A Remarkable Achievement
A Remarkable Achievement...
WOW!
Quite simply, I was AWESTRUCK by this work of fandom. The opening in the Chachapoyan temple is done extremely well for a homemade film but during the college scenes, I began to feel that I wouldn't be able to watch this all in one sitting. However, I chose to stick with it and things only get better from there. Being quickly absorbed into each unfolding sequence, it kept me wondering how the makers were going to pull off the rest and they managed to do them ALL (minus the Flying Wing scene but that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things) and they were executed much better than anticipated.
This thing is a true marvel to behold, not just for its replication of the shots but more for the sheer ambitiousness of the entire project. Plenty of different locations & sets are used with a great job done in matching the costumes and there are plenty of extras to flesh out the busier scenes, such as the Cairo market. There is even a real SUBMARINE! By all means, this is not a typical 'backyard production'.
It has real snakes, real mice (for the rats) with Chris Strompolos' dog, Snickers, as the monkey (who even gives a Nazi salute, which, I surmise was done by pulling his paw upwards with a practically invisible fishing cord). Best of all, are the effects: Fire, smoke, blowing snow, ricochet sparks, spurting & dripping blood, burning Ark crate, superimposed Ark ghosts, a melted head + more! Two of the teens were even LIT ON
FIRE! Plenty of details are paid attention to, such as the LIFE magazine, Marion drinking from the spilled booze, the wind chimes at the Imam's place, the Mercedes Diesel logo behind the grille of the truck, etc.
One might ask how they did the truck chase. Amazingly, they pulled it off as best as anyone could with no budget and it did not disappoint! Even more amazing is that the truck didn't even have an engine! A convertible/cabriolet Volkswagen Beetle stood in for the staff car. Top full marks for that scene, especially the shots of Indy hanging on to the grille and dragging behind the truck.
Believe it or not, Indy & Sallah lifting up the Ark actually gave me goosebumps and the scene hasn't done that to me since the opening weekend in 1981. There are too many standout moments to choose from but the most impressive were those with the
Ark ghosts!
(I'd post images but don't want to spoil that part.)
True to form, "The Adaptation" has its own unique twists because minor pieces of dialogue were changed to match its version of events. For examples: "There's a big snake in the
boat, Jock!" along with an exchange between Indy & Sallah about Marion's whereabouts after escaping the Well of Souls (Angela Rodriguez was obviously not available at one point so an explanation for her absence was necessary).
It would a be blast to meet with Chris, Eric & Jayson to ask them all sorts of questions. I'm so happy for them that their hard work eventually surfaced for the public (& Spielberg, himself) to see. What an incredible feat & reward they achieved.
This fan-work is phenomenal and rightly worth being included amongst TheRaider.net's list of films, as it already is. Without a doubt, it's definitely a MUST-SEE for any fans of Indiana Jones.
To all involved,
BRAVO!
Rating: A+ / 5 stars / 10 out of 10 / 2 thumbs up!