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Post by Nalkarj on Oct 17, 2017 16:43:45 GMT
I’ve enjoyed the Indiana Jones flicks for a long time— Raiders is, indeed, one of my favorite movies—and I’ve been interested in Indy knock-offs probably for an equally long time, mostly because I wanted to see adventures other than the original three. (I did enjoy Kingdom of the Crystal Skull when it came out, and still do, even if I rank it far below the original films.) So... What are your favorite Indy knock-offs (a less charitable critic would write “rip-offs”)? If anyone’s interested, a few of mine... King Solomon’s Mines, 1985 Though by no stretch of the imagination a particularly good movie, this KSM adaptation is one of the more obvious Indy knock-offs, throwing in John Rhys-Davies (Sallah) and making absolutely no attempt to differentiate Quatermain from Jones. It's also kinda-sorta fun, if I’m remembering correctly, with its rollicking, Raiders-like score and sheer goofiness. Though it has been a while since I’ve seen it. The Mummy, 1999 Thing is, this is a really good little film. Not at all a horror, as the title would suggest, but a rip-roaring Indy-esque adventure; lots of fun. And Mr. Fraser makes for a likeable lead and Miss Weisz for a lovely heroine. Unfortunately, though, I didn’t like any of the sequels. Congo, 1995 Another favorite movie, even if its immediate influence is less Raiders of the Lost Ark and more John Huston’s Beat the Devil. It’s a clever self-parody, with a grand central performance by Ernie Hudson as a “great white hunter who happens to be black,” an actor who deserves far better roles. And a few more that were not knock-offs but rather inspirations: Gunga Din, 1939 Only Angels Have Wings, 1939 (Superb film) King Solomon’s Mines, 1950 Valley of the Kings, 1954 There are still several I have yet to see: The Secret of the Incas (1954), from which Lucas and Spielberg cribbed Indy’s signature look; Tales of the Golden Monkey and Bring ’Em Back Alive, two television programs that were recommended to me in another thread; Sahara (2004); High Road to China (1983); etc. And, unfortunately, I wasn’t fond of two well-known knock-offs, Romancing the Stone (which deserves another look, though) and Tomb Raider (which I have no interest in giving another look). How about you?
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Post by Nalkarj on Oct 17, 2017 16:47:06 GMT
Ah, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Disney theme park ride Jungle Cruise. (Is there a style for theme park attractions? I mean, in quotation marks, italicized, bolded, underlined, etc?)
It was originally based on The African Queen and still keeps up that theme, but Indy has been slowly creeping in, especially at Disneyland, where the Indy ride is right next door.
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Post by taylorfirst1 on Oct 17, 2017 17:12:39 GMT
KSM 1985 is good fun The Mummy 1999 is a wonderful movie. Terrific adventure with a great cast. Congo 1995 was sort of meh to me.
Gunga Din 1939 is hands down one of the greatest adventure movies ever made and I consider it to be the grandfather of the action genre.
Sahara and High Road to China are both decent fun filled adventure movies. I am partial to High Road to China for some reason.
Romancing the Stone is just OK.
I enjoy the Tomb Raider movies but I consider them to be more in the superhero genre than in the Indiana Jones adventure genre.
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Post by Nalkarj on Oct 18, 2017 1:29:56 GMT
Thanks, taylorfirst1. I'm going to have to take a look at High Road to China soon--just my cup of tea. Your last comment got me thinking: is there an "Indiana Jones genre," and, if so, what? Jungle adventure? But most of the films don't take place in the jungle. "Adventure," in general? But that's a bit too vague. No easy answers, I think...
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Post by politicidal on Oct 18, 2017 17:25:57 GMT
All are smashing suggestions (except Tomb Raider. Fuck those movies). Other examples that followed in the franchise's wake include: MAGNIFICENT WARRIORS (1987) 6/10. A sometimes goofy but entertaining Hong Kong action movie starring a young Michelle Yeoh. She plays a daredevil adventurer fighting the Japanese during World War 2. The stunts and action scenes are excellent. SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW (2004) 7/10. A wondrously imaginative and action packed homage to the same cliffhanger serials and pulp sci-fi stories that inspired the Indiana Jones movies. It's a shame it was not a commercial success and that director Kerry Conran didn't go on to other projects.
