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Indiana Jones: A Retrospective
The persona of Indiana Jones is so embedded in our national consciousness that is difficult to believe that he has only existed as an American icon since 1981. Many people mistakenly assume that the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark changed the face of movie-making, but in actuality George Lucas based Indiana Jones on the beloved movie serials that were so popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s. These serials were shown at every Saturday matinee after the cartoons and before the double feature that kicked off an afternoon of sugar highs obtained from popping Milk Duds and sucking down ice-cold Coca Cola. They were usually 15 minutes in length and ultimately concluded with the hero's life in dire peril and the ominous words "To Be Continued ..." emblazoned across the screen. Batman, Flash Gordon, Tarzan, and every cowboy who every rode a horse and strummed a guitar faced death every weekend from the likes of Ming the Merciless, ivory poachers, and cow rustlers. After nine or ten weeks of miraculous last-minute escapes that would have put Houdini to shame, our hero ultimately triumphed against overwhelming odds to preserve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Indiana Jones not only religiously follows this pattern but has honed it to perfection. In fact, if you squeeze your eyes closed real tight, it is not hard to imagine that you are sitting on the edge of your seat in a darkened theater with a few hundred other screaming patrons as Indiana Jones runs for his life from an enormous rolling boulder that threatens to crush him at any moment ...
Raiders
of the Lost Ark took the movie-viewing public by storm and by surprise. After
decades of anti-hero, anti-establishment films, movie-goers were ready to embrace
an "all-American and proud of it" hero. But today's viewers would never
have tolerated the "aw shucks" kick-the-dust humbleness of the original
serial heroes, and Indy's wisecracking, look-at-what-I-did gleefulness captured
the public's imagination. Released in 1981, Raiders of the Lost Ark was
dubbed Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark by the public. Harrison
Ford's portrayal of 1930s archeologist Professor Jones elevated him to the upper
echelons of stardom, and his silhouette of Indiana Jones--bullwhip dangling at
his side, weatherbeaten fedora askew on head--has become instantly recognizable
worldwide.
The
inevitable sequel followed, and in 1984, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(notice that Indy's name is now given top billing) was released to almost
universal disappointment. While critics agreed that the movie was as well-made
as the original, they were dismayed by its dark undertones of child slavery, especially
after the frivolity (if any movie with Nazis as foes can be dismissed as frivolous)
of the first film. Still, the movie was a box office bonanza, and in 1989 the
third and, to this date, last film of the series, Indiana Jones and the Last
Crusade, was released. Co-starring Sean Connery as Harrison Ford's father,
the film was an enormous success, both financially and critically. Rumors have
recently surfaced regarding a fourth Indiana Jones film, but Harrison Ford
has so far been reluctant to commit to the role again due to his age (he is 57).
Though it is almost impossible to imagine anyone else in the role of Indiana Jones,
the same misgivings were voiced when Sean Connery relinquished his role as James
Bond, and that series has survived and prospered with other actors in the lead.
The
success of the Indiana Jones franchise has, of course, led to mass merchandising
and multimedia spillover. A weekly television series, Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,
though never as popular as the movies it was based on, lasted for 34 episodes
over four years. Books, comic books, soundtracks, and collectible figures are
but a few of the hundreds of items available for purchase. The various Nintendo
console systems have featured Indiana Jones platform games. Web sites dedicated
to Indy proliferate on the Internet. Disneyland has a popular Indiana Jones Temple
of the Forbidden Eye attraction that is a cross between the Pirates of the Caribbean
and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and an Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is also a crowd
pleaser. It was inevitable that Indy would also cross over to computer systems.
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine is the sixth Indiana Jones game
to be released.
Indiana
Jones and the Temple of Doom (1988) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
(1989) are both standard platform games for the Commodore 64. These games
are more concerned with your skills at using your whip and pistol to dispose of
enemies than they are puzzle-solving. Both games are based on the movies in title
only and are similar in spirit to the action/platform games you would find on
a Nintendo 8-bit, i.e. jump, run, and shoot. The standard enemies consist of Thuggees,
scorpions, and snakes, while the "puzzles" are your ability to jump
or swing across chasms. Difficult to complete due to the keyboard-only controls,
both games are available as freeware from many Commodore emulation sites.
Indiana
Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) is a valiant PC-based attempt at combining
adventure, action, and Nazis. Based on the movie, Last Crusade takes a
decidedly more humorous approach to the subject matter but falls short as it attempts
to appeal to all gamers (action, adventure, arcade) without excelling in any one
area (which in some small part can be traced to the limitations of the then-available
computer media). Novel at the time of its release, Last Crusade is stilted
by today's standards but is worth playing, if only to trace the lineage of Indiana
Jones computer games.
Indiana
Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (1993) is the consummate Indiana Jones adventure
game. It was originally released on 3.5-inch disks and then re-released as a "talkie"
version with sound, voices, and music. Doug Lee is the voice of Indy (he reappears
in the Infernal Machine, as does Sophia, a love interest from his past).
Nazis have discovered the lost city of Atlantis and are preparing to excavate
for a precious metal that will give them unlimited power. It has the inventory-based
puzzles and branching dialogue options that are associated with the typical adventure
game. Considered a classic by the adventure community, Fate of Atlantis is
still highly playable even six years after its release.
Indiana
Jones and His Desktop Adventures (1996) is a harmless diversion meant to entertain
office workers, travelers with laptops, and those who just wish to fritter away
their spare time. This is basically an overhead adventure game with 8-bit graphics
and sound. It is meant to be completed in a 30- to 60-minute sitting and succeeds
admirably in that respect. A randomizer ensures that every game is different as
you control Dr. Jones through jungle locations that must be solved by whip-cracking
and puzzle-solving. The random placement of enemies, puzzle locations, and mini-quests
keep this one fresh. It does not really add anything to the Indy mythos, but it
is enjoyable nonetheless.
Indiana
Jones and the Infernal Machine (1999) is the first game to place Indy in a
3D environment and attempts to strike an equal balance between action and adventure.
An obvious attempt to capitalize on the ... wait a minute, if you need to know
more about Indy's newest globe-trotting adventure, then be here Friday for our
full-blown review! Not to mention our review of Fate of Atlantis (Tuesday),
exclusive interview with the developers of The Infernal Machine (Wednesday),
a strategy guide and walkthrough (Thursday), and a daily giveaway of Indiana
Jones and the Infernal Machine and an Indiana Jones desktop calendar
for the new millennium.
If you want to learn more about Indiana Jones, visit Indyfan for a wealth of information. For more information on ordering these or other LucasArts products, please visit their web page.