Ke Huy Quan is MVP!!! *TEMPLE OF DOOM* Reaction | Film Grad's First Time Watching 

ToD is a wildly misunderstood masterpiece. The script is layered with allusion to Hindu theology that are mostly lost on Western viewers. And the gross feast is something Hindus would never eat and Indy's first clue something is amiss. To elaborate on some theological aspects - Indy falls from the sky as an avatar of Shiva to save the village and vanquish the cult defaming his wife (Kali would be most offended that they are using her name to make people worship a demon 😅). His mythical quest to the underworld and back leads him to the realization that the elder was right and he uses the power of Shiva to ignite the Shankara stones, which he is not burned by when he catches the last one.

If you haven’t seen it, Jacqui, Ke Huy Quan also stars in another ‘80’s classic, The Goonies. And a ‘90’s hit with Brendan Fraser, Encino Man.

I'm Chinese an' I've always thought the introductory musical number was fine. (Capshaw's accent is a little ehh.. to hear to my ear, but I think it's perfectly fine for a non-native speaker and character who's likely only memorized it for singing.) I wouldn't consider much of the opening scene to be problematic today. The depiction of Indian culture however... has many more issues, only the least of which is that no one of Indian heritage I've seen watch this has been able to make out much of what some of the villagers are saying (probably because it was filmed in Sri Lanka, so perhaps they were speaking Sinhala and Tamil). Otoh, one ought to keep in mind that Indiana Jones is a pulp action-adventure series. Apart from that pulp stories and fiction in general from the actual 1930s tended to exoticize and caricaturize foreign cultures, and that tends to become part of the fabric of the genre, it likewise exaggerates and caricaturizes Western cultures too, from American to German. (Consider the depiction of Nazis in the Indiana Jones series, and much post-WW2 fiction in general, compared to the depiction of them in Schindler's List, which is far more serious, yet both depictions coming from the same director. In action films where the heroes punch Nazis, they're Evil but Conquerable, at least in the small scope, by a Rugged Hero.)

The Indy / Short Round love story (the parent / child affection) is the one that matters most, as it establishes who Indy is. It sets up both the intro sequence for Last Crusade where we see Indy as a teen (he sees himself in Short Round) and the parent / child friction with Henry Sr., as well as the relationship Indy has with Helena (and her connection to Teddy) in Dial of Destiny. Two bits of trivia -- making this film is where Spielberg met Kate Capshaw. Pat Roach, the actor who plays the big fellow in the mine fight scene, is the same guy Indy fights in the Raiders plane scene (when he and Marion are trying to escape the desert) who meets his demise in the propellers.

The first 3 Indiana Jones movies should be required viewing. Masterpieces.

It's funny that they filmed the bats flying over and called them vampire bats when they are really fruit bats. Vampire bats are actually very small.

This MIGHT be my favourite of the 4 that I've seen (no Dial of Destiny for me, yet) but it's a tough call. Raiders is iconic in SO many ways, and will be extremely difficult to surpass, but Temple is just such a fun ride and excites me far more than Raiders. I also appreciate that, although they didn't go super in-depth into Ark/Christian lore in he first one, it was still pretty well grounded in certain aspects of the theology, and I appreciate the depth they went to in Temple with Hindu theology and kept this one fairly well grounded in that. From what I understand at least. The lost potential career of Ke Huy Quan is easily one of the more tragic things to happen in Hollywood history (barring actors' deaths and certain criminal behaviour) in a long time. Just imagine the action-adventure star we could have had if he'd been able to even 'just' pursue more work like this and Goonies, obviously with the roles growing as he grew, or the brilliant work akin to EEAAO that we could have seen from him! That being said, though, his work in EEAAO may not have had the impact it did if he HAD had a longer career...either way, I'm just glad he's back and getting the recognition he deserves. For my money, Temple of Doom is absolutely an equal Indy/Short Round movie, and both shone bright as fuck.

Whoever told you this is a weaker entry in the franchise, was gravely mistaken. This is one of the strongest!

I'm not sure why singing in Mandarin is inappropriate. She is after all an Entertainer employed in club in China.

Love Shortround! He was by far the best part of this movie! Please tell me you've seen Goonies! He was GREAT as Data! I saw him in that BEFORE I saw him in this, even though I grew up in the 80's and Indiana Jones, I was Gonnies a TON of times! Paved the way for Stranger Things!

Great to see you back! I know this is the dark one, and it doesn't get as much affection as Raiders and Last Crusade, but who doesn't love Shorty?

Ke Huy Quan did have another iconic role in Goonies after this.

