Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

I have a few anecdotes I’d like to say before reviewing this. First, this is a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark because Lucas wanted a way to avoid Nazis in this movie. Second, this is one of two movies that created the need for a PG-13 rating. The other was Gremlins. They were too adult for PG but didn’t necessarily facilitate a full R rating. Finally, Corridor Crew did a segment on this but the mine cart sequence was a fascinating feat. It is a mixture of a proper set, smaller sets with dolls, and background projection. Next time you watch this, look closely at the heroes during the wide shots. They will look much stiffer and figure-like. Enough fun facts. Let me get into what I thought. Willie was nothing but eye candy and a damsel who served very little to the plot outside of constant screaming. The other characters are amazing and iconic. This film also got a chance to show Indy’s humility and show him being more of a hero than strictly someone in a race to get the prize of the week. It is darker in tone but it works so well. If you remove Willie for a more helpful love interest, this would be a near-perfect movie. This movie also shows why I would never be able to travel abroad to countries that aren't at least a little Americanized like UK and Japan. I don’t do delicacies. I eat chicken and potatoes.

Story - 19%

Characters - 17%

Pacing - 18%

Spectacle - 19%

Entertainment - 18%

Total score: 91%

Grade scale:

90%-100% = must watch

80%-89% = solid, but could be better

70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you

60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons

0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here