IN DEFENSE OF THE YIJC!!!

Posted by TODD from 38.183.75.20 on November 30, 2000 at 09:44:23:

In Reply to: YIJC.... another senseless rant of mine, take with a grain of salt. posted by Shawnkara on November 30, 2000 at 00:14:49:

: I've read posts from both camps (proYIJC and antiYIJC) and thought I'd share my opinion. The series sucked (short version). The problem was not with casting; I thought Flannery did a reasonable job. The problem was with the writing.Did anyone else here have a problem with Indy's encounters with every single historical figure that ever lived (more or less)? At what point did the show's writers sit down and say, "I see young Indiana Jones as Forrest Gump."? I found it improbable and ridiculous. And it seemed that Indy was supposed to have learned a realevant life lesson from each of them, few of which are reflected in the character that we all know as Indiana Jones. The only defense to this is the fact that Indy served in WWI. Combat can alter a person's character a great deal. Still, it bothered me to the point that I gave up on the show after two episodes, returning only out of blind optimism that it would improve with time as the "Highlander" series had. Sadly, it did not. I also found it ridiculous that Indy had been a spy. And as if the writers had not embarrassed themselves at that point, Indy battled Dracula. I forget what episode this reffers to but I think that Indy knew martila arts he would have used it against the German mechanic. Part of the genius of the Indy films is that they balance on the fine line between fact and fantasy with the grace of a tightrope walker. The YIJC had the grace of a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. Indy has an instiable appetite for curiousity and adventure, but he knows to be grounded and serious when needed. I think he would have spent most of his younger years studying and attending classes, acquiring the wealth of knowledge that would later carry him around the World in search of history. His military service would have taken him abroad, but the life of a soldier in combat leaves little time for exploration and discovery. It was probably not until he began apprenticing under Abner Ravenwood that he began to travel and experience the real 'hands-on' side of the archeological field. This where the real stories would be. If Indiana Jones had been real his teen yeras would have been like your's and mine; dull, tedious, full of study and dreams of the bigger things to come.

TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY OF INDIANA JONES, ONE MUST WATCH
THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES. THE YIJC WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF GEORGE LUCAS (EVER
HEARD OF HIM?) IN WHICH HE HOPED TO SHOW INDY'S ENTIRE LIFE ON FILM. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO
UNDERSTAND INDY'S LIFE IF YOU JUST WATCH THE 3 MOVIES. FOR EXAMPLE, INDY'S RELATIONSHIP
WITH HIS FATHER IS A VERY COMPLICATED ONE. IF YOU JUST WATCH "LAST CRUSADE", THEN YOU
WILL REALLY BE LOST AS TO WHY INDY AND HIS FATHER ARE CONSTANTLY QUARRELING AND WHY
THEY HAVEN'T TALKED IN 20 YEARS.
YIJC EPISODES LIKE "WINDS OF CHANGE" HELP THE VIEWER UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEX
FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIP. THE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR HIS LOVE-AFFAIRS, FRIENDS, AND -- MOST
IMPORTANTLY -- HOW HIS INTEREST IN ARCHAEOLOGY STARTED!!! I WILL AGREE THAT SOME EPISODES ARE
BETTER THAN OTHERS --BUT THE SAME IS TRUE FOR THE 3 INDY MOVIES. I KNOW MOST INDY FANS DO NOT SEE THE
MERIT IN THE YIJC AND FANS OF THE CHRONICLES DON'T LIKE THE INDY MOVIES, BUT I SUPPORT BOTH IDEAS AND I SEE THE
MERIT IN WATCHING THE ENTIRE INDY SERIES. WATCH A FEW EPISODES -- I RECOMMEND "OGANGA, THE GIVER AND TAKER OF LIFE" AND
"DAREDEVILS OF THE DESERT" -- THESE TWO ARE VERY WELL DONE AND INDY'S TRUE HEROIC COLORS SHINE!!