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Post by Nalkarj on Oct 18, 2017 18:12:31 GMT
politicidal You and I agree completely on Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, which I loved (and, yes, what Hollywood did to Conran is unforgivable), but I'm not sure I'd say it's like Indy. I guess that gets back to the whole genre bit, right? It simply didn't have that feel, mostly because it's set in such a stylized, "dieselpunk" world. (None of that's a criticism, just pointing out differences.) But there are a few scenes that crib from Indy, absolutely, and it is just as inspired by cliffhanger serials; I'd simply say that it leans more towards those "pulp sci-fi stories" than anything in Jones (even Crystal Skull) did. I didn't like the Tomb Raider movies either. Never seen Magnificent Warriors, though--going on my list! P.S. I included Only Angels Have Wings, which has very little in common with any of the plotting in the Indy films, but I did so because I think the characterizations are similar more than anything else.
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Post by sdrew13163 on Oct 18, 2017 20:50:31 GMT
The Rocketeer seems to be inspired at least a little bit by Indy.
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Post by taylorfirst1 on Oct 19, 2017 13:57:45 GMT
Firewalker (1986) Starring Chuck Norris and Louis Gossett Jr. Surprisingly not bad but not great either.
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detour
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Post by detour on Oct 19, 2017 16:05:09 GMT
It's not a favourite of mine or anything, but does anyone remember this Indy rip-off? And I highly recommend Tales of the Gold Monkey, a fun show. And definitely give Romancing the Stone another shot.
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Post by Nalkarj on Oct 20, 2017 19:50:50 GMT
sdrew13163 , taylorfirst1 , detour Thanks, fellas. Sdrew, I'm a huge fan of The Rocketeer, and I will concede that it has the same general spirit as Indy, as Sky Captain also does, though again I'm hung up on that "genre" question. Taylor, I've never seen Firewalker, though I've seen it recommended. I'll probably take a look at High Road to China first, though. Detour, I've never even heard of that one! Should I be afraid to ask if it's any good? I'll definitely take a look at Tales of the Gold Monkey (and will rewatch Romancing eventually). Thanks again!
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detour
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Post by detour on Oct 20, 2017 20:47:08 GMT
Well, I'll tell ya, Salzy (you don't mind if I call you Salzy?) I haven't seen it since 1986, but I remember being pumped when I rented it from the video store (Betamax, baby!) as I was (and still am) a big Indian Jones fan.
All I can really remember after viewing it was the fact I was a lot less pumped.
Actually, talking about it with you makes me want to revisit it.
If you get the chance to see it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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Post by Primemovermithrax Pejorative on Oct 20, 2017 21:00:14 GMT
Secret of the Incas doesn't just have the IJ look, the character is similar, and he used a golden medallion and the sun to find a treasure location just like IJ does-and he gets betrayed by a rival just like IJ does.
Tales of the Gold Monkey was a decent rip off--It tried to emulate a Terry and the Pirates vibe so it wasn't entirely the same (nazis do appear in the pilot film).
Bring Em Back Alive I dont remember too well.
Treasure of the Four Crowns was the most blatant IJ cash in released in the early 80s-and also in 3d.
There were a few others that werent so much rip offs as using the same kind of title:
The Ark of the Sun God The Hunters of the Golden Cobra
Jungle Raiders
Tom Selleck's Lasseter may have also been inspired by Raiders--in that he was supposedly the original choice for Indiana Jones (I am skeptical though--given how much Harrison Ford resembles Charlton Heston and the obvious debt that IJ owes to the Harry Steele character).
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Post by Nalkarj on Oct 20, 2017 22:08:20 GMT
Well, I'll tell ya, Salzy (you don't mind if I call you Salzy?) I haven't seen it since 1986, but I remember being pumped when I rented it from the video store (Betamax, baby!) as I was (and still am) a big Indian Jones fan. All I can really remember after viewing it was the fact I was a lot less pumped. Actually, talking about it with you makes me want to revisit it. If you get the chance to see it, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Heck, I don't mind if you's callin' me Salzarosa. (There was a guy on here who called "Sal," which isn't my name, and then some other guy came along and started complaining that I hadn't given him "permission" to call me "Sal." Permission? Huh?) I genuinely miss video stores--the whole experience, warts and all. I guess you never know what you've got until you lose it, right? Sure, will do--I'll let you know when I do get around to seeing it. Thanks.
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detour
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Post by detour on Oct 21, 2017 17:16:11 GMT
Thanks, Salzy, I too miss video stores, always fun to go through the awesome artwork on some of the cases, wondering how the film inside will compare.
