INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM: 4K UHD re-issue (Paramount, 1984) Paramount Home Video
On the heels of the runaway success
of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), audience anticipation for another
high-octane adventure from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas convinced
Paramount to spend even more lavishly on Indiana Jones and the Temple of
Doom (1984). That the resultant movie evolved into a much darker, more
sinister excursion into the occult and black magic of the Kali was something
unexpected, and, in hindsight, not entirely to either Spielberg’s or the studio’s
liking. At the time, Temple of Doom was an even bigger blockbuster
than its predecessor, though the critics were divided on their assessments of
its artistic merit. It did not exactly help the picture’s reputation, Spielberg
publicly denounces Temple of Doom some months after its box office
intake was already assured as the ‘lesser’ movie, and has since continued to
chisel away at it as his least favorite in the franchise. To be accurate, as
well as fair, Raiders of the Lost Ark is undeniably the superior of these
two efforts, in narrative stealth, screen economy and ability to generate
thrills akin to a roller coaster ride. Yet, might not Temple of Doom be
best assessed on its own terms, as an intense antidote and an even more intense
dark ride? Fair enough – the picture is 2-parts Gunga Din (1939) to 1-part
Lost Horizon (1936) with some very spooky bits to leave the palms sweaty
and the heart queasy and palpitating.
If anything, Temple of Doom was
an even more ambitious picture to make. It tested star, Harrison Ford’s physical
limits. To alleviate some chronic and excruciating back pain, Ford underwent
surgery just prior to the shoot - then, plunged himself into a rigorous
exercise regiment, buffing up and remaining shirtless for large portions of the
action to show off all of his hard-earned efforts. As scripted by Willard Huyck
and Gloria Katz, Temple of Doom is a much more baleful affair, a sort of
Indiana Jones meets Blade Runner (1980) with stolen bits of business
borrowed from unused ideas Lucas had endeavored to squeeze into Raiders.
Lucas and Spielberg have generally discounted Temple of Doom as
something of a ‘hand me down’, suggesting its best moments were all leftovers
from Raiders. However, this
undercuts the overall arc of excitement that Temple of Doom effortlessly
generates. Comparisons between the Huyak/Katz’s screenplay and George Steven’s Gunga
Din and Frank Capra’s Lost Horizon are inevitable. Indeed, Indy’s
escape from Club Obi Wan, pursued by a ruthless Asian mafia chieftain and his
henchmen, brings to mind the evacuation of Baskul from Capra’s classic, while
the Thugee cult that dominates the latter half of the picture has its obvious
roots in Steven’s efficiently made masterpiece. To this mix, Spielberg affords
Indy a pint-sized sidekick, the orphan, Short Round (memorably realized by
Jonathan Ke Quan) and an American nightclub singer, Willie Scott (Kate
Capshaw…the future Mrs. Steven Spielberg).
If what emerges from Spielberg’s
adventuresome milieu is a rollicking departure from the first movie’s lighter
motifs, the audience is well-compensated in this action-packed escapist/nightmare
with some stunning set pieces, breathtaking locations, handsome matte work, and,
completely convincing miniatures. It all works, just not in the same way. This,
however is all to the good, as Temple of Doom expands upon Indy’s frame
of reference as an action star without either taking too much away or adding more
than the character can handle. The central criticism – and one, not entirely defensible
in retrospect – is Kate Capshaw’s inability to create a more evolved and all-encompassing
romantic interest for our Dr. Jones. Temple of Doom takes place before Raiders
of the Lost Ark. So, Indy’s involvement with a new love interest in Temple
of Doom is ‘forgivable.’ However, it begs the query when he found the time
to squire Marion who, in the first movie, is referenced as an ‘old flame’
deliberately snuffed out by Indie’s blindsided quest for fortune and glory.
On this outing, Indy escapes
certain death in Hong Kong after a murderous mafia lord, Lao Che (Roy Chiao)
reneges on their deal to exchange a diamond for the remains of an ancient
Chinese emperor. Instead, Che attempts to poison Indy. Indy, along with his
devoted sidekick, Short Round and whiny chanteuse, Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw)
steal away into the night and, after a harrowing chase through the narrow
streets, they board a plane presumably bound for home. One problem: the airline is owned by Lao Che.
The pilots bail in mid-air, leaving Indy, Willie and Shorty to crash land in
India where they soon discover an ancient evil cult has been revived and
presently grown all powerful. Sacred stones from a nearby village, and the
inhabitant’s children have also been stolen in the night. Indy, Willie and
Shorty are taken to the Maharaja's (Raj Singh) palace in Pankok where they are
invited to feast on a most grotesque buffet of bugs, snakes and monkey brains.
