Raiders-a-Like Movies

[smokin_si1138]

Does anyone know of any films that are similar in style to the BEST TRILOGY IN THE WORLD EVER (TM)? Oh, for anyone who's a bit slow on the uptake that's Indiana Jones...

I think in recent years the closest has been The Mummy (the first one that is). I remember as a kid I used to love King Solomons Mines. Yes thats right the Richard Chamberlain film... purely because it was a rip off of Raiders (including Allan Quartermain going underneath a train and then being dragged behind said train... osund familiar?).

I saw it recently and almost died... I never quite realised how bad it was! Mind you in my defence it had been about 17 years since I'd seen it... and I was 6 or so at the time...

Anyway, just thought it would be nice to hear other peoples views on movies that rip off the trilogy (either well or very very badly), or those that capture the spirit of it in some way...

Simon

[Indycrusader]

Yeah, I started a thread like this in General. I saw an episode on TV that directly copied the golden idol scene in ROTLA. And it was filmed well, but it was done stupidly on purpose if you know what I mean. Instead of a golden idol, there was a golden sausage. ?????????

And I was watching AFHV and some guys made a Indy short just to send into AFHV. It was called, "Pasadina Jones and the Temple of Schoom" if I remember correctly. It was done pretty well for somebody who's not a movie company. I liked it so much I requested that clip from AFHV, but so far they haven't answered me.

[thegreatimposter]

Most of the Raiders rip-off's were in the eighties, but raiders did more than just create a character that went after lost artifacts. It reawakened the public mind to serial adventure. The type of adventure seen in Indy really hadn't been done at that pace before. So a string of rip offs modelled after the pacing of Indiana Jones are:

Jake Speed
Remo Williams the Adventure begins...
FireWalker
King Solomans Mines
Alan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold
Romancing the Stone
Jewel of the Nile
Goonies
Young Sherlock Holmes

[Ska]

I put my list in the General section called Indy-related movies. Check it out...

Ska

[Indy007]

Romancing the Stone does rip off Indiana Jones very well, and even captures the spirit. Have not seen that picture in years, but hopefully a special edition may come out next year for its twentieth anniversary.

[jamie]

I'd add 007: The Living Daylights to the list.

[00Kevin]

Originally posted by jamie
I'd add 007: The Living Daylights to the list.

?????????????????

[British_Lion_2003]

Originally posted by thegreatimposter
Most of the Raiders rip-off's were in the eighties, but raiders did more than just create a character that went after lost artifacts. It reawakened the public mind to serial adventure. The type of adventure seen in Indy really hadn't been done at that pace before. So a string of rip offs modelled after the pacing of Indiana Jones are:

Jake Speed
Remo Williams the Adventure begins...
FireWalker
King Solomans Mines
Alan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold
Romancing the Stone
Jewel of the Nile
Goonies
Young Sherlock Holmes


Arnt Sherlock Holmes and Alan Quartermain heros invented before Indiana Jones?

[Ska]

You are correct in saying that the CHARACTERS were created before Indy, but those versions of the MOVIES were after Raiders. There have been at least 5 versions of King Solomon's Mines, but the one with Richard Chamberlain was, I believe, made around '84, which would put it three years after Raiders.
Here's my list of movies from another thread:
http://www.theraider.net/theraven//showthread.php?threadid=5324

Ska

[Ska]

Has anyone seen League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? It didn't look too good to me, but I saw that it has Quartermain (played by Sean Connery too!). Are there any parts of that movie that are Indy related? I did see a picture of Quartermain with his brown fedora. I might have to rent this one.

Ska

[Aaron H]

I liked LXG, there is a thread about it here: http://www.theraider.net/theraven//showthread.php?threadid=5076

[jamie]

Originally posted by 00Kevin
Originally posted by jamie
I'd add 007: The Living Daylights to the list.

?????????????????
There were lots of desert sequences, a bit of a departure for a Bond movie, the was horseback action (again, not very "Bond"), and some of the stunts were Indy-like such as Bond jumping on top of the truck. The plot with no real villain, unlike every other Bond movie, more Like Raiders style of kind of opposing teams but no real individual for Bond to be going after all movie.
I could probably think of more but this is my least fave Bond movie and I dont feel like watching it.

Originally posted by SKAbatula
Has anyone seen League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? It didn't look too good to me, but I saw that it has Quartermain (played by Sean Connery too!). Are there any parts of that movie that are Indy related? I did see a picture of Quartermain with his brown fedora. I might have to rent this one.

