After Harrison Ford's awesome portrayal of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spielberg and company makes a sequel, correction: a prequel, but still most consider it a sequel. As I mentioned in my Gremlins review, both that film and this one are the reason we have PG-13 ratings today, so now let's see how the film's darkness affects its rating.
So here's the plot:
We begin in Shaghai at the Obi-Wan Club, haha, where Indiana meets Lao Che and gives him the remains of Nurhachi, the first emperor of the last dynasty, a trade for a diamond, but Lao Che poisons him and Indy's backup man is killed. After Indy kills one of Che's middlemen a panic strikes out in the club. Indy gets the antidote and takes the nightclub singer Willie Scott and jump out the window into a car.
The driver, Short Round, Indy's other backup man, takes the two to the airport, where they fly out. Unfortunately, its owned by Che and the pilots jump ship as the plane crashes into a mountain. Indy and company leave on an inflatable raft and end up in India where they come across a village where they have three stones that they worship and brings life to their village. A Kali cult following type has stolen them and the children.
Indy decides to go off and the bring the stones back to the village aided by Willie and Short Round. Through elephants, bats, snakes, and Willie's screaming, through lots of troubles, Indy and company finally reach the palace where it is believed the stones are located. Chatter Lal greets them, and introduces them to Maharajah, a young prince.
After a gross-out dinner, Indy is attacked in his room by an assassin, and finds a secret passageway in Willie's room. He and Short Round go down the passageway and find a room full of bugs. They barely escape that and a room of spikes twice. They then witness a ceremony where a man is sacraficed.
Mola Ram, the high priest, has the three stones but two are missing, so the children mine for them. Indiana and the rest of the trio are captured and Indy betrays them after falling under a Kali spell. Short Round is put to work and Willie is prepared to be sacraficed. Indy is saved by Short Round after he gets him to come round. Chatter Lal is killed and Indy prepares to take the stones out of there are rescue the children.
Indy fights a thug as the children escape. Unfortunately Prince Maharajah uses a voodoo doll on Indy so that he almost loses, but Short Round saves him again. After a thrilling mine car chase, they trio escape from the palace and end up on a rope bridge. The final battle occurs here, and Indy cuts the bridge as he is being surrounded and he fights Mola Ram one last time.
After Ram is killed and Indy returns to the village and restores peace, he starts a relationship with Willie, but since this is a prequel we know it can't end too well.
So now for the grading scale.
Acting: 7 out of 10. While Ford, Short Round, and the villains are good, all the female does is SCREAM!!!!
Entertainment: 9 out of 10. Mine car chase, bridge finale, and fight with the thug are all excellent.
Screenplay: 7 out of 10. Very nicely done.
Directing: 8 out of 10. Spielberg knows what he's doing.
Technical Credits: 10 out of 10. All up to Oscar level.
Genre Fit: 7 out of 10. At times it seems a little more like comedy, at other more like horror, but its mostly action.
MPAA Rating: 4 out of 10. This is where the film really slacks off. Really close to R at times, but the presence of Short Round saves it.
Stupid Scenes: 6 out of 10. Willie's scenes where she over-screams are awful, and a few scenes here and there don't work.
Deeper Message: 2 out of 10. Nothing really.
Beginning: 25 out of 30. A nice start.
Middle: 18 out of 30. Nothing really that great.
Ending: 30 out of 30. Brilliant conclusion.
Final Score: 133/180 or 74%. A surprising B, which is quite a fall from Raiders, but its still good fun.
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