The mine guard who got put through the rock crusher, is played by the same actor who played the German soldier who went through the airplane propeller in "Lost Ark".

The scene in which he whips the sword from the guy’s hand, then uses it to chase off the second attacker, only to suddenly turn and run from an entire attacking horde, is almost a precise mirror of the scene in *Star Wars* in which Han bluffs his way into scaring off a squad of stormtroopers on his own, only to come running back down the same hallway in the next moment, an entire platoon after him.

When I saw "Jacqui - *TEMPLE OF DOOM* Reaction", I said to myself: does she know what she's getting into?. Can you imagine the anguish level a 9-year-old kid can reach watching this for the first time at the movie theatre at 1985?

Why would the opening be inappropriate today??

You’re back 🎉🎉 Missed you, Jacqui ❤ Glad you continue to watch Indiana Jones 🤠

Shoutout to the ladies who know the Wilhelm scream, spread the word! This should be unknown no more 😂

Technically, this is the SECOND movie.... Good to see you again!

YAY!!!!! You’re back!!!! 🥰🥹 If we EVER got another Indy project…I’m gonna need Ke to come back as a grown Shortround going on his own Indy adventure.

This will be my favorite Indy movie until the day I die. It's so entertaining

5:15 - We didn't see it in this reaction. But you would have when recording. The "British" man who lead Indy, Willie and Short Round to that plane was Dan Aykroyd from the original Ghostbusters movies. And if you'd like to stay on the "Ke Huy Quan Train". The Goonies, which came out the year after this movie, is for you.

I'm just curious but anyone else notice in the recent Dial Of Destiny promo images that Dr Jones looks a lot like Freddy Krueger from the reboot?

Its quick, but at the beginning indy says he found shortround in nanking, intimating that shortround survived the massacre of nanking.

This movie was filmed in Sri Lanka 🇱🇰. Ke Huy Quan is of Vietnamese descent.

This is a masterpiece!! The best of the bunch!! Its darker and less comedic and so some critics prefered the lighter tone.... but its brilliant...

Weaker ones?? Says who? This movie is great!! :)

...and by the way, the woman lead is Kate Capshaw better known as: Mrs. Steven Spielberg(October 12, 1991 - present) (5 children)

3:52 The name on the band stands 大闹 dà​nào​ appropriately means to cause havoc or to run amok.

Did u notice that a) the club they escape from at the beginning is called club obi wan and b) the posh english guy that takes them to the plane is dan Aykroyd in an uncredited part

One factoid I love is Short Round is a reference to a character of the same name in Samuel Fuller's The Steel Helmet. Highly recommended for students of cinema.

Dan Aykroyd actually makes a very quick cameo in this one, he's the guy with the glasses talking to Indy just before getting on the plane

Ky Huy Quan is also in "Goonies" from Richard Donner.

Nothing inappropriate about the opening.

Seriously, this movie is the best in the (original) franchise, by far. The idea was to make a darker second movie "The empire strikes back" style, and that's exactly what we got. The third one is the WEAKEST of the original franchise, also by far. Instead of upping the ante with yet more action and scares, like they did when they moved from movie one to two, they dialed it down and basically just did the first movie again, note for note, with just Sean Connery as an added flavor. Not a bad flavor, but still: no surprises and less excitement makes that one the runt of the original Indy litter, albeit still a great movie by any other standard.

Hey! Welcome back! You’ve been sincerely missed! 🖤

Fun fact: the big thuggee that Indy fights is played by the big dude he fights in the plane scene in Raiders.

The big guy indy fights at the end is the same actor that played the big bald boxer he fought in the last movie that got choppped by the propeller...

This was the movie that got so many parents up in arms that they created the PG-13 rating after the film came out (the first PG-13 film was Red Dawn directed by John Millius the following year. Between the bugs, the banquet from Hell, Mola Ram pulling the heart from the man's chest, and a few other things, parent groups were furious that this was PG and not R-rated. The actor who plays Mola Ram is Amrish Puri, who was a huge Hindi film actor specializing in (you guessed it!) villains. However, his most significant success was in 1995 with the romantic film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (The Braveheart Takes The Bride) directed by Aditya Chopra and starring Shah Ruhk Khan, Kajol, Anupam Kher, and Puri. The film won every Indian film award, and as of 2020 (with a few gaps like COVID) was still playing in cinemas in Mumbai after 24 years, making it one of the most successful films in Indian Cinema history. As a Westerner, I have seen it a couple of times, and it is a fun film with some great songs. Puri's role as Kajol's father living in London and longing for his beloved home in Punjab, India is nuanced and powerful. And the love story between Shah Rukh and Kajol has charm and emotion to spare (they have done several films together). Just a few years after this came out, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw (Willie Scott) fell in love and married. At the time of filming, they became friends and were married to other people. When Ke Huy Quan won his Oscar, all three of the main leads of ToD were at the Oscar Ceremony. That fact kind of gets glossed over since Kate Capshaw is no longer working as an actress, she's seen as either Mrs. Spielberg or Jessica Capshaw's mom (Dr. Arizona Robbins from Grey's Anatomy).

