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LTTP: Indiana Jones trilogy

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Nibel said:
Dunno what you are talking about
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Have you actually watched it? I know that 'there's no 4th movie' is a (played out) internet joke, but it seems weird to me to join in with that joke without even having seen it.

I was a huge, huge fan of these as a kid. They were my Star Wars. I never really liked Star Wars as a kid, but I was mad about the Indiana Jones movies, the adventure games (there's also a point & click adventure game based on the third movie that I think is really fun, although it certainly has aged and might not work for someone who isn't already a fan of (old) adventure games) and a handful of the books. I was the kind of kid who dressed up like Indy and shot their own Indiana Jones movies with his friends in his backyard when I was 10 or so.

I only watched Kingdom of The Crystal Skull once when it first came out, but I enjoyed it at the time. Sure, it wasn't as good as the original trilogy and it had some weird moments, but there are some great moments as well (
I remember particularly liking the motorcycle chase in the university for instance
). I don't mind the unlikely survival rate (that was all in the original movies as well, although some scenes should have been physical stunts instead of relying on CG so much), the paranormal elements (all present in the originals), the older Harrison Ford (badass in his own way), Shia LaBeouf (whatever I think of the man himself, his role was fine), replacing the Nazi's by Soviets (makes sense for the time period, as does the particular brand of 'paranormal' in the movie) or the fridge scene (fuck it, it was funny, fit the time period, and was obviously a parody of nuclear disaster instruction videos of the time. Indy movies where never meant to be taken overly seriously). I would take it over any of those endless superhero movies any day. A bit of a weird double standard by internet people there.

Sure, it could have been better, but it made me feel like a little kid watching it again. I know it's not the popular internet opinion, but the movie is nowhere near the disaster it's often portrayed as. Not nearly as bad as the Star Wars prequels. That said, I haven't had the desire to go back to it so far, but that's more down to my movie preferences these days. I doubt I'll watch the new Star Wars movie after I see it in the cinema for instance. It's a theme park ride - no more, but certainly no less.

My ranking:

1. Raiders (god-tier)
2. Fate of Atlantis (yes, it counts, and was totally the bomb back in the day. Not sure how it would hold up for new players these days though).
3. Crusade (people often rank this as the best one, but even though it's funnier as Raiders, it's too much of a repeat of the first movie. Still fun though).
4. Crystal Skull (fuck it, it was just fun seeing Ford in the role again, and I felt the Tintin vibes here and there).
5. Temple of Doom (outside of some action sequences the movie seems like it's trying a bit too hard, with the violence etc. You can really sense that Spielberg and Lucas were going through at divorce at the time. Worst female character of all the movies as well - incredibly annoying).

Also I agree with all the people recommending Tintin. I still stand by my point that it's the best Spielberg action/adventure-movie since Raiders. You also can't beat a script by people like Steven Moffat and Edgar Wright. It's insane how much of my childhood came together in that movie - Tintin, the director of Spaced, the director of Indy and (although this was obviously fairly recent) the writer of Sherlock and Doctor Who when it became good. Great, great stuff - although the CGI (especially the faces) might take some getting used to, and the characters might seem a little flat when you're not familiar with the comics. Keep an open mind.

Oh yeah, as much of a fan as I am, I have no interest in a Indy movie with another actor taking over the role. Harrison Ford carries these movies, and taking him out of them just doesn't leave a lot else. It'd just be a random treasure hunter with the same name. It could be good, but it wouldn't be Indy. Just give me old Harrison, he's still a badass even if he can't run as fast as he used to. And Chris Pratt, however likable he is, is a terrible choice for Indiana Jones. He's a funny big brother - he doesn't have that 'John Wayne'-factor.
 
Sean and Harison's interaactions just push LC over the top for me (in a good way), so for me its:

LC > Raiders >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ToD>>>>>>>>>>>>CS.


ToD was too campy for me, and felt to 80's (hard to describe, but something about how it looks and is edited feels very 80s). CS is just plain campy shit, and I hate campy shit. LC is a more fun version of Raiders with much higher production quality.
 
WonkersTHEWatilla said:
And that's a bad thing, Bobby?
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Nah. To each their reach and all that. I do like that most people are recognizing Crystal Skull isn't like, a giant piece of shit or whatever. It's got its fair share of moments, even if it is pretty easily the least of the four films.

Just seems to be a large concentration of people who regard Crusade very highly here. Happened in that blockbuster bracket thing a month back, too. Wondering if it's one of those weird "90s kids" thing that I'm disconnected from because I'm old.
 
I like some parts in Last Crusade more than Raiders, same goes for Temple, but overall they're damn weak compared to the first movie

fourth one doesn't exist. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is the fourth Indy chapter
 
They're all pretty good.

I wish Doom was a bit less cheesy and that the set didn't belong on a Muppet show movie. Also that George and Steven wrote Kate Capshaw a character instead of a screaming head.