Follow Ups:

I hope you read my Hazelton the Cynic 06:48:46 12/01/2000 (3)
- Sorry, previous post glitched... Hazelton 07:40:45 12/01/2000 (2)
  - TO HAZELTON THE BAFFOON... Todd 09:32:48 12/01/2000 (1)
    - Remember my advice about not getting your knickers in a wad? Hazelton 21:22:44 12/03/2000 (0)
Erm . . . but HK 11:16:09 11/30/2000 (0)

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: :  I've read posts from both camps (proYIJC and antiYIJC) and thought I'd share my opinion. The series sucked (short version). The problem was not with casting; I thought Flannery did a reasonable job. The problem was with the writing.Did anyone else here have a problem with Indy's encounters with every single historical figure that ever lived (more or less)? At what point did the show's writers sit down and say, "I see young Indiana Jones as Forrest Gump."? I found it improbable and ridiculous. And it seemed that Indy was supposed to have learned a realevant life lesson from each of them, few of which are reflected in the character that we all know as Indiana Jones. The only defense to this is the fact that Indy served in WWI. Combat can alter a person's character a great deal. Still, it bothered me to the point that I gave up on the show after two episodes, returning only out of blind optimism that it would improve with time as the "Highlander" series had. Sadly, it did not. I also found it ridiculous that Indy had been a spy. And as if the writers had not embarrassed themselves at that point, Indy battled Dracula. I forget what episode this reffers to but I think that Indy knew martila arts he would have used it against the German mechanic. Part of the genius of the Indy films is that they balance on the fine line between fact and fantasy with the grace of a tightrope walker. The YIJC had the grace of a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. Indy has an instiable appetite for curiousity and adventure, but he knows to be grounded and serious when needed. I think he would have spent most of his younger years studying and attending classes, acquiring the wealth of knowledge that would later carry him around the World in search of history. His military service would have taken him abroad, but the life of a soldier in combat leaves little time for exploration and discovery. It was probably not until he began apprenticing under Abner Ravenwood that he began to travel and experience the real 'hands-on' side of the archeological field. This where the real stories would be. If Indiana Jones had been real his teen yeras would have been like your's and mine; dull, tedious, full of study and dreams of the bigger things to come.

: 
: TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY OF INDIANA JONES, ONE MUST WATCH
: THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES. THE YIJC WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF GEORGE LUCAS (EVER
: HEARD OF HIM?) IN WHICH HE HOPED TO SHOW INDY'S ENTIRE LIFE ON FILM. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO
: UNDERSTAND INDY'S LIFE IF YOU JUST WATCH THE 3 MOVIES. FOR EXAMPLE, INDY'S RELATIONSHIP
: WITH HIS FATHER IS A VERY COMPLICATED ONE. IF YOU JUST WATCH "LAST CRUSADE", THEN YOU
: WILL REALLY BE LOST AS TO WHY INDY AND HIS FATHER ARE CONSTANTLY QUARRELING AND WHY
: THEY HAVEN'T TALKED IN 20 YEARS.
: YIJC EPISODES LIKE "WINDS OF CHANGE" HELP THE VIEWER UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEX
: FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIP. THE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR HIS LOVE-AFFAIRS, FRIENDS, AND -- MOST
: IMPORTANTLY -- HOW HIS INTEREST IN ARCHAEOLOGY STARTED!!!  I WILL AGREE THAT SOME EPISODES ARE
: BETTER THAN OTHERS --BUT THE SAME IS TRUE FOR THE 3 INDY MOVIES.  I KNOW MOST INDY FANS DO NOT SEE THE
: MERIT IN THE YIJC AND FANS OF THE CHRONICLES DON'T LIKE THE INDY MOVIES, BUT I SUPPORT BOTH IDEAS AND I SEE THE
: MERIT IN WATCHING THE ENTIRE INDY SERIES.  WATCH A FEW EPISODES -- I RECOMMEND "OGANGA, THE GIVER AND TAKER OF LIFE" AND 
: "DAREDEVILS OF THE DESERT" -- THESE TWO ARE VERY WELL DONE AND INDY'S TRUE HEROIC COLORS SHINE!!

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