Should Short Round return or get his own movie?

jeshopk

Member
Here are some reasons I think Jonathan Ke Quan's return in Indy 5 would make absolute sense:

1) More action. Jonathan is a stunt choreographer and would add more thrills than a Mac or Oxley or Marion type sidekick would at this point.

2) His interaction with Mutt (presumably returning) could be quite humorous. Indy was Shorty's "father" for a time, and it could provide some dynamic to make Mutt and Indy bond in some realistic way. Both being different kinds of sons to Indy, there's something they already have in common.

3) Jonathan is great and very down to earth in interviews. The character would probably not be written wacky. He's an archaeologist.

4) Female love interest! Indy can't have one being married, so presumably it's going to be Mutt that gets the girl. Shorty and Mutt could have a little rivalry over the heroine.

So, if Mutt's going to be there anyway, it would be good to see Shorty there as Mutt's "Brother". The choice between Mutt alone or Mutt and Shorty splitting the "younger action hero" function is obvious. Kung fu it up! Shorty could even teach Mutt some kung fu. And it could take place in China.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
jeshopk said:
Here are some reasons I think Jonathan Ke Quan's return in Indy 5 would make absolute sense:

1) More action. Jonathan is a stunt choreographer and would add more thrills than a Mac or Oxley or Marion type sidekick would at this point.

2) His interaction with Mutt (presumably returning) could be quite humorous. Indy was Shorty's "father" for a time, and it could provide some dynamic to make Mutt and Indy bond in some realistic way. Both being different kinds of sons to Indy, there's something they already have in common.

3) Jonathan is great and very down to earth in interviews. The character would probably not be written wacky. He's an archaeologist.

4) Female love interest! Indy can't have one being married, so presumably it's going to be Mutt that gets the girl. Shorty and Mutt could have a little rivalry over the heroine.

So, if Mutt's going to be there anyway, it would be good to see Shorty there as Mutt's "Brother". The choice between Mutt alone or Mutt and Shorty splitting the "younger action hero" function is obvious. Kung fu it up! Shorty could even teach Mutt some kung fu. And it could take place in China.


Ewww!

Shorty was a kid in the stereotypical '80s movie mould. Being Asian he was obviously going to be a martial arts expert. Being the '80s he was going to be precocious. His relationship with Indy was at best uncomfortable. He looked up to Indy as the father figure who would take him to America and make him part of a family again. At the same time he naively saw himself as Indy's bodyguard. All-in-all those factors made for a character even more unappealing than Mutt.

Seeing him as an adult would only dredge up that uncomfortable past. And two 'sons' would sideline Indy even further, as a father figure watchfully looking out for the 'young-uns'.

After KOTCS Indy desperately needs to win back his credibility. That movie put him on the back-foot, and shouldered him with burdens. I don't want to see Indy turning into an episode of Bonanza with Harry playing the Lorne Greene role, or worse still, Little House of the Prairie. ;)
 

jeshopk

Member
Given that it probably won't be a prequel, he'll still be married and still have a son, there'll be no new "Indy girl" (The Bond element in Indy only goes so far) and there's no going back. I also felt it was realistic that Indy was happy to have a family after getting older and losing his father and Marcus, so I want to see the story continue with a wiser Indy. Not that he won't still kick the most ass in the picture.
 

moon_tan

New member
Ajax the Great said:
In The Lost Journal of Indiana Jones, a book that came out earlier this year, there is a letter from Short Round, indicating that he is indeed alive and well. He seems to have followed in Indy's footsteps and become an archaeologist, and is searching for the Peacock's Eye (the diamond from the beginning of ToD and one of the Young Indy chronicles)...
I like your idea for a movie. Now if Spielberg and Lucas would read your entry.
I would like Jonathan Ke Quan to return in Indiana Jones 5 and I think Indiana should be allowed to have the golden idol back he lost in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
moon_tan said:
I like your idea for a movie. Now if Spielberg and Lucas would read your entry.
I would like Jonathan Ke Quan to return in Indiana Jones 5 and I think Indiana should be allowed to have the golden idol back he lost in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Isn't that more or less what we got in the fourth film, plugging in Karen Allen for Jonathan Ke Quan and the Ark for the golden idol?
 
