Indiana Jones as a horror adventure! An interesting choice for a sequel (prequel in this case) that would most certainly not be greenlit in its current state by today’s studios. Temple of Doom is darker, scarier, gorier (way gorier) and moodier than the original film.

They tried to balance that out with not one but two plucky sidekicks. One (Short Round) works as an homage to Bruce Lee’s early film roles as a child. The other (Willie Scott) is the product of producers, writers and directors all going through a divorce. She’s brash, annoying, and terribly written.

But, despite it all, the film is also quite tense, filled with dazzling set pieces, chilling horror, brilliantly staged action sequences and absolutely stunning photography.

There’s a lot not to like about Temple of Doom, but I prefer to focus on what’s awesome about it. This is an absurd, wild movie that seems tailor made for cult film enthusiasts and horror lovers. It’s pretty fun paired with John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China, too.