Primemover, I'd completely forgotten about Treasure of the Four Crowns, and I saw that one in the theatre (in 3-D). That's two films I'm interested in rewatching now, if just for nostalgia's sake.
BTW, how do you tag another member in a post, so that they get a notification that you've responded to their earlier post? I've been tagged a few times, cool feature, but can't figure out how to do it.
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Post by Nalkarj on Oct 21, 2017 19:27:15 GMT
detourOK, it's like this: you put the @ symbol in front of the member's user name, but it has to be that little name right above your number of posts. Your “@” name is the same as your regular user name (“detour”), as are mine, Primemover’s, Taylor’s, and Sdrew’s, but not everyone has it the same. So, if I write the little italicized name there, then you're “tagged”! Hope this helps.
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detour
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Post by detour on Jan 30, 2018 17:28:56 GMT
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Post by Nalkarj on Jan 30, 2018 17:36:32 GMT
‘Course, detour! I was just recently informed that the box above of the little man with the @ symbol also tags members, but I’ve found the @ + username format much easier.
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Post by Rey Kahuka on Jan 30, 2018 17:40:50 GMT
I've enjoyed the Indiana Jones flicks for a long time-- Raiders is, indeed, one of my favorite movies--and I've been interested in Indy knock-offs probably for an equally long time, mostly because I wanted to see adventures other than the original three. (I did enjoy Kingdom of the Crystal Skull when it came out, and still do, even if I rank it far below the original films.) So... What are your favorite Indy knock-offs (a less charitable critic would write "rip-offs")? If anyone's interested, a few of mine... King Solomon's Mines, 1985 Though by no stretch of the imagination a particularly good movie, this KSM adaptation is one of the more obvious Indy knock-offs, throwing in John Rhys-Davies (Sallah) and making absolutely no attempt to differentiate Quatermain from Jones. It's also kinda-sorta fun, if I'm remembering correctly, with its rollicking, Raiders-like score and sheer goofiness. Though it has been a while since I've seen it. The Mummy, 1999 Thing is, this is a really good little film. Not at all a horror, as the title would suggest, but a rip-roaring Indy-esque adventure; lots of fun. And Mr. Fraser makes for a likeable lead and Miss Weisz for a lovely heroine. Unfortunately, though, I didn't like any of the sequels. Congo, 1995 Another favorite movie, even if its immediate influence is less Raiders of the Lost Ark and more John Huston's Beat the Devil. It's a clever self-parody, with a grand central performance by Ernie Hudson as a "great white hunter who happens to be black," an actor who deserves far better roles. And, unfortunately, I wasn't fond of two well-known knock-offs, Romancing the Stone (which deserves another look, though) and Tomb Raider (which I have no interest in giving another look). How about you? Some great picks, I enjoyed these movies as well. Congo is definitely a forgotten gem in my book. Another movie I'd count as at least a cousin to Indy is League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Yet another flick featuring Quatermain who dresses like Indy (and they even got Indy's dad to play him!) and is essentially the same character. Very different from the comics of course, and some serious pacing/editing problems but I've always considered it to be great fun.
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Post by President Ackbar™ on Jan 30, 2018 17:43:52 GMT
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Post by Nalkarj on Jan 30, 2018 17:52:24 GMT
Some great picks, I enjoyed these movies as well. Congo is definitely a forgotten gem in my book. Another movie I'd count as at least a cousin to Indy is League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Yet another flick featuring Quatermain who dresses like Indy (and they even got Indy's dad to play him!) and is essentially the same character. Very different from the comics of course, and some serious pacing/editing problems but I've always considered it to be great fun. Thanks! Nice to see another Congo fan, too: we’ve got you, me, Roger Ebert, and a few guys on this board, and—uh—is that it? I think it’s just great, but people nowadays don’t really seem to understand that something can be both of a genre and parodical of that genre. (Another favorite of mine that many critics didn’t understand, Mamet’s The Edge, also counts—oh, and so does Mamet’s The Spanish Prisoner! Happens a lot with Mamet.) As Ebert put it, “False sophisticates will scorn it. Real sophisticates will relish it.” I have seen League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and all I can say is that I wish it were better done. I would have loved a Connery Quatermain movie a bit earlier—Quatermain’s supposed to be in his 50s in King Solomon’s Mines (and, as I understand it, in the League comic books too)—so maybe some time around The Hunt for Red October? Anyhoo, I didn’t hate the movie, but its over-reliance on special effects did hurt it, in my opinion. Still, yes, there are definitely segments that are good goofy fun.
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