As the camera starts to roll you are confused and dazed by sparkly dancers singing nonsense whenever the true star you are waiting to see is Indiana Jones. “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” is the second movie in the Indiana Jones series that continues Indy’s next big adventure. In this story he literally falls into India and is tasked with finding the Sankara stone. Of course Indiana not only has to find the stone but he ends up saving thousands of captured slaves. The greater good always defeats evil.

A classic conventional film such as this one it makes you want to see how Indiana Jones saves the day. Harrison Ford did another outstanding job acting as the hero the rest of the cast made the film fall short of a favorite Indiana Jones movie. To quote my grandpa and his opinion on the squeal, “You watch the first movie with the brunette and you expect her to be in the second one. Then you get the annoying blonde so then you are disappointed.” In the first movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark” you have Karen Allen playing Marion Ravenwood. Then in this movie you have Kate Capshaw playing Willie Scott the performance girl who gets dragged along with Indiana Jones. I have to admit that I found myself turning down the volume due to her “impressive” screaming. Throughout the film she is yelling at Indiana or screaming for him to help her. This is the classic “damsel-in-distress” type of film where the hero saves the day no matter what.

The film was the second top adjusted gross movie making $482, 330, 700. The amount is significantly less than “Raiders of the Lost Ark” which make $213,593,800 more at $695,924,500. If you were to calculate it into today’s money “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” would of made $1,191,941,754. This is a small amount in comparison to what films nowadays make usually which is about $14 million dollars if it is a blockbuster film. According to an article from The New York Times by Aljean Harmetz titled “‘Indiana Jones’ Topping ‘Jedi’ Box-Office Record” states “The Steven Spielberg-George Lucas ‘Indiana Jones,’ the sequel to ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ sold $9,324,710 worth of tickets last Sunday for the movie industry’s single-day record. ‘Return of the Jedi,’ the last movie in Mr. Lucas’s ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, had held the previous single- day record of $8.4 million.” During this time there were several franchise movies emerged in 1984 alone from “Sixteen Candles”, “Gremlins”, “Karate Kid”, “Romancing the Stone”, and even to “Red Dawn.” It is surprising to me that this movie did better than “Return of the Jedi” just because “Star Wars” was such a significant film for its time.

The Indiana Jones series has always been a family favorite in my household. Some of my favorite memories are of me walking out of my room to see my little brother wrapped up in a blanket watching Indiana Jones with wide eyes. It is also a favorite ride of ours at Disneyland. You are transported into his world snaking along the extensive line to the dimly lit cave with the brown, dusty Jeeps. As you buckle in the fake engine starts up as you hear the story begin with the panicked words of “Hello? Hello?” You are then jerked around each corner dogging whatever Indy had to face. I have to admit I have tears in my eyes and a smile on my face imagining the wonderful ride that brings you right into his world. Even my grandfather reminds me of Harrison Ford because he portrays the same qualities as him. I knew immediately I had to watch this movie due to the deep rooted love I have for his adventures. Rewatching the film made me want to watch the rest of the films to compare and contrast each movie from the next.  Something that I admire about the series is that Indiana Jones is not one of those typical heroes. He displays many qualities as one but with the clever directing of Steven Spielberg he gets beat up pretty bad. Most heroes in movies leave a battle with a tiny cut or bruise. As where Indiana Jones is tossed around, thrown over buildings, poisoned, you name it he has been through it. I believe this is makes his character more relatable in the sense of you can fight for good but you will go through all sorts of obstacles along your way.

“Well I always thought archaeologists were funny little men searching for their mommies” -Willie Scott. “Mummies” -Indiana Jones. Weaving throughout the movie an embedded sense of humor weaves you along Indiana Jones’s journey to the Temple of Doom. In almost every sense there is a perfect “poster moment” where you could freeze the frame and cherish it forever. This classic second movie makes you grasp for more of Harrison Ford’s chiseled looks and heroic fight scenes. The series then continues with “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” five years later. Families come together today to watch these classic films for the love of Indiana Jones.