I saw the movie opening night, and then a week later. I read the comic book adaption and the James Rollins novelization. I saw the movie again yesterday for the third time. I'm still stuck on a plot hole involving the Akator temple. maybe one of you has an explanation for it.
So the conquistadors got into the temple (as indicated by the conquistador bodies on the spikes at the base of the column with the retracting steps), they stole the one skull and took it to the Chauchilla cemetery. When they left the temple, how did the temple reset itself? That is assuming they went in the same way as Indy and co. did as was indicated by the bodies on the spikes. Did the Ugha somehow reset the obelisk at the top of the temple? Or did the conquistadors find an alternative way into the temple?
This is the one plot hole I haven't been able to find an explanation for. If anyone caught something that I missed, please share.
I imagine it's just a pretty big plot hole. For example, when Oxley went to the Temple, he too was attacked by Ugha warriors, yet apparently they didn't come out of walls as they did when they attacked Indy and crew. Or, they came out of walls, then repatched them once Oxley left. It's just an oversight.
So the conquistadors got into the temple, they stole the one skull and took it to the Chauchilla cemetery.
Since it's never explained how the conquistadors acquired the MacGuffin, you could always argue that the remaining aliens were still around to seal the temple.
As for the Ugha, they appeared to break out of covered, square openings that had been designed for the purpose. (Kind've like hiding in an alcove, then breaking through a painting.) If that's how it worked, it probably didn't take them much time or effort to replace the coverings. And for all we know, it could've been Oxley's little surprise visit that led to this bizarre method of security.
But ultimately, this has always been a series where stuff happens just because someone thought it would be cool. How did the big boulder trap get set up? How did the light trap actually work? Where did all the little fake grails come from, and how did the knight reset the "Word of God" challenge? etc. etc.
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Right...
Quote:
Originally Posted by James
But ultimately, this has always been a series where stuff happens just because someone thought it would be cool. How did the big boulder trap get set up? How did the light trap actually work? Where did all the little fake grails come from, and how did the knight reset the "Word of God" challenge? etc. etc.
To be honest, once they got to the cemetary the plot fell apart for me. I don't think there is any explanation of these things because I doubt the writers even considered it and instead focused on trying to move the story from one action bit to the next.
Either the aliens did it or the Ugha. They had hundreds of years to fill the sand in the mechanism back up and close the obelisk. That's what they're there for, and there's not much to do all day. they ain't got no nintendo.
Dude there are still vast sections of South America and the Amazon unseen or rarely seen by modern men. The new pictures of the altiplano in Bolivia looks like an alien planet. And in 1957, there was much, much more unexplored.
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I can think of a way for George Lucas and buddies to make a ton more money. He should come out with a book that explains the plot and key elements of 'Crystal Skull' so we can all understand it!
I hope the book spends a lot of time covering Spalko's death. Today I was trying to explain the story to a co-worker and I couldn't believe that I was explaining to him that Spalko was killed by freaking knowlege.
Anyway, to stay on topic with this thread. I think more time at Akator should have been spent building tension. Like the retracting staircase heading into the temple chamber was cool, but then they fall and nothing happens, but they get wet. Kind of a let down if you know what I mean. The whole Akator section went by so fast in the film, I think it could have used a lot more screen time to hammer out details instead of throw things together in a somewhat coherent Finale.
I can think of a way for George Lucas and buddies to make a ton more money. He should come out with a book that explains the plot and key elements of 'Crystal Skull' so we can all understand it!
This is pretty much the main reason why I'll be purchasing the DVD, apart from the occasional entertaining action scenes. If it’s a particular film franchise to which I’m a huge fan, I tend to even buy the installments that let me down for those bonus features. I like to see their justifications for what I would consider boneheaded story decisions. Sometimes they can make me appreciate something more, other times I think their reasons were downright stupid or greed enthralled. Either way I find it interesting.
As for Akator and unexplored areas of South America, I'm fully aware of a lot of hidden cities. Some are still first discovered by science to this very day. But still...it's not like they're out in a wide open valley. They tend to be covered in thick jungle foliage and blend into the mountain ranges. You’d only need a plane to find Akator in the 50’s. I never understood the hidden waterfall passage in the film because Akator itself didn’t look very hidden to me…
The thing that gets me the most…the lost city of Akator aka the out in the very wide open field city of Akator.
