the opposite of the whiskey-drinking, right-hook throwing Marion. Indy was paired with a new character named Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), who was as out of place in the jungle as a fish out of water. To balance things, Indy was also paired with a child sidekick, named Short Round (Ke Huy Quan). The rest of the cast would be filled out by Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, and Philip Stone. Dan Aykroyd makes a quick cameo.

 

The script was penned by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, and filming took place in Kandy, Sri Lanka. John Williams provided the score, which included a musical number in the beginning. Lucas’ wizards at Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), would handle the visual effects. 

 

Despite being the first film in history to earn a PG-13 rating, TEMPLE OF DOOM would be a box office hit, and would finish as the third-highest grossing film in North America, behind BEVERLY HILLS COP and GHOSTBUSTERS. At the 57^th Academy Awards, John Williams would be nominated for his score, and ILM would win for Best Visual Effects. A sequel, INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, would follow in 1989. 

 

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TEMPLE OF DOOM is indeed a dark film, but the whimsy of RAIDERS is still present due to some thrilling set-pieces including a mine-car chase, a fight in a swanky night club, and a breathtaking, climactic showdown on a suspended bridge. The witty one-liners by Short Round are some of the most memorable and often quoted in the series, and John Williams’ score stands as one of his best works. 

 

But the real legacy of TEMPLE OF DOOM comes from its importance in developing the character of Indiana Jones. As a prequel, it has the task of taking a younger Indy, who is more of a treasure hunter this time, and moving him towards the archeologist we meet in RAIDERS. Indy’s turn from seeking fortune and glory to saving enslaved children is one of the best moments in all of the Indy films, and is one of the few major turning points for the character through his five films. INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM does everything that a good sequel should do: smash expectations, further the character, and deliver one hell of an adventure. 

 

“You call him Doctor Jones, doll!”