In a span of only three years since the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spielberg knew that he had created an unforgettable franchise led by an even more unforgettable character. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a solid sequel to its predecessor and provides an adventurous story that once again harkens back to the serials of the 1930s and '40s. However, this installment is my least favorite of the original trilogy. Reasons include some unnecessarily heightened character choices, a terrible female character, and a slight twinge of racism that could have been avoided.
Racism and poor treatment of women are two of this film's biggest issues. There was nothing said in the dialogue or the treatment of any of the Indian tribes that outwardly announced that it was offensive, but rather some of the design and story choices are what made it clear. Luckily, nothing in the actual character of Indiana showed any bit of this unfair treatment, but it was simply in the way the indigenous people were portrayed. At the ceremonial dinner scene, Indy, Willie, and Short Round were all brought out many different types of strange foods: certain bugs, snakes that were still alive, and for dessert, the brains of a monkey. While I'm sure there is some truth to how different cultures eat differently, the way that this food was presented mocked the Indian people in a way. The story almost treated them as savages as Willie and Short Round were very obviously disgusted by the food. This was written as a source of comedy, of course, but the extent the writing took this scene was too much. This view was also seen in the underground ritual scenes when the Supreme Highness was shown using voodoo to hurt the sacrificial people, and later, Indy himself. I understand that this writing choice was not a problem back in 1984, but that would now be considered wildly unacceptable and just did not sit too well with me.
The character of Willie, played by Kate Capshaw, was another problem. Her romantic relationship with Indy was very forced and even though the writing gave them time to develop, there was actually no reason for her to even be a part of the story. She was simply thrown into the mix when Indy and Short Round were escaping the ballroom in the opening scene. Throughout the entire film, Willie was portrayed as being the "damsel in distress" or the hyper-exaggerated "girly-girl" and it became such a nuisance. This trope has been overused so much, and I was really hoping for her to be written as more of an independent, stronger woman like Marion from Raiders of the Lost Ark. She is easily the worst-written of Indy's female companions through the franchise. I think a part of her writing had to do with Indy's exaggerated qualities as well. Since Spielberg knew Indiana Jones would become such a popular character, I feel like he attempted to write him more as a Han Solo type and this did not bode well. In this film, Indy used slightly derogatory terms towards Willie and he was written as more of a womanizer, which I did not appreciate.
I did adore, however, the relationship between Indy and Short Round, played by Ke Huy Quan. Short Round is my favorite aspect of this film and I would have loved to have seen him in the different stories throughout the rest of the series. Their relationship showed that Indy truly has a heart of gold, no matter the age, race, or sexuality of someone. Their playfulness towards each other and the comedy that came from it was so entertaining. Story-wise, this film is pretty basic but works in every possible way for a sequel. I enjoyed the different type of storytelling that was used for Indy in the land of India that he was unfamiliar with, as the full, curious, adventurer side of him was shown. His arc was great too, as it put him in not just the spotlight, but also in some vulnerable spots when he was in danger. This provided the other supporting characters an opportunity to shine by saving him and creating a story of their own; not just focusing on Harrison Ford's absolutely jacked bod the entire time.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a worthy follow-up to Spielberg's 1981 classic, but just a bit weaker in some areas. Even though a lot of the character choices have not aged very well, this film still provides an incredible story to add to the many adventures of the amazing Indiana Jones.
My Rating: ★★★½
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