Best and Worst Movie Sidekicks: Now Disc. Best: Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Iron Man

//Geek Mode On

And where is it ever stated that it was Lobot's job to make sure the hyper drive was fixed? And even if it was, the Empire disabled it. So Lobot leaves the Falcon, the hyper drive is fixed and fully functional and then he gets the blame when some Imperial stooge sneaks on later and loosens a screw somewhere? Bull Dookie! And it also seems that Lobot was right there in a pinch when Lando called him from his wrist calculator. A couple of beeps and Lobot is right there with a bunch of armed guards to save the day. I would venture that Lobot is a pretty damn good sidekick, if you ask me.

//Geek mode Off

 

A: Lobot is awesome.

B: Lobot did not have the job of "fixing" the hyperdrive and somehow screw it up. The whole point of the hyperdrive thing in the movie was that it was fixed, then deactivated by the Empire. Did this guy not watch the movie or something?

Dumbass.

 

yea... what the last two said. lobot rocks.

 

"Best: Sallah (Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark)

"A good sidekick is one who knows when you're in over your head, and is willing to put his own children in harm's way to get you out of a bar filled with murderous mercenaries. Sallah dispatches most of his nine younglings to retrieve a drunk Indy when Belloq has him at his mercy, and we're sure he didn't tell his wife about it, either."

 

sallah is awesome. probably one of my fav indy characters of all time.

 

I was with a friend one time and I just sort of randomly said "Indy, why does the floor move?" and he thought I was quoting Sayid (Lost). I guess he didn't hear the first word? So now when I hang out with him I say "Jack, why does the floor move?"

 

Asps, very dangerous.......you go first, Indy.

 

Love him in Raiders.

They turned him and Brody into complete goofballs for Last Crusade though. Blech.

 

Great moment.

 

Worst: Short Round (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)

"Yes, Shorty saved Indy from the Black Sleep of Kali Ma (by burning him with a torch, it should be noted), but he also screamed, complained, cheated at cards, cursed out Indy in Cantonese, leaned on secret spike triggers and sprayed Indy with water from an elephant when he was trying to make time with a lady."

 

Anyone who doesn't like Short Round has no heart. Or soul.

 

[image=http://www.virginmedia.com/images/watn-shortround-431x300.jpg]

 

Granted, child sidekicks are not the best concept, given how hard they are to execute properly. But Short Round was not a bad child sidekick. He was funny, natural, helpful, and endearing without being over-the-top or cloying. He's the model of a well-executed child sidekick. If you want to talk worst sidekicks, go after Willie, the biggest problem in the movie (and essentially the only problem in the movie). But Short Round is great.

YOU CALL HIM DOCTOR JONES!

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Short Round.

 

The poker conversation is the best thing and if you don't like it you are terrible.

 

Pretty much. Short Round was awesome.

 

I also thought Short Round was awesome!

 

I wonder if Mani from Brotherhood of the Wolf will make this list.

 

I think Short Round and Willie are both pretty great, believe it or not.

 

QFT, Willie is the only problem with that movie. Indy's companion, Mr. Round, is a fantastic sidekick.

You call him Dr Jones, doll.

(I love how he says doll in a bwwwoooooonnngggg sort of way)

 

Yep.

Willie is pretty much perfect as well. A very specific counterpoint to Marion, evoking a very different type of female lead from those 30s-type adventures.

 

Willie is great in concept. In execution, she was one-dimensional . . . well, that's too kind. She was half-dimensional, annoying rather than amusing due to the role being played overly shrill, and overplayed in the early stretch of the film, which was basically just the "Watch Willie Shriek Show" for half an hour before the film actually got into drive. Outside of that excruciating stretch where the film is basically placed on her shoulders and she's so far from being able to carry it that it's unreal, she's tolerable. The role was written as a caricature of the most obnoxious helpless woman in the world, with all the depth of a cardboard cutout. Capshaw brought absolutely nothing to the role, no depth, no charm to sell the role and render the obnoxiousness tolerable. The film then choosing to focus on her character for a lengthy stretch of what's essentially dead space in the movie is just incredible.

I like the idea of a love interest who's not competent, who's completely out of her element, who is a drag on Indy. But it has to be executed with some element of sanity and reality. A woman who stops in the middle of a fight for her life to moan, "Oh, I chipped a nail!" has no relation to a real person. It's a dumbass gag on the level of Blank Movie franchise crap. The idea of a woman who's out of her depth, who's annoyingly complaining all the time, but God she's hot and Indy can't stop himself from wanting her . . . sure, great role. It's not the role Capshaw pulled off. Not only was she a completely unbelievable caricature, but she was purely grating without any charm, and certainly without the looks to make you believe that Indy would overlook the fact that she's a shallow, hideously obnoxious, stupid ditz. I'm bereft of any reason why any man would want to put up with her. The only reason I can believe for Indy wanting to make out with her is to cover her mouth.

There's just not a shred of believability to the character. That kind of character can be and has been executed well. Here, it was a disaster. It's like a master class in exactly how not to write, act, or direct that kind of character. Incompetent on every level.

So I suppose, in that respect, yeah, she's perfect.

 

I stand by my statement. Capshaw does the best screaming job since Fay Wray. That scream she gives when they get off the rope bridge and she turns around and the baddies are standing right there in front of her? Comedy genius. I fall on the floor laughing every time I watch the movie. She's certainly better than Doody (har!) in Last Crusade. Capshaw may have been a little shrill, but at least she registered as an actual presence.