Ska
It was terrible. It didnt know whether to be a literary thriller or a mindless special effects action movie. Problem is, those interested in the characters are unlikely to want to see a brainless action movie, and those who want an action movie are unlikely to know who those characters are.
Connery was excellent though. He had some nice Bond-ish moments.

[Edited by jamie on 11-12-2003 at 12:58 pm]

[thegreatimposter]

Originally posted by British_Lion_2003
Originally posted by thegreatimposter
Most of the Raiders rip-off's were in the eighties, but raiders did more than just create a character that went after lost artifacts. It reawakened the public mind to serial adventure. The type of adventure seen in Indy really hadn't been done at that pace before. So a string of rip offs modelled after the pacing of Indiana Jones are:

Jake Speed
Remo Williams the Adventure begins...
FireWalker
King Solomans Mines
Alan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold
Romancing the Stone
Jewel of the Nile
Goonies
Young Sherlock Holmes


Arnt Sherlock Holmes and Alan Quartermain heros invented before Indiana Jones?

Yes the characters were. But the style and movies themselves were done after. The inspiration is obvious

[Lightning]

One of the most Raiders like movies has got to be "The Rocketeer" In fact it was compared to Raiders when it first came out. It's in the right time period complete with Los Angeles 1938 at the beginning. The comic it is based on drew it's inspiration from 1930's serials as well ("Rocket Man" and "Commander Cody" if I remember correctly). Plus the movie was meant to be the first in a series of films but Disney mishandled the release date. I've often thought that Indy fans really ought to adopt this movie.

[jamie]

I cant believe no-ones mentioned 'The Phantom' (Billy Zane)! So many parts of that movie were a straight rip off of Indy. Its rips off Indy way more then 'The Mummy'.
Its in the same era (its set in 1936), theres supernatural artifacts and archeaological elements, bad guys going after said supernatural artifacts, cult type group living in a volcano, natives, jungles, caves, horse stunts, a plane running out of fuel and crashing into mountains just after the passengers make an unlikely escape (sound familiar?) and most blatant of all - a suspension bridge that breaks in half leaving the characters hanging on.
Easily the most blatant Indy ripoff movie ever made.
Jim

[Webley]

Alec Bbaldwin, The Shadow

[Attila the Professor]

Originally posted by jamie
I cant believe no-ones mentioned 'The Phantom' (Billy Zane)! So many parts of that movie were a straight rip off of Indy. Its rips off Indy way more then 'The Mummy'.
Its in the same era (its set in 1936), theres supernatural artifacts and archeaological elements, bad guys going after said supernatural artifacts, cult type group living in a volcano, natives, jungles, caves, horse stunts, a plane running out of fuel and crashing into mountains just after the passengers make an unlikely escape (sound familiar?) and most blatant of all - a suspension bridge that breaks in half leaving the characters hanging on.
Easily the most blatant Indy ripoff movie ever made.
Jim

However, wasn't the original "Phantom" an influence on Indy?

[jamie]

Originally posted by Attila the Professor
[QUOTE]However, wasn't the original "Phantom" an influence on Indy?
I wouldnt really have thought so. The Phantom comic never really took off in the US and the old serials werent very popular and didnt last long.
But even if the Phantom was an influence on Indy, the 1996 movie still ripped off a lot of things from the movie. The stunts for example, which werent from the comics or the serial, were just copied straight from the Indy movies, and the same with the plot.
Jim

[Marion]

King Solomon's mines is my pick for right now there are so many similarities between the movies its really ridiculous. Its like the 3 indy movies in one and not as good.

[Ska]

Rented the Phantom yesterday, and you were right. Once I got past the purple tights, I could imagine Indy doing all of those things! And even though this should go in another thread, I feel that Billy Zane would be the best alternative to Ford (not saying that anyone could replace Harrison) as Indy. He also played a good role in The Diamond of Jeru. Thanks for the info on the movie.

Ska

[Lightning]

I you want to see a movie that is extremely like Raiders watch Valley of the Kings (1954). There are too many similarities for this movie not to have been seen by Lucas before he wrote Raiders.
Quick summary: Egypt 1900, Archeologist Mark Brandon is contacted by Ann Mercedes, the daughter of his old teacher to locate the tomb of Pharoah Ra Hotep. Before he died, her father was trying to prove that the Story of Joseph in Genesis was true. Finding this tomb will settle it conclusively.
Other Raider Paralells: Mark Brannon worked on the Suez Canal before Dr. Mercedes trained him to be an archeologist.
In order to find the tomb they need to find an Arab Guide named Sallah. (now we know where the name came from)
Anyway, of all the Raiders-like movies I've seen this is the closest.

