I don't think that explanation works, though.

Indy's main "skeptic" moment in Raiders comes when he's telling Marcus that "I don't believe in magic, a superstitious lot of hocus pocus." There's no question of going public, it's a private conversation, in his own home, with one of his oldest friends. (Who was the one to bring up the topic in the first place). They also have no qualms about bringing up the topic of supernatural force to the Army Intelligence people (Marcus again: "the Ark is a source of unspeakable power, and it has to be researched!")

I can more than understand that Indy wouldn't want to blab about supernatural experiences to the University or the general public because he doesn't want to be institutionalized, but that's never the context in Raiders. His statements of skepticism seem to be entirely sincere.

 

he's a scientist and he's stubborn. Probably chalked up TOD to mass hysteria.

 

I often wonder if the Little Maharajah eventually started insisted on wearing business suits given how people mistake him for a princess. The fact that the actor is dubbed by Katie Leigh doesn't help.

 

I never knew that.

 

Yeah the way he's dressed in TOD - the kind of attire that many viewers in the USA associate with femininity - and the fact that Katie Leigh sounds way too much like a little girl when she dubs him, means that i feel really sorry for Raj Singh. @christophero30

 

Indiana Jones investigates gender-transforming Indian royalty would actually have made a very interesting plot twist. Thanks Lucas

 

Just settling down with a coffee and a mince pie to watch Raiders on BBC1 right now.

 

Watched it too. Over 30 years later and these films hold up so well. The original 3 are absolute classics IMO.

 

TOD is the ultimate thrill ride.

 

True story, when we were kids, we used to go and knock for this one kid who would be part of our gang. At the front door of his house, he had this superb doorbell that would have this huge, great chime that you could hear from outside when you pressed it that went <BING BONNNG>

All us kids would gather at the door to call for him to come out and play and we would do this as a group, every time as we pressed the bell.

“Mola Ram! Mola Ram! Mola Ram SUNDA RAM!”
<BING BONNNG>

I loved the 80’s

 

I believe someone posted it before in this very thread, or maybe another Indy one, but from the Lucas/Spileberg/Kassadan story conferences on Raiders, I believe Lucas said that Indy is a professional skeptic, like he's supposed to debunk this hocus pocus, so he actually comes at every case with an cynical realistic eye. "Interesting craftsmanship" is how he described first seeing the Crystal Skulls before he found the real deal. So I can buy that he accepted the events at the Temple of Doom as something that happened but when they come to him talking about the Ark he's back to dismissing it "Wrath of God or something". Indy does become a believer at the end, as he tells Marion to not look at the Ark when they open it. Basically, he needs proof every time before he can believe.

 

As the original topic starter, could you please slightly rename it to Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom fans? I originally started it as a thread for fans of TOD who like it the best or at least have it among their top two Indy films. Thanks.

 

fortune and glory

 

Ford has never looked better than he did in Temple of Doom. Even better than in Raiders. He was in really good shape and really cemented that leading man aura he has. Nobody better to play a 1930's adventurer. The triumvirate of Lucas, Spielberg and Ford hit absolute gold with this franchise, and I don't think we will get its like ever again.

 

yeah he looked really snazzy in the white tux.

 

Fixed.

 

Can’t argue with that.

 

Yeah, and Lucas specifically says that Indy has discovered that some of these things are real, but he still approaches everything as a skeptic. So I think that "hocus pocus" line is less of an oversight than people think. Lucas intentionally built a reset button into Indy's characterization so he'd be skeptic at the beginning of every movie. Kind of like Agent Scully.

 

I always wonder if the Little Maharajah was under some kind of enchantment that would eventually transform him into an actual girl. That outfit, that voice that sounds way too girlish...

 

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This might be splitting hairs a little too thin, but...

The thing is that when he says "I don't believe in magic, a superstitious lot of hocus pocus," that's not saying that he doesn't believe in the Ark's power, that's dismissing the entire concept of the supernatural. Which he shouldn't be able to do if he's already been through TOD. It's totally fine for him to be a skeptic and say "just because the last myth turned out to be real doesn't mean I should automatically believe this one too" (i.e. "do you believe the Grail actually exists"), but he shouldn't be completely dismissing the possibility either.