 RED does not mean "stop." GREEN does not mean "go." Click on the CAPCon Alert image for explanation |
A ministry of the ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Christian Ministry. www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones through you in His name by His Word MAR28SP02  (1984), PG [Lite R-PG*] (1hr 56min) The #1 Christian entertainment media analysis service on the Internet. We give you OBJECTIVE tools NO ONE ELSE CAN to help YOU make an informed decision for yourself whether a film is fit for your family. Over 1200 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
  (a PayPal account is NOT required) OR (preferred) by Check or Money Order. The CAP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian ministry. Donations to us are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE |
on what Hollywood feeds your kids. SUBSCRIBE (or unsubscribe) to our FREE text-only email version of these reports and our COMING SOON notices. |
  Christian Long Distance |
(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Cast/Crew Details Courtesy imdb.com Production (US): Paramount Pictures, Lucasfilm Distribution (US): Paramount Home Video Director(s): Steven Spielberg Producer(s): Kathleen Kennedy, George Lucas, Frank Marshall, Robert Watts Story by: George Lucas Screenplay: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz Cinematography/Camera: Douglas Slocombe Music: John Williams Film Editing: Michael Kahn, George Lucas Casting: Jane Feinberg, Mike Fenton, Marci Liroff, Mary Selway Production Design: Elliot Scott Art Direction: Roger Cain, Alan Cassie Viewed on Paramount Home Entertainment VHS I can't remember the last film I've seen with so much action violence and other violence of several types, about 1.5 per minute. The CAP analysis model found enough violence content to drain to zero the 100 starting points in the Wanton Violence/Crime (W) investigation area. Except in two cases, one where Mola Ram (Amrish Puri) rips the still-beating heart out of a sacrifice victim and one where Ram gets squished in a stone crusher, the ton of violence has been described as "good, clean action adventure violence", meaning no blood or gore. But it is still violence. The American Medical Association and four other professional health associations finally agreed with God [1 Cor. 15:33] that such entertainment can and does embolden youth to develop aggressive notions which can manifest in behavioral choices as well as develop an embittered worldview and lose trust in and even fear others. For what it's worth, I agree. Most of the violence in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is not gory. The violence is mostly defensive and does not typically portray lust for it or bitter contempt for amity as does the violence in many R-rated films. But I'll say it again: it is still violence. The magnitude of so many instances of "lesser" violence in The Temple of Doom makes the envelope of violence contribution equivalent to that earned by many R-rated films. See our CAP Rule of 1000 publication for more information about the equivalence of the influence of many "lesser" instances of "bads" to a few but much more extreme "bads." As promised, following is a scoring comparative of three of the four films in the Indiana Jones quadrilogy. So far, with only The Last Crusade (PG-13) yet to be analyzed, the two PG-rated Jones films earned lower final scores than the PG-13 Crystal Skull which almost earned a final score equivalent to PG-rated films in the comparative baseline database. The MPAA has it backwards. More proof of the unreliability of the MPAA ... consistently. And, subjectively speaking, Crystal Skull was not as intellectually entertaining as any of the previous installments.  Indeed, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is, in part, a "lite" R-PG* (a PG-rated film earning a score equivalent to R-rated films) because of the violence. The other contributor to the R-PG status is the content found by the Offense to God (O) investigation area. Each of the Wanton Violence/Crime and the Offense to God investigation areas found enough content to earn an area score of zero. But the "good news" is that the content found by each of the other four investigation areas [Impudence/Hate (I), Sexual Immorality (S), Drugs/Alcohol (D) and Murder/Suicide (M)] earned scores equivalent to PG-rated films in the comparative baseline database. But is that good news good enough? As I've said a hundred times if once, we just tell you what is there and share with you what God says about it. You decide whether it is fit for your kids. We tell you the truth about the content of films; truth the MPAA, previews/trailers, word-of-mouth, advertisers, etc. can't or won't tell you so you might be in a better position to make an informed moral decision on your own whether a film is fit. Both Speilberg and Lucas have cameo appearances in this second masterpiece of the director/writer pair. Spielberg appears as a tourist. Lucas appears as a missionary. So does Frank Marshall, one of the producers, appear as a missionary. Fortunately, this second feature in what is now the Indiana Jones quadriolgy does not bear the alcohol/tobacco scars of the first feature, Raiders of the Lost Ark which ran rife with alcohol and tobacco. Indeed, Temple of Doom is equivalent to most PG-rated films in terms of the presentation of alcohol, drugs and tobacco. However... This film runs rife not only with violence but with unholy rituals and evil behaviors. So much so the Offense to God (O) investigation area found enough content to drain all of the starting 100 points of this investigation area, yielding an investigation area score of zero in Offense to God. That makes