An improvement on Raiders? Don't make me laugh. The over the top feel, the corny dialogue, the kiddy focus, the lack of dramatic context for the action and the weak and superficial attempt at mythology are all forgivable in a movie such as this.
What is harder to take is the appalling disrespect shown to Indian culture. As one reviewer here has noted, all Indians in this film are either demonic (i.e. soulless) bad guys or waiting for a westerner to save them. The only other use Spielberg finds Indian culture serves is to disgust us with entirely fabricated depictions of people eating monkey brains and beetles.
Kate Capshaw's character also deserves singling out, it seems that the only purpose women serve in this film is to be mothers to children (the women in the village), to complain when they break a nail, but mostly, to scream very loudly, and engage in sexual banter with the lead.
But hey, all of these are peripheral issues for what is an action movie.
What really bites is just how slipshod some of the direction, but especially the editing of some key action scenes were. The fight to save KC from being dropped into the lava makes absolutely no sense. If we look at it, Short-round in one cut must dispose of about 6 massive bad-guys AND wedge the pulley to account for what we are shown next. But we see NONE of this. We have to imagine it for ourselves, which is asking a lot, if you are over 10.
This kind of slipshod editing/direction occurs several times during the movie, and is really the reason why people say this movie is inferior to Raiders, and Last Crusade. It has nothing to do with any 'darker' feel to this picture compared to Raiders, which is something I personally just don't recognise. It's the quality of the action, editing and continuity that made Raiders in particular such a special action film. We can suspend our disbelief in many ways, but, if the action doesn't hold together cinematically (let alone create an illusion of material realism), the film fails.
Also to many modern eyes, some of the special (even basic ones) effects will appear remarkably crude, even accounting for the fact the film was made 25 odd years ago.
Luckily the film provides us at least one magic moment that reminds us what good action movies are all about. The chase on the mine cart is a simple idea that is brilliantly edited, humorous and exciting, and satisfying in almost every way an action sequence can be.
There are many other good moments in this film too, but this is the only one that isn't in some way spoilt by any of the reservations people have about this movie.
What is harder to take is the appalling disrespect shown to Indian culture. As one reviewer here has noted, all Indians in this film are either demonic (i.e. soulless) bad guys or waiting for a westerner to save them. The only other use Spielberg finds Indian culture serves is to disgust us with entirely fabricated depictions of people eating monkey brains and beetles.
Kate Capshaw's character also deserves singling out, it seems that the only purpose women serve in this film is to be mothers to children (the women in the village), to complain when they break a nail, but mostly, to scream very loudly, and engage in sexual banter with the lead.
But hey, all of these are peripheral issues for what is an action movie.
What really bites is just how slipshod some of the direction, but especially the editing of some key action scenes were. The fight to save KC from being dropped into the lava makes absolutely no sense. If we look at it, Short-round in one cut must dispose of about 6 massive bad-guys AND wedge the pulley to account for what we are shown next. But we see NONE of this. We have to imagine it for ourselves, which is asking a lot, if you are over 10.
This kind of slipshod editing/direction occurs several times during the movie, and is really the reason why people say this movie is inferior to Raiders, and Last Crusade. It has nothing to do with any 'darker' feel to this picture compared to Raiders, which is something I personally just don't recognise. It's the quality of the action, editing and continuity that made Raiders in particular such a special action film. We can suspend our disbelief in many ways, but, if the action doesn't hold together cinematically (let alone create an illusion of material realism), the film fails.
Also to many modern eyes, some of the special (even basic ones) effects will appear remarkably crude, even accounting for the fact the film was made 25 odd years ago.
Luckily the film provides us at least one magic moment that reminds us what good action movies are all about. The chase on the mine cart is a simple idea that is brilliantly edited, humorous and exciting, and satisfying in almost every way an action sequence can be.
There are many other good moments in this film too, but this is the only one that isn't in some way spoilt by any of the reservations people have about this movie.