fedoraboy said:
Back story adds absolutely nothing, I prefer to create my own idea of how a character got the way he is...use my imagination a little. Plus, I'd say Indy, certianly the Indy of Raiders and Crusade is a well defined 3 dimensional character.
Well, we'll have to disagree then. I regard the Indy of the films as different entities, let alone Young Indiana... but I don't mind this at all. Indiana Jones is about 500 different characters in my mind.
The Hannibal Lector in the latest cash-in, and, of course, the teenage Vader from the prequels, add absuletely nothing of worth to the character, in fact, they actually detract a little bit of greatness because you learn too much about them.
Quite right, they do detract the more you know them - but Indiana Jones has very little 'to him' as a character to begin with. He's not supposed to, he's B-movie pulp. LC offered alittle depth in his relationship with his father, but really, what you see is what you get. When I said above he's about 500 characters, that's more the performance of Ford - he's never playing the same character from scene to scene, because there IS NO CHARACTER. There wasn't supposed to be. Young Indy is just another facet of this, another one of Indy Jones' characters - a gateway to history in this case. And it worked perfectly.
The start of Crusade was OK, but think about it, Indy learns how to use a whip, aquires his famous chin scar, becomes scared of snakes AND gets his fedora in the space of 15 minutes! A bit contrived me thinks
That's right, a cute, silly, humourous idea in LC - and nothing in the Chronicles came that close to trying to 'explain' the Indy of the movies. Don't forget there were 16 odd years between the 'last' Young Indy and ToD - plenty of time for him to become the cynical badass of the films.
Young Indy were seperate adventures, by a much younger character. Atleast when I watched the show, I was watching a YI my age, having adventures APPROPRIATE TO HIS AGE. What the hell was everyone expecting?
how many famous/influential people can this guy meet before hitting 20!!?? He ain't Forrest Gump!
...He's a fictional character, as many as the writers want him too. I learnt more about 20th Century History and people from YIJC than from my History Classes at school. I found it wonderfully engaging, and a real stepping stone for me into the past. Holy **** - was I Lucas' intended audience? And I enjoyed the program? Hell. What a complete failure the show was.
You're right, he ain't Forrest Gump. Very observant.
In defence of YIJC, it was intended to be 'edutainment'. Now, whether you regard that as a good or bad concept is irrelevant. I learnt a ****load from it, more so than watching anything bar documentaries on television. It got me interested in history, learning about the world around me. In that regard, it was absolutely successful - personally, I don't give a **** if he differs from what YOU thought Indy SHOULD be... I don't mean that as offence, but I think it was a wonderful concept.- executed with very little of the contrived LC Young Indy that you mentioned.
Young Indy is what it is, and that's the last great thing George Lucas has been involved in.
- I hope I haven't been rude, I'm really enjoying this discussion guys (apart from the continual **** about grammar - Clint - knock it off, it's below you.) - keep up the interestin' chit chat.
