There is something about Indy. The delightfully escapist movies featuring the globetrotting, bull whip cracking, fedora toting archaeologist adventurer, Indiana Jones, are the perfect pick me up.
The Indiana Jones story started with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie told a breathless tale of the search for the Ark of Covenant, where the Ten Commandments rested. The movie, set in 1936 opens in South America, dashes off to Nepal, then onward to Cairo and sundry exotic places while Indy dodges malevolent rolling rocks, poisonous arrows, superstitious natives, a charming and duplicitous French archaeologist, snakes and nasty Nazis.
Harrison Ford made for a perfect Indiana Jones. He was wry, intelligent, laconic and oh so hot. The movie was a smash hit and a sequel was a forgone conclusion. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom came out in 1984. The film was set before the events of Raiders and did not have the zest and goofy charm of its predecessor. The movie unlike Raiders was mainly set in one location — Sri Lanka standing in for India.
While there were manic, hectic chases through underground mines, it did not mask the thinness of the plot. The tearing out of the still-beating heart touched a new level of grossness and was symbolic also of all that was wrong with the film
The only joy in the movie was to watch Amrish Puri ham it up as the villainous Mola Ram and hear Ford mutter in Hindi.
The Last Crusade in 1989 saw Spielberg back in the driving seat and here was an Indiana Jones movie with the right mix of elements — from exotic locations to everyone’s favourite bad boys — the Nazis. Sean Connery as Indy’s dad, Dr. Henry Jones, was phenomenal.
Spielberg said he always visualised the Indiana Jones movies as a trilogy but fans would never let Indy be. So 19 years later, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released. It features an older Indy but followed the template faithfully. The multifaceted Cate Blanchette had a blast as the evil Russian psychic.
There is good news for all Indy fans as Star Movies is airing three Indiana Jones movies every Saturday in October. Raiders of the Lost Ark will kick off the series and will be telecast on October 10 at 9 p.m.
On October 17 at 9 p.m., The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will be telecast followed by the repeat telecast of The Raiders of the Lost Ark and on October 24 at 9 p.m., Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade will be telecast followed by the repeat telecast of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull .
There will also be online contests for the viewers in the form of a virtual treasure hunt throughout the series.
Log onto www.starmovies.in for details.
