Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (1984)

Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, this is the second installment in the popular series. The film opens in China where Indy is trying to acquire a rare jewel but he runs into problems and must struggle for his life. He escapes with the help of his little friend Short Round and an annoyed night club singer tags along for the ride.

They finally find their way to a remote village which is fearful of a great evil. The trio is then welcomed at a grand palace. After an initial attempt on Indy's life, they find a secret passage that leads to a temple where the Thuggee cult survives. They witness horrible tings and Indy attempts to recover the stone from the village. However, they are captured and Indy is turned into a mindless worshiper, while Short Round is forced to work and Willie is prepared for sacrifice. 

Thanks to Short Round's escape he is able to recover Indy as they fight to save Willie and get out alive. A harrowing mine car chase ends in another perilous situation for Indiana and his friends. In the final showdown he is able to prevail and as always there is a happy ending. 

This is certainly the weakest of the original trilogy in my mind and coincidentally also the darkest. This film did however help bring to pass the PG-13 rating. I am partial to Short Round and Indiana Jones is all we have come to expect. 

3.5/5 Stars