I couldn't disagree more

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Posted by mlgm from slhw0373.slh.wisc.edu on July 13, 2000 at 08:56:11:

In Reply to: Young Indy is crap posted by Afro Dogwhelk on July 12, 2000 at 22:39:33:


: Ok, I gave it a chance, but have to conclude Young Indy is crap.

Well, we'd be in disagreement anyway, but I have to admit, I tend to discount people when they make blanket statements using the words crap or suck. Personal bias.


: I got Phantom Train with the movie boxset and it was poor. The acting is terrible, particularly anyone speaking with an English accent (that includes Paul Freeman. This confuses me as well) and Mac McDonald. The second half was terrible. The German could have disarmed Indy at any moment on the balloon.

This just confuses me. One of the things I enjoy so much about YIJC was the universally superb group of actors (and directors) used. I found the 'retirees' natural, fluid, and appealing. They reminded me of a couple of uncles of mine, sort of black sheep, who didn't settle down and married until quite late in life, because they were far too busy roaming the world and having fun.

: I thought this may be a bad episode so I ordered Daredevils of the Desert. This was better, but still crap. Not only were there bad English accents, but over the top Australlian ones. The dialoge is laughable.

What dialogue was laughable? I found it very believable. The British intelligence colonel was very true to the real life colonel, who from everything I've ever read about him. The Colonel was almost a walking, talking cartoon character. The Australian accent sounded like all my Australian friends. And the teasing exaggerations caught the tone of most Australians I know exactly.


: Like a fool I then ordered Trenches of Hell. Oh dear. I did this because I am interested in the first world war and war movies. I was hoping it would be a powerful, interesting film, but have never seen a bigger load of crap. The battle scenes were crap.

OK, there's that word again. What didn't you like?

I wasn't expecting Saving Private Ryan, but the people just fell over. The acting was bad again.

Well, according to my father, who was in W.W.II, not W.W.I I must admit, it was very accurate, in fact he said it was the most accurate war film he'd ever seen. (I must admit, he never saw Private Ryan.)


The accents were bad again - particularly the English guy in the second prison and the Dutch (?) guys who thought Indy was a cowboy just because he was American. (Message to scriptwriter - people in Europe are not all morons).

The English guy had a very good accent. Message to you -- not all English people have the same accent. Class and geography vary the accent considerably. And those were Russians, with very good Russian accents.

: The way it portrayed the war was pathetic. After a being in the trenches for about a day and a little battle, Indy and his friends are allowed to pop into a small French village for beer and tennis. (Make that prostitutes for Remy).

Indy's unit had come straight from Flanders, where it had been decimated. And I certainly had gotten the impression that they at Somme longer than a day or two.


When Indy gets to the German prison camp he finds people playing football in the sun and finds that the prisoners, one old guy in particular can insult and punch the German in charge with any sort of beatings or (what would have happened) torture or death. Not only that he is there for about an hour and then escapes through a tunnel dug by morons and not spotted by German morons. The whole episode made the war look like an adventure holiday.

Your getting your wars mixed up. In some ways, W.W.I was still a 19th century war. Including the way enemy prisoners, especially enemy officers were treated.

Actually I found the battle scenes, and indeed other parts of the episode rather horrific.


: Going to Young Indy overall it has to main problems (over than bad acting, scripting and directing).

Actually I found the acting, from Flanery on down, superb. The range of the guest stars is breathtaking. Also, it's amazing how many of the directors are now doing superb features. Lucasfilm attracted a fantastic range of European and American directors.


The first is the stupid inclusion of historical characters at any oportunity. The second and MAIN problem is Young Indy himself.

I found it a wonderful hook myself, and its really not that surprising that a well-traveled, upper-middle class young man would know so many 'famous' people. They were traveling in the same circles of a very small and restricted world.

I have nothing against Sean Patrick Flannery, but never watching can I believe he grows up to becomes the Indy of the movies. He's is so stupid and naive. Not to mention over the top nice and friendly. Indy from the movies was never stupid or naive like this kid. He also had a dark edge. River Phoenix's Indy was much better. He wasn't stupid or naive, and was believable. The character of Young Indy is just not the same as the character in the films.

Indy a dark character? Sorry, never saw that. What I saw was a wounded romantic. Someone who thought it would makes sense to be dark, and cynical, but at the crucial moment could never carry it off. When push came to shove, Indy protected the innocent, gave into his wonder for history, and turned up a hero. Under his tough facade, this is deeply romantic, caring man who has been hurt a few too many times. He's trying to harden his heart, but is unable to be the complete scoundrel he'd like to be. (Which is why Ford's so good at Indy & Han Solo, he's among the best at rogues with a heart of gold.) River's Indy was just as romantic and innocent. He believed the cross belonged in a museum, and that his father could fix everything. Believing your dad is the source of help and can make anything right is about as innocent as it gets.

: If you have read all of this expecting a point there isn't one. I just fancied a rant.

: Rant, rant, rant...

I would have preferred a point. Especially one that didn't include the word crap.



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