Indiana Jones 5 Is ‘Continuation’ Of Crystal Skull Story

[davejames]

Oh, please, no. That's what they did with TOD and it did not work. If anything, they need to lighten things up.

I wouldn't say "darker", but I would like to see it become a bit more serious and grounded like the first movie, where the quest had a real sense of importance about it and villains felt like a real threat and were not played for laughs.

I certainly wouldn't object to another TLC if they could actually make it as fun and clever as that movie, but after three movies of that lighter tone I think I'm kinda ready to see the more serious Indy again.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

A continuation of the Crystal Skull story. Does that mean aliens are developing nukes that can destroy even a refrigerator?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Such a technology is even beyond aliens.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Oh, please, no. That's what they did with TOD and it did not work. If anything, they need to lighten things up.

Was Temple of Doom really darker and edgier than Raiders, though? Pulling beating hearts out of someone's chest and enslaving children is pretty hardcore, yes, but it's not like the Nazi-heavy first film with melting, exploding, and exsanguinating/collapsing faces was all puppies and rainbows. Oh, yeah, and a dude got puréed by a propeller, which is literally edgy.

If anything, I'd say ToD's distinguishing characteristic was its descent into campiness, between the life-raft parachuting, chilled monkey brains, Short Round and Screechy Scott, the Donkey Kong Country mine cart level, etc. There were plenty of attempts at "lightening up" Temple of Doom, with mixed results.

 

[JWPlatt]

There was a lot to not take seriously in TOD, but Nazis are inherently unsympathetic, making Raiders less dark than enslaved children and heart extraction.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I wouldn't say "darker", but I would like to see it become a bit more serious and grounded like the first movie, where the quest had a real sense of importance about it and villains felt like a real threat and were not played for laughs.

I certainly wouldn't object to another TLC if they could actually make it as fun and clever as that movie, but after three movies of that lighter tone I think I'm kinda ready to see the more serious Indy again.

The same tone as Raiders would be perfect, especially if this were the last movie (as it likely will be).

Was Temple of Doom really darker and edgier than Raiders, though? Pulling beating hearts out of someone's chest and enslaving children is pretty hardcore, yes, but it's not like the Nazi-heavy first film with melting, exploding, and exsanguinating/collapsing faces was all puppies and rainbows. Oh, yeah, and a dude got puréed by a propeller, which is literally edgy.

The enslaved children is an example, as well as Indy being turned evil for a bit. It was really the entire ambiance of the movie. Even at the time it was in theaters, everybody came out of it saying, "Whoa, Indy has gone all 80s." And that was people who liked the dark and gritty stuff.

 

[Amaris]

I'm looking forward to this. I liked KotCS.

 

[RandyS]

I thought The Last Crusade was awesome, easily my favorite of the IJ movies, with Raiders being 2nd (a pretty good movie), then KotCS (mediocre) and then ToD (horrible).

We are in complete agreement.

On this, anyway.

 

[Paradise City]

Temple of Doom kinda reminded me of Star Wars.

 

[Marsden]

I think Raiders was the best of them. It was made as a complete story and if was intended to start off something, it didn't seem to in itself, something that's lacking in movies today.

The sequels/prequel were not bad, but there was a silliness of a sort added in. Larger than life situations that were just a little too larger than life pushed it from an awesome action adventure to a live action cartoon of an action feature, darkness of the material not withstanding.

There's a very subtle point where it passes from one to the other, sometimes it goes back and forth and a silly thing happens in an otherwise grounded movie, but when it's one thing after another it really makes a big difference. Temple of Doom had a lot of those. I still liked it, but if it had a two minute scene in the beginning with James Hong as a grown up Short Round telling the story of Indy and himself in India on an adventure it would have framed the movie for what we saw, such as beating hearts removed and burning up as the disassociated body does and other such things.

 

[Aldo]

I've always considered 'Temple of Doom' my favorite, I realize this is a minority position. It has my favorite score from the series, some of my favorite action sequences (I love the mine cart chase, and darn it! I love the raft falling out of the plane scene).

