Why Infernal Machine is like Indy IV

The Tingler

New member
SPOILERS FROM BOTH GAME AND NEW MOVIE FOLLOW! Don't read on unless you've played or seen both of them!

Okay people, I knew that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was going to be closest to Infernal Machine because of the Post-WW2 time period and the Russians as villains, but I was really surprised by how many similarities there were!

Here's my list. Can you think of more?

- Russians replacing Nazis as the constant villains, although Indy never actually visits Russia
- Unlike all his other adventures, is set after the Second World War
- A psychic woman who constantly receives Indy's scepticism but never actually proves that she has any powers at all
- McCarthy-like US government paranoia about the Reds coming into it
- Indy starting off digging for dull artifacts in Mexico (granted, in KOTCS this happens before the film starts and in IM it's actually New Mexico!)
- It starts in present-day America (well, by Indy's viewpoint) rather than a foreign country or the past
- It also gets stuck right into the main story rather than having a big exciting and yet totally irrelevant adventure at the start (although all the games seem to do this)
- A recurring and very popular heroine from a previous adventure of Indy's
- An ancient culture worshipping a being from another dimension as a god, and building great things with their assistance
- An American who Indy thinks is on his side double-crossing him and turning out to be the one who gets Jones and everyone else into the most trouble. And at least one person sucked into another dimension
- Big-ass scorpions
- Indy gets kidnapped and shipped to exactly the place he needs to be
- Return To Peru. Same concept!
- A river rapids sequence (okay, fair enough, this one's more Temple of Doom)
- A big tilting circular intricately-designed ancient platform
- A UFO!
- The Infernal Machine itself!! A big vertical cross-dimensional lightshow/gateway!
 
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Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
"Heh" on the UFO.

Apart from Mac being, y'know, British, I like your account. Especially the bit about interdimensional beings - all I could think of in that moment was Volodnikov's bit about another plane of existence. It's funny that every Indy adventure since Infernal Machine ends up doing something along these lines (of course, that only means IM, ET, and KotCS.)

Also, it goes without saying that if we're going to draw comparisons, there's also psychic powers, weirdly shaped bones and something akin to a god machine in KotCS, just like in FoA. I sort of enjoy these callbacks, and am very curious how many might be conscious. How many of these ideas have been knocking around in Lucas's head for years and keep making it into multiple projects?
 

The Tingler

New member
Yeah, I thought the "has the power to control the will of men" line was nicely said by Spalko!

I never considered the creepy bones thing! Although what Indy said is accurate you know, some tribes used to really do that.

If you haven't found it (I certainly hadn't until recently), that red light UFO thing does move!
 

Dust McAlan

New member
I really like your analysis. Maybe you could post over here as well, since thus far the thread has only gotten one person, who unfortunately was an obvious hater of the Kingdom film.
 

The Tingler

New member
Done!

I really love Infernal Machine, particularly for having the guts to set it after WW2 and make Russians the villains instead. The film did it out of necessity, but those guys are in charge, they can put Indy wherever they want. All the games, books and comics are just fans in comparison!
 

InVader

Member
The Tingler said:
- Indy starting off digging for dull artifacts in Mexico (granted, in KOTCS this happens before the film starts and in IM it's actually New Mexico!)

Actually, Infernal Machine starts in Utah.
 

Dust McAlan

New member
Another similarity: Sophia and Spalko's haircuts. My son went to the theater with me this morning and when Spalko came on, he excitedly said "Daddy, it's Sophia!" I had to explain it was a different woman, a bad woman (a very, very bad woman, but Indy likes 'em like that :D).
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Every Indy film has recycled unused ideas from story drafts that came before. I still recall Hal Barwood mentioning that while penning up IM, they had to shelve some story idea because Lucas thought "it could be used later for a movie or something".
 

The Tingler

New member
Ah, so that's why they went with a post-WW2 Indy being chased by Russians while looking for an ancient artifact built underneath a mythical site by a creature worshipped as a god that is actually a gateway to another dimension instead! (y)

Actually, Infernal Machine starts in Utah.

Whoops, my bad. Still digging for dull artifacts though rather than his usual epic treasures!

The haircut thing I like!
 
I've always loved "The Infernal Machine"... it's one of the very few games I've completed more than once. Maybe it's because at the time it came out there already were some rumours about a possible "Indy 4" film, so I got really pumped while playing that game.

Coming to the point... yeah, you are right about the similarities. But there's also a BIG, BIG difference, in my opinion. And it lies in the feeling, in the atmosphere...

"Infernal Machine" IS an Indy story. It does have the Indiana Jones feeling, the adventure, the mystery, the charisma.

"Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", on the other hand, IS NOT. It doesn't have anything Indy. Anything, apart from Indy himself (and one of the best performances of all time, by Harrison Ford).
While watching "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" I never felt the same emotions I felt with the original three films. NEVER. The atmoshpere in "Kingdom" is that of a sci-fi, low budget movie. Sure, that's exactly what they wanted... and what a shame, I say!!! :( :( :(
No more adventure, no more exploration, no more mystery. Everything's just so damned clichè. Don't know, maybe it's because they let you see aliens even in the VERY FIRST scene!!! What a brilliant idea... no more surprise... I really don't know. :( I've seen the movie twice already. And even if I liked it more at the second time, I still give it 5,5 stars out of 10. Damn, "Tomb Raider" movies were better, both of them. :mad: And that's a REAL shame... :( :(

Since it took them almost 13 years to deliver a script which is nothing more that a bad remix of "Saucer Men from Mars" ( :mad: :mad: ) I really wish they have used the story of "Infernal Machine"... because in that case, "Indy 4" would have been one hell of a movie...

So, even if I admit I'm very sorry for what I'm saying... hail to king Barwood, shame on David Koepp.
 
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The Tingler

New member
I agree with the alien thing in the first scene, that was a stupid idea. They should've made it the metal from the spaceship, or something. Or an artifact. NOT an actual alien!

I disagree entirely with the idea that the Tomb Raider films were better though. They were awful. I remember walking out of the cinema after seeing the first film and asking my friends: "Apart from Lara Croft, can you name any other character in that movie?" They couldn't, neither could I.
 

Indy Jones

Active member
The Stranger said:
I've always loved "The Infernal Machine"... it's one of the very few games I've completed more than once. Maybe it's because at the time it came out there already were some rumours about a possible "Indy 4" film, so I got really pumped while playing that game.

Coming to the point... yeah, you are right about the similarities. But there's also a BIG, BIG difference, in my opinion. And it lies in the feeling, in the atmosphere...

"Infernal Machine" IS an Indy story. It does have the Indiana Jones feeling, the adventure, the mystery, the charisma.

"Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", on the other hand, IS NOT. It doesn't have anything Indy. Anything, apart from Indy himself (and one of the best performances of all time, by Harrison Ford).
While watching "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" I never felt the same emotions I felt with the original three films. NEVER. The atmoshpere in "Kingdom" is that of a sci-fi, low budget movie. Sure, that's exactly what they wanted... and what a shame, I say!!! :( :( :(
No more adventure, no more exploration, no more mystery. Everything's just so damned clichè. Don't know, maybe it's because they let you see aliens even in the VERY FIRST scene!!! What a brilliant idea... no more surprise... I really don't know. :( I've seen the movie twice already. And even if I liked it more at the second time, I still give it 5,5 stars out of 10. Damn, "Tomb Raider" movies were better, both of them. :mad: And that's a REAL shame... :( :(

Since it took them almost 13 years to deliver a script which is nothing more that a bad remix of "Saucer Men from Mars" ( :mad: :mad: ) I really wish they have used the story of "Infernal Machine"... because in that case, "Indy 4" would have been one hell of a movie...

So, even if I admit I'm very sorry for what I'm saying... hail to king Barwood, shame on David Koepp.

:rolleyes: All I can say is that things change. Get over it.
 

Dust McAlan

New member
The first Tomb Raider flick was so bad, I didn't see the second one, "Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" until a year after it was out on DVD. "Cradle of Life" is actually a damn good adventure movie that makes up for the horrible first film, and had it made some money it might have been enough to warrant a third. Alas, "Cradle" made no money, so that was that, which is a shame considering how good that second one was.
 

DiscoLad

New member
The Stranger said:
Since it took them almost 13 years to deliver a script which is nothing more that a bad remix of "Saucer Men from Mars" ( :mad: :mad: ) I really wish they have used the story of "Infernal Machine"... because in that case, "Indy 4" would have been one hell of a movie...QUOTE]


You make a Damn good piont... very good piont indeed, they coud've used Infernal Machine..But, Why use A game when people know what's going to happen...
 

The Tingler

New member
Saw a feature in the latest issue of the UK's Retro Gamer magazine on Fate of Atlantis. Apparently both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas love the game, but would never consider it for a film because they only want ideas that are wholly original.

Got another couple of Infernal Machine = Crystal Skull points -

- At the end of Return to Peru, there is a semi-circular room with sliding platforms that Indy has to quickly traverse - this is very similar to the tower that goes down to the Temple of Akator.
- For no discernible reason one of the chalk-markings Indy can do is an alien's head! All the other markings are Indy or Lucas related, so this one makes no sense!
 
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