Reviewed by: Joe

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Produced by: Robert Watts

Cast: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, & Philip Stone

Released: May 1, 1984

Action/Adventure 1 hr. 58 min. Indiana Jones finds himself on a new adventure, trekking across Asia with a gold-digging woman and a young child to rescue a village's missing children and find a magic stone. But, along the way he must contend with an evil cult.

Another great thing about the Indiana Jones series is that it isn’t afraid to switch up its supporting cast from film to film because the filmmakers know that the only thing that matters is how they interact with Harrison Ford on screen. Harrison Ford, who had just completed his stint as Hans Solo in Lucas’ epic Star Wars series, gives another exhilarating performance as Indiana Jones and proves once again that he is fit for the role, no matter what is thrown at him in it. Ford works perfectly well by himself despite the annoyances of Kate Capshaw and Ke Huy Quan. Kate Capshaw, who would later marry director Steven Spielberg, just doesn’t fit well into this film at all. Her hysterics come off as being more annoying then hilarious and she lacks chemistry when paired up romantically with Harrison Ford. Ke Huy Quan, who performs as Short Round in the film, is another case of a character being more of an annoyance and a distraction then an increment. Sure, his attitude and the way he speaks might be humorous, cute even, as the feature starts out but as it progresses, patience wares thin especially in the more serious aspects of the film.

Overall, Temple of Doom continues the thrilling adventures of Indiana Jones but fails to surpass the standards set by Raiders of the Lost Ark just a few years before. Unlike the previous installment, the supporting cast is more of a hindrance then anything else and just doesn’t compliment the wonderful performance given by Harrison Ford. Also unlike Raiders, Doom lacks the romantic integrity and the religious implications that made the series so enduring to movie-goers. The darker overtones also alienate many who had grown accustomed to the series’ light-hearted fare but not to such an extent that it ruins the experience entirely who do sit down and watch it. Despite its obvious inferior enduring quality behind Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom remains an entertaining feature for Harrison Ford’s engaging performance and the beautiful landscapes alone.