Post by ravi02 on May 19, 2018 6:18:33 GMT
I agree Temple is underrated to an extent. The opening at Club Obi-Wan, the collapsing spiked room, the heart-ripping scene, voodoo doll fight, the mine car chase and the final rope bridge sequence are all exciting action scenes. You've also got Ford, Lucas and Spielberg during their creative peak and full of enthusiasm.
Where it falls short in comparison to Raiders & Last Crusade for me is the film's script. The plot and characterizations are rather thin. The other two films had a strong central relationship with Indy and his respective main companion (Marion and Henry Sr.) while in Temple, Willie and Short Round (the latter of whom I find more tolerable than most) are simply there to tag along for the ride. The central treasure hunt is also lacking because the Sankara Stones aren't as interesting of a macguffin as the Ark or Holy Grail and the villains (whom we don't see until an hour in) never find all five stones, so the battle never has a sense of urgency.
I would rank it in the middle of Spielberg's filmography. It's nowhere near his worst films (for my money, 1941 and Hook), but not solid enough to be among his very best.