Raiders/Temple of Doom "Prequel" question
I apologize if this is a dumb question, but... I've always heard/read that "Temple of Doom" is actually a prequel to "Raiders of the Lost Ark," but I've never understood just what makes ToD a prequel. I researched on-line, and all that I could find was that ToD is set in 1935, while RotLA is set in 1936.
Is that the ONLY reason ToD is a prequel? And if so, then what the heck difference does that make? I mean, plot/character-wise, couldn't RotLA be set before ToD and make no difference to the stories whatsoever?
Please enlighten me...
Mr. Flix
When the idea of Raiders was brought out, Lucas' & Spielberg's intention was to make a series of films about Indiana Jones and that these films basically can stand on its own.
"It's like nothing you have ever gone after before!
Oh Marcus. I'm going after a find of incredible historical significance, you're talking about the boogeyman!"
- writing around Marion and casting Capshaw.
- explaining the absence of the Nazis.
- the stones were no where near the historical find that the Ark was.
- writing around the 1937 Battle of Shanghai, or perhaps saving it if they came back to Shaghai in a further sequel. I believe they never finished the story with Lao Che.
So they gave him one, and he had hoped in the future that people would watch TOD first, so they made it set before raiders.
Personally, to me TOD is the second film. It's still and will always be the way I watch it. Nothing happens in the film other than the date to make it set before raiders.
That's the way I took it at the time. Of course, this being a Lucas film, the very next film in the series presents us with further backstory that makes the fortune and glory hunting seem completely out of character- as does the fact that he trades a genuine cultural relic at the begining for a big ass diamond that, since the story doesn't make a point of any historic or cultural significance afterwards, seems to only have intrinsic value (operating towards the "fortune" part of his creed at that point). Even before we see Indy as an earnest strident kid in TLC going on about how such and such "belongs in a museum" it never sat well with me that he would trade an obvious archeological relic of some prestige to a private gangster for a generic diamond payoff. That really cheapened the character to me just for the opportunity to have him execute an opening set-piece while wearing a James Bond style tux. One reason I don't rate the sequels in this series highly at all.
Last edited by Paul_SD; 05-18-08 at 06:09 AM.
Doom would have made sense except for the intro to Crusade's character - which honestly was just a cute way of explaining things like the persona (from the robber), the whip, and the fear of snakes.
That's the way I took it at the time. Of course, this being a Lucas film, the very next film in the series presents us with further backstory that makes the fortune and glory hunting seem completely out of character- as does the fact that he trades a genuine cultural relic at the begining for a big ass diamond that, since the story doesn't make a point of any historic or cultural significance afterwards, seems to only have intrinsic value (operating towards the "fortune" part of his creed at that point). Even before we see Indy as an earnest strident kid in TLC going on about how such and such "belongs in a museum" it never sat well with me that he would trade an obvious archeological relic of some prestige to a private gangster for a generic diamond payoff. That really cheapened the character to me just for the opportunity to have him execute an opening set-piece while wearing a James Bond style tux. One reason I don't rate the sequels in this series highly at all.
I was always interested in Lao Che having his own plane crashed instead of just having the pilots shoot Jones, or at least try and throw him out. That plane in the 30s might have had a similiar value to the diamond they were fighting over in the first place.
I look at Doom as the Never Say Never Again of the Jones movies.
Why the hate towards Doom? Its probably the most graphic, and the last 45 minutes is non-stop action. I love the bridge scene..and the fight with the guard in the cave rocks.