Product Description

The second of the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg Indiana Jones epics is set a year or so before the events in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1984). After a brief brouhaha involving a precious vial and a wild ride down a raging Himalyan river, Indy (Harrison Ford) gets down to the problem at hand: retrieving a precious gem and several kidnapped young boys on behalf of a remote East Indian village. His companions this time around include a dimbulbed, easily frightened nightclub chanteuse (Kate Capshaw), and a feisty 12-year-old kid named Short Round (Quan Ke Huy). Throughout, the plot takes second place to the thrills, which include a harrowing rollercoaster ride in an abandoned mineshaft and Indy's rescue of the heroine from a ritual sacrifice. There are also a couple of cute references to Raiders of the Lost Ark, notably a funny variation of Indy's shooting of the Sherpa warrior.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13403 in DVD
• Brand: PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2008-05-13
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 118 minutes

Amazon.com
It’s hard to imagine that a film with worldwide box office receipts topping $300 million worldwide could be labeled a disappointment, but some moviegoers considered Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the second installment in Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ 1980s adventure trilogy, to be just that. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad effort; any collaboration between these two cinema giants (Spielberg directed, while Lucas provided the story and was executive producer) is bound to have more than its share of terrific moments, and Temple of Doom is no exception. But in exchanging the very real threat of Nazi Germany for the cartoonish Thuggee cult, it loses some of the heft of its predecessor (Raiders of the Lost Ark); on the other hand, it’s also the darkest and most disturbing of the three films, what with multiple scenes of children enslaved, a heart pulled out of a man’s chest, and the immolation of a sacrificial victim, which makes it less fun than either Raiders or The Last Crusade, notwithstanding a couple of riotous chase scenes and impressively grand sets. Many fans were also less than thrilled with the new love interest, a spoiled, querulous nightclub singer portrayed by Kate Capshaw, but a cute kid sidekick ("Short Round," played by Ke Huy Quan) and, of course, the ever-reliable Harrison Ford as the cynical-but-swashbuckling hero more than make up for that character’s shortcomings.

A six-minute introduction by Lucas and Spielberg is the prime special feature, with both men candidly addressing the film’s good and bad points (Lucas points out that the second Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, was also the darkest of the original three; as for Spielberg, the fact that the leading lady would soon become his wife was the best part of the whole trip). Also good are "The Creepy Crawlies," a mini-doc about the thousands of snakes, bugs, rats and other scary critters that populate the trilogy, and "Travels with Indy," a look at some of the films’ cool locations. Storyboards and a photo gallery are included as well. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The second installment in the Indiana Jones, set 2 years before Raiders, finds Indy going after the Shonkara stones and trying to rescue children enslaved by the Thagee Cult. He is joined by young Short Round (Key He Quan) and nighclub vocalist Willie Scott, played very well by Kate Capshaw, the current Mrs.Spielberg. While Karen Allen's Marion Ravenwood was a two-fisted hellraiser, Scott is a pampered indoor brat, and in turn is brilliant, plus her character is quite funny also, as is Short Round. Amrish Puri is a chilling as the villainous cult leader.

Though Temple of Doom lacks Sallah, Marcus Brody, and the Nazis, it is an improvement over Raiders in more than a few ways. To start, Ford is even better as Indy for his character is tested more. Douglas Slocombe's photography is more effective, and John Williams' music score is even more diverse and genius. Temple of Doom is also more creative, emotionally effective, and imaginative. However, it lacks the spectacle of the first film and is far more controversial and violent.This is the movie that created the PG-13 rating.

Dennis Muren's stunning Oscar-winning visual effects match Richard Edlund's effects in Raiders, yet they are not as awe-inspiring or important to the story. Elliot Scott's production design is terrific, and the cult sequences are very intense. The stunts top the ones in Raiders and are really good. The most memorable sequences have to be the mine car chase, the creature feature dinner, the Shanghai nightclub opening, the duel at the cult platform, and the rope bridge finale, incredible. Though Temple of Doom isn't as good as Raiders or Last Crusade it is highly recommended and is one of the best adventure films ever made.

Indiana's Darkest Adventure
This 1984 sequel to the 1981 classic "Raiders Of The Lost Ark", is a real important film to me. I saw it 11 times in the theaters and I was mesmerized. I hadn't seen anything like it before. It's one of those films that brings back great memories from your youth. Spielberg, Lucas, and Ford all return for this chapter. It takes place 10 years later, and Indy is joined by a nightclub singer, Willie Scott(Kate Capshaw), and a young sidekick named Short Round(Ke Huy - Quan from "The Goonies"), on a mission to find and rescue young children who have been kidnapped from a small village by some sort of cult. Indy and his gang infiltrate this incredible palace, only to discover the horror that lurks below the place. This film definitley has the Saturday morning serial cliffhanger thing going here. More so than the first and third installments. This movie is a little darker and more violent than "Raiders". Some fans didn't think that was such a good thing. Their loss. This movie is a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. It's a movie that never stops being entertaining. There are a number of classic scenes in here, like - The mine cart chase, the airplane scene, the water out the side of the mountain, the rope bridge. You know it's a good movie when you can think of a number of good scenes like that. Once again, Spielberg has a nice eye for details. Ford is the most charismatic hero of the century. No one comes close. Capshaw and Quan are on hand mostly for comedic support. Just lay back, get some popcorn, and get ready to have your spines tingled when Indy's theme song starts....

A more darker, complex Indy Jones tale!
"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" is a great departure from the first Indy movie. While still being filled with over-the-top acting, effects, and stunts, the violence is much more intense. This was the movie that caused the MPAA to create the "PG-13" rating.

That's not to say that the story shouldn't be viewed by most kids. Like anything else, it should be viewed first by the parents who should make the final decision. The strong violence, most of which is still in the comic-book style of "Raiders," goes down a darker road with much of it being directed at the children who are victims of the evil in this story. The most intense scene though (when a human heart is literally dug by hand out of a man's chest who sacrifices himself to the Hindu god Kali) is completely impossible but one that must be explained to the innocent mind of children.

Despite the extreme script, it's still a Spielberg, Lucas creation that's filled with imaginative images and a more fulfilling end to this chapter of the globe-trotting, two-fisted archaeologist Indiana Jones, played again wonderfully by Harrison Ford.

This is a must see for anyone who loves action/adventure stories and yes, it even has a little romance thrown in too (thanks to Kate Capshaw, the current Mrs. Spielberg).