First reactor I've seen who immediately noticed that this film is set before ROTLA and didn't have to be told.

That whole dinner scene is why this movie got banned in India. Not even for the scene with the human sacrifice, if you can belive it.

“Inappropriate”…in Shanghai in 1935, an attractive blonde woman singing songs in Chinese would have been a profitable draw for local audiences. There is nothing “inappropriate” about that…except that it’s a shady criminal establishment. She’d be lucky if she wasn’t being pimped… Anyway, if you’re into Ke Huy Quan, you also need to watch The Goonies. Also, trivia: this movie was the primary reason for the creation of the PG-13 rating. People were shocked by the gore/horror being ramped up so much from the first one. Strange movie in that regard. Seems to me ripping somebody’s heart out should get an R either way. But the same could be said for the melting faces in the first one.

The Spielberg/Lucas divorce movie. Kind of noticeable, isn’t it? That’s why the tone is a bit darker, the boys were in a bad mood. Still, it has some amazing set pieces and Mola Ram is one of *the* great villains, plus it does have Short Round, who I prefer to Connery, and the second best fight against Pat Roach.

Personally, like many Indy fans, I considered Last Crusade the best film and my favorite, then Raiders, then finally Temple (followed by CS a fair bit down, and I still need to see Dial). Then for another good man years, Raiders became my favorite and I'd gotten a bit weary of LC although I still think it has the best writing and overall story. But, probably just in the last year, I've grown to re-appreciate Temple again. Not only is the darkness of the story a refreshing turn (and trip), it really is just the most non-stop roller coaster (even literally) of action across and through a bewildering string of settings and setpieces. In fact, I'd probably say I'm starting to join the generally small minority of fans who consider Temple their favorite. Sure, Nazis are evil and punchable, but Temple really solidifies and defines not just Indy but the entire archetype: treasure-hunting, fortune-seeking, fighting an entire evil army (of death-worshiping cultists), and on his own (for the most part), saving his friends, taking hits along the way, saving his friends and other innocents, coming through it all by the skin of his teeth, using his deep knowledge of peoples and cultures and his own wits to just barely survive by the skin of his teeth, often at some cost.

24:19 is my FAVORITE frame of Indy. He's PISSED.

Really is too bad the timing was not right for there to a end credit scene in Dial Of Destiny that would have shown a now middle age Short round reunited with Dr. Jones.

It was so funny watching her get grossed out at the dinner scene!

This is the best & my favorite from the franchise.

By the way, this is the movie where Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg fell in love.

Temple Of Doom is fantastic. It simply doesn't have as much heart as the others.

Just think. Ke Huy Quan has gone from Short Round in "The Temple Of Doom" to winning an Academy Award for playing Waymond Wang in "Everything Everywhere All At Once". What a treasure.

Welcome back!! 🥳🤠 I think think this is movie is one of those cases where in the time where it came out in it wasn't the best but with the overall decline of the franchise after the third one it has become much more appreciated. I still have some problems with it, but it is very much not as bad as some people make it out to be. I can' wait for you to get to The Last Crusade, even if you have seen it. It is my favourit movie of all time and I think you are going to have a great time with it! It is just such a MOVIE movie if that makes any sense 😂

Adventure sequel. Intrepid archaeologist Indiana (Ford), on the trail of fortune and glory in Old Shanghai, is ricocheted into a dangerous adventure in India. With his faithful companion Short Round (Quan) and nightclub singer Willie (Capshaw), he goes in search of the magical Sankara stone, and uncovers an ancient evil which threatens all who come into contact with it.

Chronologically, this movie goes first (other than the opening to Last Crusade) in the franchise. Which, when you pay attention to Indy’s character arc, he goes from someone as low and scummy as Beloq. But over time (and it’s probably because of the Temple of Doom) his character develops into someone who was as idealistic as he was when he was younger. And I think his character arc reaches his resolve when he and his father reconcile with each other.

The diamond Indy was trying to negotiate with Lao Che was in the Young Indiana Jones series.