I wish that Last Crusade didn't have a 40 min lull after the opening setpiece. Once Sean gets in the picture, the movie lights up and takes off again.

I wish that Crystal Skull had less CGI. Another set piece like the motorcycle chase would have done the movie a lot of favors. Whoever plotted the movie could have used another revision: "What happens next? I dunno . . . uh . . . CRYSTAL SKULL DOES THING. Nailed it."

Raiders is the only perfect one of the bunch, but all of them are easily re-watchable. Well, the first hour of Crystal Skull is.
 
Tintin is incredible and as close to the quality of those three movies as you're gonna get from Spielberg. Fate of Atlantis is a great game with a great story, as well. It really feels like one of the movies. Definitely give it a shot, OP. The best part of Crusade is the opening, but I do really like Indy's interactions with his Dad. I know Ebert and Siskel couldn't buy the relationship as being authentic, but I enjoy it pretty well. They sell it the moment after the birds scene and when Henry hugs Indy by the cliff. Indy was never a boy scout, even when he was. Last Crusade is also the only Indy that falls into being a full-on treasure hunt for the entire movie. Raiders is that for half the movie, but there's more to it than that, and Temple never is about that.
 
BobbyRoberts said:
Nah. To each their reach and all that. I do like that most people are recognizing Crystal Skull isn't like, a giant piece of shit or whatever. It's got its fair share of moments, even if it is pretty easily the least of the four films.

Just seems to be a large concentration of people who regard Crusade very highly here. Happened in that blockbuster bracket thing a month back, too. Wondering if it's one of those weird "90s kids" thing that I'm disconnected from because I'm old.
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If you count the Indiana Jones formula as something generally rigid, Last Crusade from surface value does have a lot of heavy hitters in its favor:

- Connery
- The hottest Indy girl
- Hitler
- The Holy Grail, which I'd argue is the most instantly recognizable religious or mythological artifact of them all in the Indy series.
- A dirigible
 
Raiders is probably movie in terms of being consistently good all the way through but the highs points in Temple are the best of the entire series.

Mine cart, rope bridge, when Indy turns up in the mine, you see his silhouette and he decks the bad guy, the music, it's all fucking incredible.

WadiumArcadium said:
Coincidentally Temple of Doom's on BBC1 right now in the UK.
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*Switches to BBC One HD*

"What is Sankara?"

"Fortune and glory kid, fortune and glory"

So good.
 
For me, the fact that Temple is the closest to a Doc Savage/The Shadow/The Phantom type pulp story in tone and content is what sells it to me the most.

-Lead character who kills bad guys brutally
-Gore and horrific mutilation
-Evil scary jungle cults
-Lots of exotic animals and dangerous creatures
-Exotic locations
-The cheesiest and most cliche set pieces(rope bridge, mine cart, crocodiles, China and seedy nightclub restaurant, river rapids)
-Deep red lighting
-Torture involving drinking blood, zombification, and black magic
-Beautiful blonde damsel in distress nightclub singer bullcrap

It's all the hallmarks and ingredients of the seediest, most lurid and violent of pulp adventure stories. It basically is a Doc Savage movie in a lot of ways.
 
I actually thought the first half of crystal skull was solid and on par with crusade, maybe better

... then the movie became a Disney ride. these movies were always action > story and character development but there was but there was no reason to care about what was going on. I find it kind of baffling they went with that script after so many years
 
Having just watched Temple of Doom...
The main baddie doesn't appear until halfway through the film.
Every time Short Round appears, his theme plays. This gets tiring.
Is Lao Che the only person to get the better of Indy?
 
I like Crusade the most, but temple has the best soundtrack.
they are all fantastic though, perfect family adventure entertainment
 
The original trilogy is quite good. I think the first and third are the best, but temple of doom isn't outright bad, it's just a little campy and has a weaker supporting cast. It felt more like a side story.
 
Secret Fawful said:
For me, the fact that Temple is the closest to a Doc Savage/The Shadow/The Phantom type pulp story in tone and content is what sells it to me the most.

-Lead character who kills bad guys brutally
-Gore and horrific mutilation
-Evil scary jungle cults
-Lots of exotic animals and dangerous creatures
-Exotic locations
-The cheesiest and most cliche set pieces(rope bridge, mine cart, crocodiles, China and seedy nightclub restaurant, river rapids)
-Deep red lighting
-Torture involving drinking blood, zombification, and black magic
-Beautiful blonde damsel in distress nightclub singer bullcrap

It's all the hallmarks and ingredients of the seediest, most lurid and violent of pulp adventure stories. It basically is a Doc Savage movie in a lot of ways.
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This is pretty much why it's my favorite of the series followed by raiders then crusade.
 
Temple of Doom's action sequences destroys everything else in the entire franchise. The only scene in Raiders that comes close to Temple of Doom's greatness is the opening which is one of the greatest movie openings of all time. Also Temple of Doom has the greatest villain in the franchise with Amrish Puri hamming it up to awesome levels.

