The 'Indy 4' That Never Was? We Compare 'Crystal Skull' To 'City Of The Gods' Script

[AnnieJones]

This article was posted online on June 12,2008.I know you can't believe everything you read.I'm not even sure if this script was real.So,if this script was real,there are very few things I like about it.I put what I thought about this script at the bottom.



Jun 12 2008 8:03 PM EDT
The 'Indy 4' That Never Was? We Compare 'Crystal Skull' To 'City Of The Gods' Script Leaked Online
An alternate version of the script, possibly written by Frank Darabont, was (briefly) posted on the Internet.

By Shawn Adler

What would movie fans give to read every draft of "Indy 4" — especially Frank Darabont's? Well, the wait is over: That very version popped up online late Wednesday.

At least we think it did. Titled "Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods," the version of the script (before it was taken down by legal eagles) is either the Darabont version or the most authentic, beautifully written fake we've ever seen. (Calls to Paramount and Lucasfilm were unreturned at press time.)

And, make no mistake about it, there are moments of real beauty in this thing. So what's the biggest difference between the two versions?

The overall arc of the film more or less follows that of "Crystal Skull," with the adventure beginning at a desert military base/ warehouse, continuing at Marshall College, and ending with Indy and company deep in the jungles of South America searching for skulls.

But the four biggest differences in this draft also double as the four best: No Mutt Williams; no Mac; a tougher, more "Raiders"-esque Marion; and a climax that not only gives Indy something to do (how in the world did David Koepp think to give Indy nothing?) but forces him to make a decision that rivals the end of "Crusade" (the cup or a father's love?), crystallizing the character and his history into one momentous singularity. Bravo!

So how good is Marion, really? Great. The first time we see her onscreen, she literally punches Indy in the face. She's also married, and not to Dr. Jones, but to a rival archaeologist turned communist spy. The banter between the two old lovers sparkles, a lot of it recalling dialogue from "Raiders." For example:

Marion: "What's the matter, Jones? Mileage finally catching up with you?"

Indy: "It ain't the mileage, sweetheart. It's the years!"

A "Raiders" reference! Are there any more? Lots and lots.

We don't see the Ark in this movie, though we can assume from the description that we're in the same warehouse. We also see Sallah (briefly), a play on Indy's fear of snakes, repeated references in the dialogue (Indy: "Marion Ravenwood. I always knew someday you'd come walking back through my door"), and even the golden fertility idol.

Are the groan-inducing moments from "Crystal Skull" in here too? Surviving a nuclear blast in a fridge? A rubber tree that supports a car? Man-eating ants? A character swinging through the trees like Tarzan? Yeah, they're all here, as well as some even sillier stuff, like an "Anaconda"-esque snake that devours Indy whole and a cameo for Henry Jones Sr. that has him singing — singing — Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon." Also, there's this dialogue:

Marion: "Oh yeah, what about that glamour gal you spent time with?"

Indy: "She moved out to Hollywood to be a star. Last I heard, she fell in love and married some big-shot director."

(In real life, Kate Capshaw, who played Willie Scott in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," is married to Steven Spielberg. Indefensible.)

Is the silly stuff still as silly? Not really. That's the thing. We can't believe we're going to defend a refrigerator ride on a nuclear wave, but we're going to. For one, the conversation after the event is much more pointed — Indy actually talks about nuclear weapons with his interrogators, telling them that he doesn't think anybody should have that much power. And that exchange, that line, means so much to this film, especially to the climax, that it's easy to say it works better. The film also ends not with a spaceship flying away into space, but a spaceship trying to fly away into space, only to crash-land and explode in a second nuclear inferno. So it's a silly setup that has a serious and poignant payoff. Nobody should have that much power. Not even the aliens.

Oh yeah, there are still aliens. Well, one alien. He talks this time, specifically calling himself a being worthy of worship. We see scenes of primitive man mistaking them for gods. (The red-staters would have a hemorrhage.)

So this climax we keep talking about. What is it?

Indy, Marion, Oxley (yeah, he's here), Marion's husband (the rival archaeologist) and a few others deliver the crystal skull to the temple, placing it on the head of a crystal skeleton. Soon, five members of the group are lifted into the air and offered anything their hearts desire. One wishes for ultimate power. One for ultimate wisdom. Another to be the deadliest creature alive. Indy? We'll let Marion ask:

Marion: "Back in the Lost City. When you were in the dream cloud, what did you see?"

Indy: "It was like ... seeing everything in the universe all at once. Like suddenly knowing all the secrets there are to know. The meaning of it all."

Marion: "So why didn't you take it? All that fortune and glory?"

Indy: "I did."

And then they kiss. Good line. After falling from the cloud, Indy shoots the skull, destroying the entire temple — again, denying any creature that much power. We call that a climax in this business. Scratch that: We call that an awesome climax.

And the action scenes? Some really good ones, including a rooftop fight between Indy and a Russian assassin, and a midair plane fight in which Indy battles his rival from the wings of a biplane.

Final verdict?

A million times better than "Crystal Skull." Not perfect. Not "Raiders." But it's got its moments of pure Indy magic. Darabont obviously loves the character, and more than anything else, his passion is evident in each and every scene. If made, it could have been a welcome addition to the Indy cannon and easily earned a place alongside the other sequels.

I found this script here: http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1589257/20080612/story.jhtml



Ok,here is what I don't like about this script. Marion is married to a rival archaeologist turned communist spy(I like it better how,in the 4th movie,she was widowed so that way she and Indy could get married at the end),there was going to be a scene where Indy gets swallowed by a large Anaconda-like snake(that just screams B movie),there is an alien(instead of aliens and I don't like the alien thing at all,one alien or more than one alien),near the end everyone is lifted into the air(that is so hammy),and there is a dream cloud sequence(that is so hammy also).
The only thing I wish they would have left in the movie was some of the jokes like this one:
Marion: "Oh yeah, what about that glamour gal you spent time with?"

