Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Grab your whip and avoid the monkey brains—this week on Born to Watch, the crew takes on the franchise's wildest, weirdest, and arguably most chaotic chapter, with their Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Review. Whitey, G-Man, and Damo dust off their fedoras and dive deep into the darker, more divisive entry in the iconic adventure trilogy.

Released in 1984 as a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom was Spielberg and Lucas swinging for something different. What we got was a rollercoaster of tonal shifts, gruesome rituals, screeching sidekicks, and a whole lot of “did that really just happen?” moments. And the Born to Watch crew has a lot to say about it.

Whitey opens the show by calling it what it is: a movie that’s revered by many, but doesn’t quite measure up to the gold standard set by Raiders. For kids of the '80s, it was a VHS staple. But for grown-up podcasters with opinions, it's a tale of two movies—one part rollercoaster fun, one part tonal mess. From the moment Harrison Ford steps off a plane in Shanghai to the heart-ripping Thuggie cult shenanigans in India, the guys unpack every whip crack, every scream, and every questionable creative choice.

G-Man shares fond memories of collecting Indiana Jones memorabilia, like those glossy movie programs you’d snag at the cinema. But the nostalgia doesn’t blind him—he’s quick to call out the film’s many plot holes, caricature characters, and some of the worst romantic chemistry in cinematic history. Damo agrees, rating the film a humble “three rewatches” compared to the endless love he has for Raiders. Ouch.

And then there’s Willie Scott, the club singer-turned-sidekick played by Kate Capshaw (and Spielberg’s future wife). The team doesn’t hold back on their verdict: screechy, underwritten, and possibly cinema’s most annoying scream queen. Compared to Raiders’ Marion Ravenwood, she’s less “badass adventurer” and more “horny showgirl with a death wish.”

But not everything is doom and gloom in Temple of Doom. The pod shines a spotlight on Short Round (Ke Huy Quan), the pint-sized sidekick who stole hearts, especially among the younger viewers. Isabelle, Whitey’s daughter, gives him two thumbs up. G-Man draws comparisons to The Goonies and even Star Wars, noting that Lucas may have repurposed some beats from Empire and Return of the Jedi. The mine cart chase? Pure Endor energy. Harrison Ford’s smug bedroom banter? Total Han Solo.

In classic Born to Watch fashion, the boys rip into the absurdities: Why does Indy carry a full suit in his rucksack? Is a flaming skewer to the gut a valid weapon choice? And what kind of club plays “Anything Goes” on repeat, in both English and Mandarin? These are the real questions.

The episode also digs into the bizarre dinner scene at Pankot Palace (chilled monkey brains, anyone?), the film’s unexpected legacy in helping create the PG-13 rating, and whether George Lucas’ fingerprints are a little too all over this one.

And of course, they wrap up with The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, featuring killer one-liners, Harrison Ford’s bad punches, and enough sound effects to make you think you’re in a Looney Tunes war zone. There’s even a surprise cameo by Dan Aykroyd (yep, that actually happened) and a nostalgic tribute to Val Kilmer and Top Secret.

By the end, one thing is clear: Temple of Doom is the middle child of the original Indiana Jones trilogy. Darker than Raiders, sillier than Last Crusade, and a cult classic in its own right. Whether it’s a hit, a dud, or a chaotic blend of both, this episode is a wild ride from start to finish.

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 💬 Is Temple of Doom misunderstood or just mess