11:33 That whole dinner scene, among some of the other scenes, got this movie banned from India.

Amrish Puri, who plays the villain Mola Ram, was a beloved Bollywood actor with a long career playing mostly villains. This is pretty much all he’s known for in the west, but he gives such a wonderful performance, full of malevolent glee. I think this gets considered a weaker entry because the supporting characters steal the show from Indy. Even Kate Capshaw’s Willie Scott, who most people find annoying, is still extremely memorable.

@Movie Night at Jacqui’s - Jacqui, as a Taiwanese-Chinese born and raised in Texas, I don't have an issue the movie didn't have an Asian Woman singing in Mandarin Chinese. The problem is the fact that the Actress did a terrible job trying to sing in Chinese, because no one who speaks Chinese fluently can understand what she was even trying to say or sing. It doesn't really matter if you get a Non-Asian to speak or sing in Chinese…as long as they do a good enough job to where people can understand what they are saying, that is all that matters. Also, I've seen plenty of Non-Asians who can speak Chinese extremely well.

You should watch the National Treasure movies which are like the Indiana Jones movies.

Oh, before you can complete viewing Indiana Jones, you need to view the 30-? Episodes of the television series, Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, from the 1990’s. The opening of Last Crusade inspired the tv series, two actors play Indy, as a child, and as a teen/college age. Filmed around the world, series was staffed with talent in cast and crew -sets up some aspects and characters of the films -innovative TV for it’s time, based in history, with real characters and events as backdrop to Indy’s adventures.

1. Many folks don't care for this one very much but I do. It's all kinds of fun. 2. Just a small suspension of belief regarding the lifeboat drop out of the plane, and the coal car landing perfectly on the tracks.🙄 IRL Ford could fly that plane. 3. When I was in the US Navy I got to eat monkey (but not monkey brains) and tasted dog in the Philippines. 4, Shortround is "Billy Badass"🤬😎 5. Disneyland already has a "Temple of the Lost Ark" so another one of the rides through. the tunnel/mine would be cool too. If you can still afford it.🙄 6. Kate Capshaw got the Willie gig because she was dating and later became Spielberg's wife. 7. Fun fact: The actor that gets pulled into the rock crusher is the same guy that gets hit with the airplane propeller in "Temple of Doom".

Jacqui, you know the big guy he was fighting thats the same actor from the fight around the plane in raiders of the lost ark

Loved the reaction! It's good to see you posting content again. I'm sure I speak for all the viewer's here, were happy to have you back! REDDER IS BETTER! M-

You didn’t notice the *name* of the nightclub?

This movie and Gremlins were responsible for the PG-13 Rating. They were considered too graphic for PG, but not enough to merit an R.Willie was written to be terrible because of marital strife among the creators. She ended up Mrs. Spielberg, which hold true to this day. Part of the hate for it come from the fact that they follow up Marion (who was sassy and useful) with Willie (who was a loud plot complication). Part is that it was a prequel, so you knew he'd be fine. Part of it was the whole mine escape scene had the feel of trying to sell the theme park ride. (see also, The Hobbit). Part was the unanswered question of what happened to Short Round. between here and Raiders. And stalagmites have a G for "Ground." I have within the last month put my hand on he dog's chest and said "Kali-Ma." It's not an usual thing. We also used to use it when I taught martial arts.

Easily the best of the Trilogy! The music is insanely good.

This is my favorite movie in the trilogy!

If the love for Short Round is real then The Goonies and Data is next for you and your channel.

@11:43, this is one of the more common critiques of Temple of Doom. Indian cuisine, much of which is vegetarian, is not anything like this. The food here is completely made up for the sole purpose of grossing you out. It is not a representation of a different cultural norm. To the extent the filmmakers were trying to signal to the audience that they should know something was amiss by the absence authentic Indian food, I don't think they succeeded in making that clear. I think instead, whether intentional or not, it ends up perpetuating old stereotypes that all of India is wild and savage and barbaric, that what is being portrayed is a real cuisine.

I wouldn't say it's not as good, but it's darker. A lot of people like this one the best. If you watch Last Crusade again, you would likely appreciate it more having seen the first two. The female lead was asked to be annoying by Spielberg. Opinion is divided on that approach to the role. The show Myth Busters launched a life raft from an airplane and determined that it was possible to survive such a drop.

i know you like the dinner scene

The animatronic human sacrifice was realistic enough that they had to add flames in the foreground to avoid an R rating

I've always described this an Indy's nightmare. Anything Goes gives it away.

short round and data were my boys back then. i was so happy for ke huy quan when he won his oscar. he was my boy back in the day as a kid. i would get extremely defensive if i hear anyone say anything about those 2 characters.