this film equivalent to many R-rated films in this area. Much of the film is indeed rather dark. But aside from violence and unholy matters, Temple of Doom is equivalent to PG films. Each of the other four investigation areas (Impudence/Hate, Sexual Immorality, Drugs/Alcohol and Murder/Suicide) earned scores equivalent to the like content in PG-rated films in the comparative baseline database. Indy (Harrison Ford) finds himself trying to deal with Lao Che (Roy Chiao), a crime boss of Shanghai and owner of the nightclub in which Indy and Che meet. Che has a diamond Indy wants and Indy has the cremated remains of a king from the Machu dynasty Che wants. As possessions are swapped, Che offers In dy an alcoholic drink to celebrate their deal. Unfortunately, the drink is poisoned. Indy pulls Wilhelmina 'Willie' Scott (Kate Capshaw), the nightclub star, to him as a hostage and threatens her life with a fork unless Che gives the diamond back to Indy. To that, Che indicates Willie's worth to him by telling Jones 'You keep her. I'll find another." The chuckling Che offers Indy the antidote to the poison in exchange for getting the diamond back. A ruckus ensues -- a fatal ruckus for one character. The diamond gets mixed with a spilled bucket of ice. As Willie digs through the ice of the diamond the vial of antidote is kicked to her and she shoves it between her breasts. Indy barely escapes with his life. Leaping out a second story window with Willie, after bounding off an awning below Indy and Willie land in a conveniently placed car driven by his young thief companion, Short Round (Jonathan Ke Quan) who speeds off with Indy and Willie. As the action continues through the streets of Shanghai. Indy fetches the antidote from between Willie's breasts shouting "I'm not that kind of girl" without offering any resistance. Is there a design obvious here? The story has her placing the vial between her breasts. Indy has to have it to live. He fetches it. Gotta get some sex in there, I guess. Once out of Shanghai ... Well, as with Raiders too many have seen Temple of Doom to go into any more detail about the story or plot. Also as with Raiders the biggest reason I am conducting analysis of each film in the Indiana Jones quadrilogy is to make a comparative scoring study of them. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 As discussed above Temple of Doom presents enough violence to lose all the 100 starting points in this investigation area. Examples of violence include sword impalement, a knife to a child's throat, sequences of action violence of varying intensities, gunfire to kill frequently, death by hanging, a victim's heart being ripped from his chest, massive abduction enslavement of children, beatings of children and much more. Please see to the listing in the Findings/Scoring section for a full accounting of the findings. [Prov. 16:29] Impudence/Hate (I) - 80 out of 100 There are three uses of aischrologia (the three/four letter word vocabulary) noted. There might be more but if so I missed them. But still, three is three too many. [Col. 3:8] Other than an "I hate YOU" by Willie and a young boy saying "Please let me die!", there was not much to the Impudence/Hate content. Sexual Immorality (S) - 71 out of 100 There is entirely too much sexually-oriented content for the intended audience, the PG age stratum. It is not right for them (not that its okay for anyone) to see a man shove his hand between a woman's breasts. And it is not right for her to offer sex to him nor him to entice her for it. [1Ths. 4:7] Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 80 out of 100 While Raiders was rife with the use of alcoholic beverages and tobacco, Temple of Doom is comparatively light in alcohol/tobacco content. However, drugs are used to force an altered state of consciousness. Offense to God (O) - Zero out of 100 In addition to 11 uses of God's name in vain (all without the four letter expletive) [Deut. 5:11], this film presents intense unholy practices such as voodoo and human sacrifice frequently. In one case a young boy repeatedly stabs an effigy to cause pain to another ... and enjoys it. In an evil ceremonial ritual Mola Ram rips the still beating heart out of a sacrificial victim.. These are but very few of the examples of unholy, evil practices in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. This film also presents faith in false gods and praying to them. [Deut. 5:7, Ps. 40:4] The Findings/Scoring section reveals all that were found. Murder/Suicide (M) - 80 out of 100 There is murder by gunfire, murder by ritual (incineration) and murder by being thrown off a cliff. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. CHAPTER/VERSE ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry*** As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. |
 |
 Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 80 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 71 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 80 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - Zero out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 80 out of 100 |
| There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings. |
|
Thank you for visiting us and may God bless you. Prayerfully, we will provide you with some of the most revealing commentary and investigative reporting you have ever read. In the name of Jesus: Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, God. Tom Carder President ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture 100% dependent on your tax-deductible financial support |  |
Christian Long Distance |
|
We exist only by your tax-deductible donations. PLEASE  Features PayPal! You do NOT need an account to donate. |
