Product Details

• Actors: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth
• Directors: Steven Spielberg
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: May 13, 2008
• Run Time: 118 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (187 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0014Z4ON4
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,923 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Special Edition)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It’s hard to imagine that a film with worldwide box office receipts topping $300 million worldwide could be labeled a disappointment, but some moviegoers considered Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the second installment in Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ 1980s adventure trilogy, to be just that. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad effort; any collaboration between these two cinema giants (Spielberg directed, while Lucas provided the story and was executive producer) is bound to have more than its share of terrific moments, and Temple of Doom is no exception. But in exchanging the very real threat of Nazi Germany for the cartoonish Thuggee cult, it loses some of the heft of its predecessor (Raiders of the Lost Ark); on the other hand, it’s also the darkest and most disturbing of the three films, what with multiple scenes of children enslaved, a heart pulled out of a man’s chest, and the immolation of a sacrificial victim, which makes it less fun than either Raiders or The Last Crusade, notwithstanding a couple of riotous chase scenes and impressively grand sets. Many fans were also less than thrilled with the new love interest, a spoiled, querulous nightclub singer portrayed by Kate Capshaw, but a cute kid sidekick ("Short Round," played by Ke Huy Quan) and, of course, the ever-reliable Harrison Ford as the cynical-but-swashbuckling hero more than make up for that character’s shortcomings.

A six-minute introduction by Lucas and Spielberg is the prime special feature, with both men candidly addressing the film’s good and bad points (Lucas points out that the second Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, was also the darkest of the original three; as for Spielberg, the fact that the leading lady would soon become his wife was the best part of the whole trip). Also good are "The Creepy Crawlies," a mini-doc about the thousands of snakes, bugs, rats and other scary critters that populate the trilogy, and "Travels with Indy," a look at some of the films’ cool locations. Storyboards and a photo gallery are included as well. --Sam Graham

Product Description

The second of the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg Indiana Jones epics is set a year or so before the events in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1984). After a brief brouhaha involving a precious vial and a wild ride down a raging Himalyan river, Indy (Harrison Ford) gets down to the problem at hand: retrieving a precious gem and several kidnapped young boys on behalf of a remote East Indian village. His companions this time around include a dimbulbed, easily frightened nightclub chanteuse (Kate Capshaw), and a feisty 12-year-old kid named Short Round (Quan Ke Huy). Throughout, the plot takes second place to the thrills, which include a harrowing rollercoaster ride in an abandoned mineshaft and Indy's rescue of the heroine from a ritual sacrifice. There are also a couple of cute references to Raiders of the Lost Ark, notably a funny variation of Indy's shooting of the Sherpa warrior.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Always My Favorite December 24, 2011

By Roman G

Format:DVD

This has been my favorite of the Indiana Jones movies since I was a child, and it continues to be so. The visual splendor is amazing. From the streets to Shanghai to the forbidding Indian Palace... it's all very surreal. The soundtrack has all of the charm from Raiders with new, more intense, and emotional themes. A great adventure from start to finish.

23 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom October 24, 2000

By Sandy Rigas

Format:VHS Tape

The second installment in the Indiana Jones, set 2 years before Raiders, finds Indy going after the Shonkara stones and trying to rescue children enslaved by the Thagee Cult. He is joined by young Short Round (Key He Quan) and nighclub vocalist Willie Scott, played very well by Kate Capshaw, the current Mrs.Spielberg. While Karen Allen's Marion Ravenwood was a two-fisted hellraiser, Scott is a pampered indoor brat, and in turn is brilliant, plus her character is quite funny also, as is Short Round. Amrish Puri is a chilling as the villainous cult leader.

Though Temple of Doom lacks Sallah, Marcus Brody, and the Nazis, it is an improvement over Raiders in more than a few ways. To start, Ford is even better as Indy for his character is tested more. Douglas Slocombe's photography is more effective, and John Williams' music score is even more diverse and genius. Temple of Doom is also more creative, emotionally effective, and imaginative. However, it lacks the spectacle of the first film and is far more controversial and violent.This is the movie that created the PG-13 rating.

Dennis Muren's stunning Oscar-winning visual effects match Richard Edlund's effects in Raiders, yet they are not as awe-inspiring or important to the story. Elliot Scott's production design is terrific, and the cult sequences are very intense. The stunts top the ones in Raiders and are really good. The most memorable sequences have to be the mine car chase, the creature feature dinner, the Shanghai nightclub opening, the duel at the cult platform, and the rope bridge finale, incredible. Though Temple of Doom isn't as good as Raiders or Last Crusade it is highly recommended and is one of the best adventure films ever made.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An original thrilling, rip roaring, worthy sequel to Raiders January 2, 2012

By tetsuojin

Format:DVD

IMHO, I acknowledge only two Indiana Jones movies worthy of greatness: the Original Raiders movie and this, the Temple of Doom. The other two Indy films: Last Crusade and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull are poorly paced, contrived, tired, simplistic and very derivative. I know many people disagree with this assessment, but hold Temple of Doom against the other two movies, and you will see the weaknesses: thin plotlines, poor action sequences, tired pacing and inferior storytelling. The last two movies that simply don't measure up to the first two.

TOD is definitely the darkest of the Indy films; watching the adventure unfold, you are literally lowered into the pits of hell, in the face of true evil and darkness, with one of the strongest villains in film history. This very movie created the PG-13 rating category, which says alot about the level of horror portrayed. Like Raiders, TOD is a fast paced adventure rocket ride that features superb photography, exotic locations, a wonderful new original musical score by John Williams and rip roaring action sequences that stand as textbook examples on how to expertly film an action movie. The various action sequences have a natural flow to them that are physically credible, well sequenced and exciting. Short Round and Willie Scott are Indy's companions in this sequel, and both add sporadic necessary humor and lightheartedness to break up and balance off the extremely dark and nightmarish sequences. Despite Spielberg's personal opinion about TOD not being his favorite Indy movie, I consider this film one of Spielberg's greatest film achievements. From beginning to the end, you are on the edge of your seat. This is pure adventure in the spirit of the old movie serials.