tomandshell
Blue Flame of the West/Mod
Nice review that gives us more to think about.
As I think about the film, I would say that the enemies didn't provide a real sense of menace. I liked Cate Blanchett, but she didn't really have any truly memorable sinister moments. When Marion comes out of the tent, everybody is just smiling and bickering and there was no sense of danger or threat in spite of their captivity by Spalko. She reminded me more of Belloq--someone who is a kindred spirit to Indy in search of something, but with a dark side. In the past, that "champagne villain" was always balanced out by a more menacing character or two (Belloq/Toht/Dietrich or Donovan/Elsa/Vogel).
The big fist fight in the ant scene was OK, but it was just a matter of trading punches. In Raiders, Indy overcomes his weakness by kicking in the crotch, biting the arm, throwing sand in the face, etc. He was a little more desperate and creative when facing superior muscle power. He was a resourceful fighter rather than a fair one. I thought that a simple "fair fight" wasn't quite in the spirit of Indy, who would much rather shoot you down than get in a boxing match.
I was expecting to be annoyed by Shia and really enjoy Karen Allen, and I would agree that the opposite happened. She was even smiling when she washed up on shore with a detached steering wheel firmly in tow. I was really expecting her to give Indy a good punch to the jaw when she came out of that tent.
One other part that will probably always have me scratching my head is what exactly Indy was thinking in the quicksand scene when he tells Oxley to go and get help. The only other people around were the bad guys. What was crazy Oxley supposed to do?
As I think about the film, I would say that the enemies didn't provide a real sense of menace. I liked Cate Blanchett, but she didn't really have any truly memorable sinister moments. When Marion comes out of the tent, everybody is just smiling and bickering and there was no sense of danger or threat in spite of their captivity by Spalko. She reminded me more of Belloq--someone who is a kindred spirit to Indy in search of something, but with a dark side. In the past, that "champagne villain" was always balanced out by a more menacing character or two (Belloq/Toht/Dietrich or Donovan/Elsa/Vogel).
The big fist fight in the ant scene was OK, but it was just a matter of trading punches. In Raiders, Indy overcomes his weakness by kicking in the crotch, biting the arm, throwing sand in the face, etc. He was a little more desperate and creative when facing superior muscle power. He was a resourceful fighter rather than a fair one. I thought that a simple "fair fight" wasn't quite in the spirit of Indy, who would much rather shoot you down than get in a boxing match.
I was expecting to be annoyed by Shia and really enjoy Karen Allen, and I would agree that the opposite happened. She was even smiling when she washed up on shore with a detached steering wheel firmly in tow. I was really expecting her to give Indy a good punch to the jaw when she came out of that tent.
One other part that will probably always have me scratching my head is what exactly Indy was thinking in the quicksand scene when he tells Oxley to go and get help. The only other people around were the bad guys. What was crazy Oxley supposed to do?
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