You should check out Goonies! Ke Huy Quan was in that as well, tho it does have stereotypical tropes as temple does

20:05 I dunno, I could hear a bit more. 😁

"That was not the kind of choking that he wanted to happen tonight." Oh my! Jacqui is a super cool female! Nice!

Welcome back! I would definitely be interested in a reaction to "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." And I agree with whoever told you this was a weak entry in the series (but that's not to say that it's bad! Even when you have multiple good movies, one of them has to be the weakest of the bunch). I'm an anomaly when it comes to these movies anyway. My favorite is "The Last Crusade," then "Raiders of the Lost Ark," then "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," and "Temple of Doom" last. I haven't seen "Dial of Destiny," so I can't rank that one yet. I will watch it eventually just because it's Indiana Jones. I didn't actually realize that this was Ke Huy Quan's first movie. I saw him in "The Goonies" first, and for some reason I just always assumed that was his first role. Still, he's easily the MVP of this movie, and was fun in "The Goonies" too. I definitely recommend watching it if you haven't seen it (and if you're a fan of Ke Huy Quan, it's obviously a must-see). Hope your week is off to a great start! ✌🤓

is Bachelor of Fine Arts the same as Bachelor of Arts degree?

This may be considered the weakest movie of the series, but I have fond memories of riding bike to the theater with a friend of mine to see this one afternoon. And at the end of the following school year an English assignment was to write a letter to someone, and I choose to write to Harrison Ford. Must have found an address someone to send fanmail. And then during the summer I received an autographed photo of Harrison Ford from this movie.

Thanks, Jacqui! 🧭 I love this one, especially the opening musical number. #MovieNightAtJacquis #StevenSpielberg #IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom

This is my ALL-TIME FAVORITE!! Short Round RULES too!!!

Another fun fact, this movie is one of the movies that led to the creation of the PG-13 rating, before it just went G, PG, R with nothing in between PG & R

If you have never seen it, you should watch The Goonies from 1985. Ke Huy Quan was in that as well, alongside Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohen, Kerri Green and Martha Plimpton.

Welcome back, Jacqui!

It's always redheads who will relate everything to naughty time or S&M....hilarious! Of course, that is why I married a redhead. :)

For me the best Indy movie ❤

Dang, this just makes me disappointed that Short Round didn't make a comeback for Dial of Destiny.

Ginger's shouldn't have a platform, unless they're on Gilikin's Island... and even then. Can you imagine if Ginger had been played by Blondie. Can you imagine? Hubbajabah chitty chicky bang bang!

Welcome back

Want more KE HUY QUAN watch The Goonies

"Something tells me this would not fly today." Who cares. People need to get over themselves. It's a movie.

Jesus Christ people complain about EVERYTHING today

The Goonies next! Ke Huy Quan plays an awesome character in that too. I always liked Temple of Doom too, not the best Indiana Jones movie, but still very watchable and plenty of fun.

I would recommend you check out Invincible. It is a great show that is planned to have a season 2 soon I think.

Wht woman in Eastern garb: Horribly inappropriate. Asian woman in Western garb: Totally fine. Wht ppl emulating PoC culture: Cultural appropriation. PoC emulating other PoC culture: Cultural appreciation.

Jacqui, have you seen the movie of "Goonies". Please tell me if you have. If you haven't and you want to see another movie with Ke Huy Quan in it as a kid then Please Watch "Goonies". Sean Astin (Sam from the Lord of the Rings) is also a kid actor in the Goonies. I love the Goonies movie. If you haven't seen it then please watch it. I noticed that you have the "Fellowship of the Ring" reaction here on RU-vid. Have you seen the other two Lord of the Rings movies yet? Sorry, these are some of my all time favorite movies so I can't help but to ask. 😊

check out the Loki TV series for more Ke Huy Quan

‘Men hate snakes’? What kind of a comment is that? I’m going to choose to ignore that. Anybody with any sense knows phobias don’t discriminate, and fear of snakes and crawling things is built into most of us from the days when we were hunter gatherers on the African veldt. Some of us manage to overcome those fears in the modern era. Anyway, what I was going to say was that the origin of Indy’s fear of snakes is shown with some vivid detail in the beginning of *The Last Crusade*. He falls into a giant tub, full of them. Fortunately, they’re harmless, but he hid in that writhing, stinking nest of snakes to keep the looters of the Spanish gold cross from seeing him.

I'm still surprised that this movie was not the reason for me to become a vegetarian, although I became one eventually🤣