I've often given this some thought and tried to figure out why I respond so well to it while others do not, and I think for me it's the timing. I was born in '81, so I missed out on the hype of 'Raiders. 'Temple was shown on tv around the time I was just starting to get into (and notice) movies. We recorded it off of network television so I could watch it whenever I wanted. For a long time I thought Mola Ram removed the guys heart by just holding his fist over the guys chest (ah edited for television, what didn't you hide from us).

And finally, as a kid I had a huge fascination with the underground unknown. Deep caverns that lead who knows where, this is why I loved Goonies as well.

 

[Crow T. Robot]

I thought The Last Crusade was awesome, easily my favorite of the IJ movies, with Raiders being 2nd (a pretty good movie), then KotCS (mediocre) and then ToD (horrible).

I never understood the hate that the Last Crusade got. I, too, thought it was vying for the #1 spot with Raiders of the Lost Ark.

 

[STEPhon IT]

There's no news in this story. All he's saying is that it will be a sequel, not a prequel, which the casting of Ford should make obvious. Hasn't this been clear since the film has been announced?

Well, I was hoping the new one would be a prequel to KOTCS since the that film had him married. I would like to have one more film where he doesn't have to worry about his wife or what she thinks about his adventures or his health. Just an adventure where he wouldn't have to be discussed.
A film after KOTCS is not something I want to see especially the thought of making the character 75 years old or 77 years old. Ford appears in such great shape he could pass for 60 or even 59 years old. Also, there's so much of the era of the Cold War I think would be interesting for Indiana Jones to explore at the ages I think Ford should represent.
What I'm counting on is the JJ Abrams' approach; remake/reboot Raiders of the Lost Ark and kiss the character good bye.

 

[Aldo]

As I've pointed out before, though not in this thread: Indy has always been ten years younger than Ford. Despite being in his 60s in the last film, the character was in his 50s. The same would be true of this one, we'd get an Indy in his 60s.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Well, I was hoping the new one would be a prequel to KOTCS since the that film had him married. I would like to have one more film where he doesn't have to worry about his wife or what she thinks about his adventures or his health.

Marion doesn't strike me as that sort of person. She's more of the go out and join the adventure along with him type.

 

[EnsignRicky]

I'm OK with a sequel.

Indiana Jones and the Tomb of Mutt

 

[davejames]

I think Raiders was the best of them. It was made as a complete story and if was intended to start off something, it didn't seem to in itself, something that's lacking in movies today.

The sequels/prequel were not bad, but there was a silliness of a sort added in. Larger than life situations that were just a little too larger than life pushed it from an awesome action adventure to a live action cartoon of an action feature, darkness of the material not withstanding.

There's a very subtle point where it passes from one to the other, sometimes it goes back and forth and a silly thing happens in an otherwise grounded movie, but when it's one thing after another it really makes a big difference. Temple of Doom had a lot of those. I still liked it, but if it had a two minute scene in the beginning with James Hong as a grown up Short Round telling the story of Indy and himself in India on an adventure it would have framed the movie for what we saw, such as beating hearts removed and burning up as the disassociated body does and other such things.

Yeah TOD was definitely more of a funhouse ride with more cartoonish villains than we saw in the first movie, but for me it still retained enough of the gritty style and action of Raiders and still had an Indy with a bit of a darker edge to him who seemed tempted by the idea of "fortune and glory" (and who hadn't yet become the kind of goofy, aww shucks, reluctant hero of the later movies).

And those villains at least came across as scary and legitimate threats (what with all the heart-ripping and human sacrifice and enslaving of children), unlike those in Crystal Skull who felt about as harmless as those in a Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon.

 

[JD]

I never understood the hate that the Last Crusade got. I, too, thought it was vying for the #1 spot with Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Sam here. I don't know if I'd say Last Crusade was equal to Raiders, but it was pretty close.

 

[RJDiogenes]

^^ And it had Sean Connery.

I'm OK with a sequel.

Indiana Jones and the Tomb of Mutt

 

[Pingfah]

KotCS would have been a good Indy movie if they had just replaced the CGI sequences with practical effects, and not performed any stunts that were way beyond the capacity of a human to survive. The fridge, the ridiculous jeep in a tree stunt, the ants, these moments all took me right out of the action.

I thought the basic plot and character interaction was all classic Indy stuff, it just had too many "hang on a moment?!" moments. It had the makings of a great Indy movie, which gives me hope that they can learn from their mistakes and get it right this time.