Attila the Professor said:
Isn't that more or less what we got in the fourth film, plugging in Karen Allen for Jonathan Ke Quan and the Ark for the golden idol?

Essentially. But Shortie would hopefully serve as more than fan-appeasing window dressing. He could be the Robin to Indy's Batman -- or, more appropriately, Nightwing -- that they wanted Mutt to be, with the added benefit of plausible backstory and, most likely, fan approval.
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
neverAcquiesce said:
Essentially. But Shortie would hopefully serve as more than fan-appeasing window dressing. He could be the Robin to Indy's Batman -- or, more appropriately, Nightwing -- that they wanted Mutt to be, with the added benefit of plausible backstory and, most likely, fan approval.

I'm not sure how bringing in a character some 25 years later in place of Indy's son is a more plausible backstory.
 
Attila the Professor said:
I'm not sure how bringing in a character some 25 years later in place of Indy's son is a more plausible backstory.

I meant that Short Round already has a plausible backstory (introduced in an earlier film, linked via the Lost Journal) for adventuring with Indy that a new character wouldn't.
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
neverAcquiesce said:
I meant that Short Round already has a plausible backstory (introduced in an earlier film, linked via the Lost Journal) for adventuring with Indy that a new character wouldn't.

But then they would need to account for all those years in-between, particularly incorporating just what their connection was during the time of Last Crusade. And the Lost Journal link - apart from being in a book that only people like us care about - is one that many of us would happily forget. What brings him back out of the woodwork for another adventure? Surely he just hasn't been hanging around waiting to be put into danger again.

Montana Smith said:
Shorty was a kid in the stereotypical '80s movie mould. Being Asian he was obviously going to be a martial arts expert. Being the '80s he was going to be precocious. His relationship with Indy was at best uncomfortable. He looked up to Indy as the father figure who would take him to America and make him part of a family again. At the same time he naively saw himself as Indy's bodyguard. All-in-all those factors made for a character even more unappealing than Mutt.

Seeing him as an adult would only dredge up that uncomfortable past. And two 'sons' would sideline Indy even further, as a father figure watchfully looking out for the 'young-uns'.

After KOTCS Indy desperately needs to win back his credibility. That movie put him on the back-foot, and shouldered him with burdens. I don't want to see Indy turning into an episode of Bonanza with Harry playing the Lorne Greene role, or worse still, Little House of the Prairie.

Montana gets it, even if he did sell the rights to his name for that video game.
 
Attila the Professor said:
But then they would need to account for all those years in-between, particularly incorporating just what their connection was during the time of Last Crusade. And the Lost Journal link - apart from being in a book that only people like us care about - is one that many of us would happily forget. What brings him back out of the woodwork for another adventure? Surely he just hasn't been hanging around waiting to be put into danger again.

Oh, I'm far for arguing for this...merely fleshing it out in my own mind if that was the route they ended up taking.

Which they won't. :whip:
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
neverAcquiesce said:
Oh, I'm far for arguing for this...merely fleshing it out in my own mind if that was the route they ended up taking.

Which they won't. :whip:

Fair enough, fair enough.

It's hard to place myself back in the mind frame of someone who saw the original films when they came out, but I get some sense that there were expectations for Marion to return in Temple of Doom, and even conversation about Belloq. Once that didn't happen, did people figure any of the old characters would show up in Last Crusade. Earlier versions of the script suggest that there was no expectation of such. It's only past Last Crusade, once the returning Marcus and Sallah have been established, that we start getting bits like Indy's old flames at his wedding showing up in scripts.
 

