Rating of
4/4
Darker But Retains Its Timelessness
Franz Patrick - wrote on 05/26/08
I used to think that this was the weakest link of the "Indiana Jones" series but upon viewing it for the third time, I realized its greatness. I'm glad that Steven Spielberg did not try to duplicate "The Raiders of the Lost Ark" because that would have been a rip-off. Instead, he gave the audiences something different, something a bit darker than its predecessor. This time around, Indiana Jones does not jump from one country to another, which I think made the storyline that much more focused. The addition of Kate Capshaw and Jonathan Ke Quan was a good move because they provided a much needed comic relief since this installment deals with child slavery. The change from a strong female of the first film to a high maintenance female of the second film was interesting even though it is a bit more traditional. Still, Capshaw's character, although annoying at times, is funny nonetheless. Ke Quan's character who sees Indiana Jones as a friend/father figure provided some sort of emotional core. Although we did not learn that much about Indy this time, that is what the third installment is for. After I looked closer, I realized that this is just as fun and integral as the other parts of the series. Three scenes stood out for me: the bugs, the mine car chase, and the bridge. Those three scenes are strokes of mastery; I'll admit that I had to flinch and close eyes because they were so exciting!