[Darkweaver]

There was a movie with Cyndi Lauper, Jeff Goldblum and Peter Falk where they were searching for an ancient mystical location or artifact, I believe somewhere in the Andes. Cyndi Lauper was a psychic of some kind. It was an 80's flick and believe more of a comedy but had that adventure serial Indy-like feel to it. The movie was called "Vibes". Here's a description from IMDb:

------------------

Cyndi Lauper and Jeff Goldblum play two psychics hired by Peter Falk to find his long lost son in a foreign country. When they get there they discover he's really hired them to help find a hidden temple in the mountains where all the psychic energy in the world comes from.

------------------

[Edited by Darkweaver on 01-23-2004 at 11:19 pm]

[Ska]

Hey Darkweaver:

I happened to catch that one a couple months ago on HBO. You're right about the comedy in the movie, unfortunately. The movie gets better once the group heads for the lost city. I give the movie an overall B-.

Ska

[DaFedora]

A while ago, I came across a DVD of 'The Diamond of Jeru', and after seeing the website docu's, I'm kinda in favor to -at least- rent that movie. But I find it surprizing I haven't heard any comment on two other spin-offs, one starring John Rhys-Davies for all being !: I'm talking about
'CORONADO' (2003),

a German film directed by Claudio Fäh. Rhys-Davies plays the unsurpassed, brilliant role of a South-American dictator named Ramos: www.coronadothemovie.com

And then there's a DVD I bought out of curiosity, which really made me sit on the tip of my seat:
'HUNT FOR THE HIDDEN RELIC' (1999)
(original title: 'Das Jesus Video')
Based on the story from Andreas Eschenbach and directed by Sebastian Niemann ('Seven days to live'), it's starring Matthias Koeberlin and Naike Rivelli (daughter of Ornella Muti).
The film's a perfect mixture of 'Timeline' and the upcoming (yet in pre-production) screen adaptation of Dan Brown's 'The DaVinci Code'.
Synopsis: archaeologist Steffen discovers a skeleton dated 2000 years back, but with modern-day metal-plated prosthetics attached to the bones and a camcorder manual for a model that hasn't even been invented. He believes that they found a time-traveller who got stuck in the past, but he's laughed at. While more forensic analysis is underway, the excavation's financer (with high connections in the Vatican) personnally takes over the project. But another party becomes involved, menacing the lives of Stephen and his friencs, protecting a secret that's been held for over 2000 years by the Church...

I really like both musical title scores: the score from Coronado really appeals to the optimistic, tongue-in-cheek, fast-pased adventure genre like Raiders was, while the bit more serious, but equally mysterious themes in 'Das Jesus Video' really emphasized the oriëntal feel... and it was really cool.

www.new-video.de/film-das-jesus-video/
soundtrack: www.ego-n.de -> Fullscreen/Windowed -> Movie-> Das Jesus Video

Originally posted by SKAbatula
Rented the Phantom yesterday, and you were right. Once I got past the purple tights, I could imagine Indy doing all of those things! And even though this should go in another thread, I feel that Billy Zane would be the best alternative to Ford (not saying that anyone could replace Harrison) as Indy. He also played a good role in The Diamond of Jeru. Thanks for the info on the movie.

Ska

[Webley]

http://www.bubbahotep.com/

[Indydan13]

1. The cheapest shot was "The Rugrats Movie" ( I was only about 8 when it came out).

2. If anything, the Indy doesn't quite copy movies as it does an entire genre. The Journey. If you look back, there is one source of the idea of a character going on an adventure, having ups and downs, and having a victory at the end. If you can't guess, it is The Odyssey. Odysseus goes on a journey, fights monsters, temptation, magic, and finally wins after a major tragedy. In fact in our English book, there is a part for "Those who liked the Odyssey..." and it lists several simlar stories including (don't know why they picked this one) LC. In essence, no one has copied Indy, just the idea of the story set down by a blind poet named Homer.

[Pilot]

The Phantom was originally a comic strip in the 1930's. Columbia made a Phantom serial in the 1940's, which had a scene in which a rope suspension bridge gave way during a fight with bad guys. So, the new Phantom movie did not necessarily copy the scene from the Temple of Doom, nor do I agree that setting a movie in the 1930's necessarily make it an Indy rip-off.