No one had 'found' Akator because everyone thought the true city was made of solid gold. So even if someone did stumble across the lost valley, they would likely assume it to be just another group of natives living among ruins.
The depiction is also true to the genre. In H. Rider Haggard's Allan Quatermain, the lost city really is made of gold and is pretty much just out in a large open valley. Most of the classic novels and films were produced at a time when air travel was far less extensive and commonplace than today.
Sure, you only need a plane. In a primitive isolated area of Peru in the pre-50s.
Is that really so difficult? They're making nuclear weaponry by the time Crystal Skull takes place. Pssh! If you know aviation history then you know Amelia Earhart flew (solo) the entire Atlantic ocean in the late 1930’s. Flying from the South American Airport over the general area of Akator in the late 50’s would be a breeze. You make this sound so difficult, like we're in the 1910's. They also had (gasp) electricity and televisions in the 50's. The other answer is far more reasonable, that they just didn’t realize that this specific temple was El Dorado and/or Akator.
See, the idea of simply flying over Akator and knowing that it's there is rubbish because you have to KNOW WHERE TO FLY TO SEE IT. I'm sure that there were just planes flying, criss-crossing over South America ALL THE TIME searching for, I don't know, LOST CITIES and such.
Saying that Akator could have been easily found through aerial exploration is poppycock and shyte in the least. Just because it's out in the open doesn't mean anyone knew where to fly to fly over it and see it.
Yeah, unless you have the knowledge of Indy or Oxley, it seems like a needle in haystack to me. (everyone knows where the Atlantic is.) Seriously, there's stuff worth criticizing in Skull, but a lot of this seems really chicken-**** to me.
Yeah, unless you have the knowledge of Indy or Oxley, it seems like a needle in haystack to me. (everyone knows where the Atlantic is.) Seriously, there's stuff worth criticizing in Skull, but a lot of this seems really chicken-**** to me.
Who said I'm criticizing it? It just seemed pretty funny to me, it's not something that ruined the movie for me. I expected Akator to be a bit more subtle. But to the point; Indy and Ox would eventually know where to fly anyway. So...what's your point?
Where did all the little fake grails come from, and how did the knight reset the "Word of God" challenge? etc. etc.
Easy. The false grails were probably gathered by him and his brothers from various places in the region. As the Word of God challenge....I don't think anyone ever made it past the Breath of God.
I never saw the Akator temple as a plot hole... I just always assumed it re-set itself similar to the light reacting spikes in Raiders, the spike room in TOD and the "3 challenges" of LC. Clearly the Akator temple is a bigger structure... but if you buy into the concept of ancient booby trap reset buttons (established by the other 3), then it's not a big step.
Also, I thought (from the novel) that the Akator temple was built within a vast crater and as such, had it's own microclimate that resulted in constant cloud cover over the area (or did I just dream all of that?)
To be honest, once they got to the cemetary the plot fell apart for me. I don't think there is any explanation of these things because I doubt the writers even considered it and instead focused on trying to move the story from one action bit to the next.
Easy. The false grails were probably gathered by him and his brothers from various places in the region. As the Word of God challenge....I don't think anyone ever made it past the Breath of God.
Yes, I didn't mean to imply they couldn't be explained, just that most of them aren't within the context of the films.
But ultimately, this has always been a series where stuff happens just because someone thought it would be cool. How did the big boulder trap get set up? How did the light trap actually work? Where did all the little fake grails come from, and how did the knight reset the "Word of God" challenge? etc. etc.
He did't have to reset it because nobody ever made it past the Breath of God before. Indy was the first. I've never really understood exactly how the light trap in Raiders worked and reset itself between Forestal and Satipo. Nor have I understood how replacing the idol with a bag of sand causes the pedestal to slowly sink a few seconds later to trigger the temple collapse. As for the boulder, it's pretty coincidental timing that it happened to wait until after Indy had made it past the pit trap and the light trap before rolling to seal the entrance. You'd think it would have been triggered as soon as Indy had removed the idol. The Hovitos need a better security system.
The Hovitos were the masters of dramatic timing.....look at how they even brought along the dart-ridden corpse of one of Indy's guides..and had him propped up until it was just right for him to fall forward for a grisly reveal.
Indy may not have known Hovitos, but the Hovitos knew Indy and the script.....
Akator Temple plot hole