Dark Horse

New member
jeshopk said:
Here are some reasons I think Jonathan Ke Quan's return in Indy 5 would make absolute sense:

1) More action. Jonathan is a stunt choreographer and would add more thrills than a Mac or Oxley or Marion type sidekick would at this point.

2) His interaction with Mutt (presumably returning) could be quite humorous. Indy was Shorty's "father" for a time, and it could provide some dynamic to make Mutt and Indy bond in some realistic way. Both being different kinds of sons to Indy, there's something they already have in common.

3) Jonathan is great and very down to earth in interviews. The character would probably not be written wacky. He's an archaeologist.

4) Female love interest! Indy can't have one being married, so presumably it's going to be Mutt that gets the girl. Shorty and Mutt could have a little rivalry over the heroine.

So, if Mutt's going to be there anyway, it would be good to see Shorty there as Mutt's "Brother". The choice between Mutt alone or Mutt and Shorty splitting the "younger action hero" function is obvious. Kung fu it up! Shorty could even teach Mutt some kung fu. And it could take place in China.

This all sounds great to me.

Or even better, if Mutt wasn't in Indy V at all.
 

Hanselation

New member
jeshopk said:
Here are some reasons I think Jonathan Ke Quan's return in Indy 5 would make absolute sense:

1) More action. Jonathan is a stunt choreographer and would add more thrills than a Mac or Oxley or Marion type sidekick would at this point.

2) His interaction with Mutt (presumably returning) could be quite humorous. Indy was Shorty's "father" for a time, and it could provide some dynamic to make Mutt and Indy bond in some realistic way. Both being different kinds of sons to Indy, there's something they already have in common.

3) Jonathan is great and very down to earth in interviews. The character would probably not be written wacky. He's an archaeologist.

4) Female love interest! Indy can't have one being married, so presumably it's going to be Mutt that gets the girl. Shorty and Mutt could have a little rivalry over the heroine.

So, if Mutt's going to be there anyway, it would be good to see Shorty there as Mutt's "Brother". The choice between Mutt alone or Mutt and Shorty splitting the "younger action hero" function is obvious. Kung fu it up! Shorty could even teach Mutt some kung fu. And it could take place in China.

I totally agree (y)
 

RedeemedChild

New member
replican't said:
No way. He was an annoying brat in the first place and him and that mouthy blonde bird pretty much ruined Temple of Doom.

I agree that Bonnie Blonde was an outrageous epic fail that just made Temple of Doom a lot less exciting then it could have been if she hadn't been in it.

I disagree on Short Round. I think that Short Round is a classic and I'd love to have a spin-off comic one shot in which Indiana Jones and Short Round share a few misadventures in chashing various MacGuffin artifacts.
 

Indy's brother

New member
jeshopk said:
Here are some reasons I think Jonathan Ke Quan's return in Indy 5 would make absolute sense:

1) More action. Jonathan is a stunt choreographer and would add more thrills than a Mac or Oxley or Marion type sidekick would at this point.

2) His interaction with Mutt (presumably returning) could be quite humorous. Indy was Shorty's "father" for a time, and it could provide some dynamic to make Mutt and Indy bond in some realistic way. Both being different kinds of sons to Indy, there's something they already have in common.

3) Jonathan is great and very down to earth in interviews. The character would probably not be written wacky. He's an archaeologist.

4) Female love interest! Indy can't have one being married, so presumably it's going to be Mutt that gets the girl. Shorty and Mutt could have a little rivalry over the heroine.

So, if Mutt's going to be there anyway, it would be good to see Shorty there as Mutt's "Brother". The choice between Mutt alone or Mutt and Shorty splitting the "younger action hero" function is obvious. Kung fu it up! Shorty could even teach Mutt some kung fu. And it could take place in China.

Sounds horrible, you've got an archaeologist, love interest, rival/buddy, two guys sharing the action....all without Indy even showing up. Why bother even having Indy there at all? To referee and mug in the background?
 
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