Afterward, Indy questions the Maharaja about the Thugee, but is assured it is a
thing of the past. However, while preparing for bed, a Thugee guard attempts to
strangle Indy. Making short shrift of the guard, Indy charges into Willie's
suite and discovers a secret passage that leads to underground caverns beneath
the palace.
There Indy, Willie and Shorty
witness a human sacrifice at the hands of high priest, Mola Ram (Amrish
Puri). The unsuspecting trio is then
taken prisoner by Mola Ram's minions and Indy is made to drink the blood of
Kali. This sends him into 'the black sleep'. Shorty is exiled to the slave pit
and Willie is slated to become the next human sacrifice. Mercifully, at the
last possible moment, Shorty revives Indy from his hypnotic trance and together
they free Willie from her certain fate. The trio next boards a mine car,
narrowly escaping a flash flood, before struggling to cross a flimsy suspension
bridge, pursued by Mola Ram and his minions. Indy lacerates the bridge’s
supports with his sword, causing it to break apart over croc-infested waters,
leaving Indy and Mola Ram dangling in a fight to the death. Indy declares Mola
Ram betrayed Shiva. The curse of Kali turns inward and Mola Ram is destroyed. Indy,
together with Shorty and Willie, returns to the village, restoring the sacred
stones, where renewed prosperity has preceded their arrival.
The general consensus, at least
from the critics in 1984, was that Temple of Doom was no Raiders
of the Lost Ark. This, however, did not stop Temple of Doom from performing
spectacularly at the box office, accumulating a record-breaking $45.7 million in its opening
week, with a final, impressive tally of $333.1 million worldwide. Inevitably,
audiences liked the movie a lot more than the critics. And, in retrospect,
there is much to admire here – despite its creators’ enduring zest to view Temple
of Doom as their red-headed stepchild. Kate Capshaw gets a bad rap for
her ear-piercing screeches - a running gag throughout the film. True enough,
Willie Scott is no Marion Ravenwood. And yet, Capshaw’s performance as the
self-absorbed and pampered diva is fairly amusing as the ‘fish out of water’
comedy relief. And Capshaw proves she had more on the ball than just a figure
of fun. For Temple of Doom’s magnificent opener, the actress had
to learn the lyrics to Cole Porter’s immortal ‘Anything Goes’ in
Mandarin. Although Capshaw was scheduled to tap as well as sing, costume
designer, Anthony Powell’s exquisite, but undeniably form-fitting red and
gold-sequined gown restricted her movements to all but a sexy slink.
Reportedly, this sequence was filmed near the end of the production. Alas, only
then was it discovered that the elephant Willie Scott rides to Pankok Palace
had eaten through some of the beads on the back of the dress during the
location shoot in Sri Lanka. Promotional junkets for Temple of Doom
declared, “If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones.” While the
public demanded another rollicking adventure yarn, what came next was a more
evenly paced spook show into the haunted recesses of the human mind. Yet, as
time passes, Temple of Doom may be considered one of the most
extraordinary and lavishly appointed action/adventure movies of all time -
solidly crafted and expertly played with breathtaking stunt work and some truly
phenomenal cinematography by Douglas Slocombe. Is it a great picture? Permit us to suggest, it has a lot of great
things in it. Does it entertain us? Absolutely, and likely to do so in
perpetuity.
Like Raiders of the Lost Ark
before it, Temple of Doom in 4K marks a formidable and impressive
upgrade to the Blu-ray. The advanced image resolution and Dolby Vision color
grading create a spectacular image that, at times, is heavy on film grain – though,
precisely rendered with deep, saturated black levels, superb contrast, and fine
detail emerging to the nth degree. Texture and clarity predictably advance too.
Flesh tones have been expertly rendered. Prepare to be dazzled by the crispness
of the image. Whether sun-lit exteriors or darkly purposed caverns, the overall
quality of this transfer is ‘bar-none’ reference quality and should mesmerize
even the casual viewer. Dolby Vision contributes a significant uptick in tonal penetration
and color accuracy. The Dolby Atmos offers up John Williams' brilliant underscore
with renewed pomp and flourish. It’s like hearing the movie for the first time,
with expertly registered folie. Dialogue is center-focused, but ambient echoes,
and superbly rendered SFX, occur across all channels, adding considerable depth.
As with the Raiders, single disc offering, Temple of Doom’s
only extra content are a series of trailers.
Bottom line: if you already own the deluxe 5-disc 4K box set from
Paramount, there is virtually no point to this repurchase. Judge and buy
accordingly.
FILM RATING (out
of 5 – 5 being the best)
4.5
VIDEO/AUDIO
5++
EXTRAS
0
Comments