Also anyone who has not played Fate of Atlantis please do. It is one of the greatest adventure games of all time!
 
Temple of Doom is the worst of the original trilogy, just like Back to the Future Part II is the worst of the Back to the Future trilogy. Some people just can't accept this.

They're still pretty good though.
 
Donovan gets the better of Indy too, really, although much of the credit should go to Elsa on that one. Though it's definitely a give and take. It goes back and forth in that movie more than it does in any of the others. Belloq is CONSTANTLY getting the better of Indy up til the end of Raiders. The opening is there to establish this as an ongoing thing, even.
 
Raiders is the best easily, temple is fun for me because how dark and miserable it is and the third has a sean connery in a great role. They get worse as they go on.
 
moggio said:
Temple of Doom is the worst of the original trilogy, just like Back to the Future Part II is the worst of the Back to the Future trilogy. Some people just can't accept this.

They're still pretty good though.
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This post is so wrong.

In fact, both trilogies have the same downward trajectory.
 
I just dropped by to say Temple of Doom is the best one and Spielberg's 2nd best film after E.T.

Raiders is of course a masterpiece, a labour of love from a Bond fan throwing everything he'd got into his own take on the franchise because he knew he'd never get to do an official 007.

Last Crusade sucks.

Crystal Skull is great.
 
BocoDragon said:
There's a fourth movie.

Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
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luke-noooo-o.gif
 
Game4life said:
Temple of Doom's action sequences destroys everything else in the entire franchise. The only scene in Raiders that comes close to Temple of Doom's greatness is the opening which is one of the greatest movie openings of all time. Also Temple of Doom has the greatest villain in the franchise with Amrish Puri hamming it up to awesome levels.
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Doom's action sequences can't make up for how sub-par everything else is. Especially the side characters.

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Raiders >>>>>> doom > crusade

I loved sean Connery in the last one but it felt way less inspired than the first two movies. It's also the least visually appealing of the 3 and comes off as like a raiders greatest hits movie or something

Willie was annoying in doom but the dynamic between her and indy was pretty fun tbh, and man this movie feels and looks so much like a pulp adventure movie based on the really old literature. It's a ballsy sequel and I love it. Great opening too and some really nice shots in here

Raiders is just the best, easy
 
Temple > Raiders > The Mummy > Crusade > The Mummy Returns > some other film.
 
Based on quality Id call mummy indy 4 and tin tin indy 5

Crystal skull is just really bad. Spielberg's worst of the century (I enjoyed terminal and war horse more tbh)
 
I was actually forgetting the best scene in the whole trilogy
ToDpissedindy_large.jpg


"Let's get out of here"
"Right. All of us"

then there's that bloody awesome zoom on Indy's massively pissed face and you hear a thunderous off scene punch demolishing the asshole guard. Great stuff
 
I really like Sean Connery in Last Crusade.

“I’m here. Now. What do you want to talk about?”

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n4aDjO5.png


“I can’t think of anything.”
“Then what are you complaining about?”


Still, Raiders > Temple of Doom > Last Crusade. But all 3 are the absolute top tier of action films.




Neff said:
Crystal Skull is great.
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gfP164n.gif

4my6SfL.gif
 
The shot in Temple that goes from Indy stiffly Superman-punching the big muscleman on the conveyor belt to Short Round in the background Superman-punching the voodoo kid the exact same way does a better job of getting across the similarities between Indy and Short Round than anything between Mutt and Indy anywhere in Crystal Skull.
 
Yeah, sans Willie, Temple of Doom is just pure awesomeness.

I even enjoy some Willie moments - "We're not sinking, WE'RE CRASHING!!!"
And the part where they're supposed to be having sex, and not wanting to put her hand through the bug hole, stuff like that. It's just a fun movie all around.
 
Dunno why a lot of people seem to have a problem with the side characters of Doom. I admit that Willie was very cliche, but that kid Shorty was pretty great. I liked the relationship between him and his mentor.

And man.. Doom has so many great scenes. The mine cart scene is fantastic; the collapsing bridge; the room with the spikes; the scene in Indy's room and the overall tense atmosphere in the palace.

And regarding Crusade: I forgot to mention that the
Hitler scene
blew me away since I never heard about it before, and it was just a crazy moment. Sure, unrealistic and all, but to me it worked and just seeing him and thinking "Damn, they really included him!" was crazy haha.

Boem said:
Have you actually watched it? I know that 'there's no 4th movie' is a (played out) internet joke, but it seems weird to me to join in with that joke without even having seen it.
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Back when the movie came out, it was impossible for me to avoid the shitstorm; and I don't know, the fridge scene and a few others don't help. From what I read it's not single scenes but the whole movie that lacks the Indyness. That being said.. I still kinda want to complete the series, and that means watching four as well.

BTW, I appreciate your post and your commitment to the fourth one which has a hard fight on internet boards. Lots of people on Twitter said I should ignore it completely, but your post makes a point that is worth thinking about.
 
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