There are several reasons why Raiders of the Lost Ark
is the best of the Indiana Jones films and Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) is at the top of the list. Although she plays the damsel in distress for a significant part of the movie, she never feels like she's filling that role. She's strong, she's capable, and if you're a guy in her way, she'll either seduce you, punch you, or drink you under the table depending on what the situation calls for.Of the many problems Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
has, the biggest is that it didn't continue the story of Indy and Marion. Kate Capshaw's whiny, spoiled Willie Scott is no substitute. And though Alison Doody's Elsa Schneider was pretty tough in The Last Crusade
, she lost points by being a villain (though I should probably watch that again with fresh eyes; I just remember being disappointed at the time).It was smart of them to bring Marion back for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
, but a shame that they didn't give her a lot to do. She wasn't nearly as tough and cool as she'd been in Raiders. But then again, neither was Indy.
11 comments:
I fell in love with Marion/Karen Allen the first time I saw Raiders at the cinema.
The second time I went I remember just staring at her the whole time!
I still have a signed photo of her up on my wall ;)
Very cool. Did you get to meet her?
No, 'fraid not - the picture was acquired many, many years later through the power of eBay.
I wrote to the studio at the time, after I saw the film the first time (when I was 15), and they sent me a great picture of her (which I still have as well), but unsigned ;)
Very cool. I love stories like that about young fans writing letters and getting cool stuff.
Not so young now ;(
Ha! So say we all. :)
Great choice man. Marion is the greatest!
Marion is a great character.
All of Temple's sins are forgiven for giving us Short Round.
When I first saw the movie, Short Round was on my list of dislikes (I didn't think Indy needed a sidekick), but he's won me over.
Back on the negative side: I know this is an extremely nerdy thing to say, but I hate the gag where Indy reaches for his gun to shoot the swordsman and has to use his whip instead. Only because it's only funny if you've already seen Raiders, which doesn't take place chronologically until later. Even as a kid, I was all, "Ha, that's funny...no, waitaminnit! That doesn't make any sense!"
Hahahaha. That will bother me every time I see it now.
yes! What a fantastic character she was. And you know, I had never even noticed that she was essentially the "damsel in distress" until you pointed that out.
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