Indy: "She moved out to Hollywood to be a star. Last I heard, she fell in love and married some big-shot director."

I think that would have been so funny if they would have left that in there.
I wish they would have left this part in there also.There was a rooftop fight and a plane fight(done on the wings of the plane).Sounds like a lot of action.

What do you,my fellow Raven members,think?

 

[JP Jones]

"City of Gods" had 3 things going for it. 1, a good villian, 2, a good chase sequence in the middle, and 3, a good title. Other than that, it was terrible. Not only were there too many outragous moments like the snake eating Indy, but the whole thing was a lazy piece of junk. There's little sayings that are from the first 3 films everywhere. That doesn't show that he loves the character, it shows that he's lazy.

 

[AnnieJones]

Also,I read somewhere(can't remember where at the moment,maybe the internet or one of the Indy Magazines)in an interview of Harrison Ford,he said there was supposed to be a scene with Marion and Willie getting into a fight.I was watching the movie in the theater looking for this scene and the scene wasn't in the movie.Oh well.It could have been a fake interview,I guess.
Did anyone else read this interview?I remember I read it sometime back before the 4th movie came out.

 

[Darth Vile]

It's been months since I read the COTG script, so you'll have to forgive me recalling from memory.

There are several elements I liked about the COTG script... most notably some of the early scenes where Indy is on the run, and some of the locales/settings would have lended themselves nicely to an Indy movie. However, I thought the script had several major issues that would have made transition to the screen somewhat problematic (IMHO)…

Although there were some references to the passing of years in the script, I thought the whole thing seemed written as if it was an immediate sequel to Raiders i.e. written for a much younger Indy…. And although it’s true to say that Marion had a more substantial part in COTG (and that she was written in a very similar way to her Raiders role), her character just didn’t ring true for someone circa 30 years older than last time we’d seen her. Marion may have been underwritten/underutilized in KOTCS, but I could believe it was the same character 30 years older. Her COTG character just felt like a rehash of Raiders. Because of this, I felt that there was little sense of progression for the Indy/Marion characters.

I also thought there were too many villains in the COTG script. This left me somewhat detached from what/who the menace was, and I just got bored with them. Spalko is by no means a brilliant character, but she at least feels integral to the movie... whereas the COTG villains seem to dip in and dip out. Also, several of the major set pieces within the COTG script felt like they would be somewhat impractical to achieve e.g. the aerial fight/stampede. I think this would have resulted in more CGI than KOTCS used, and would have resulted in more criticism. For that reason, I'm thankful that those COTG set pieces were left on the drawing board. Finally, the alien angle didn’t feel as organic to the plot as KOTCS i.e. it felt grafted on and largely secondary.

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

There is a pretty extensive thread in the Crystal Skull forum that has been around for a long time now called The Frank Darabount draft thread. Many many posts if you want to see how others feel about this script compared to Koepp's. Merge threads perhaps?

 

[Peru1936]

A merging of threads would be good.

I ultimately prefer the City of the Gods draft to the final product of Crystal Skull. I would hope that the really silly things like being devoured by an anaconda would not have made into the final script (but we did have a nuked fridge and a Tarzan moment in Crystal Skull, so who knows). I also would hope that if that draft was made, someone would have recognized a timeline mistake: Temple is a prequel, and Willie Scott and Indy were through by the 1936 events of Raiders.

Regardless, City of the Gods was never done, so it doesn't matter.

 

[Lance Quazar]

I really don't know why everyone is so critical of the "big snake" moment in "City of the Gods." It isn't remotely as ridiculous as people make it out to be.

In the script, there is an explanation that weird things happen in the vicinity of the Lost City and, in particular, the animals are mysteriously larger.

I honestly have no problem with that whatsoever. It's a cool, weird little detail that only serves to make the city seem more mysterious and sinister.

And, in real life, anacondas are freaking huge anyway, so it really doesn't seem like too much of a stretch in an Indy movie to have a massive anaconda show up. The scene, as written, is filled with legitimate tension.

And, finally, it sets up a hilarious follow-up joke about the reappearance of Indy's "cured" ophidiophobia. All in all, it's an effective sequence.

Detractors think it's too cartoonish, but rush to defend KOTCS, which has an absurdly cartoonish tone throughout. The entire film is almost entirely devoid any real suspense or danger.

Basically, the Darabont script, while not perfect (not a fan of the ending, in particular) is superior to the final film in every single respect.

That doesn't mean the movie would have been better, since I think Spielberg's lackluster direction and the aforementioned cartoonish tone are also largely to blame for the failure of KOTCS. But, if nothing else, it makes for a helluva fun read..

 

[Wilhelm]

It's a fun read but we have to remember that's one of the first drafts for the new Lucas story with Crystal Skulls , so in the end, the structure of the final shooting script if written by Darabont could have been like the final movie after a long development.

The treatment of Darabont's script was developed by Spielberg and Lucas, including the anaconda scene. So Darabont is responsible for the dialogue, characters and scene descriptions, but the structure / synopsis of the script comes from Lucas. That's something that people forget. Darabont worked closely with Spielberg/Lucas and wrote what they were dictating to him.

For me the fundamental error with Darabont's script was those "little sayings from the first 3 films everywhere" and that Indy and Marion seem to be only 5 years older than in Raiders. The introduction of Mutt as Indy's son resolved the problem of why to do a new story after 20 years.

It's fun to read like Monkey King or Saucer Men , but it's still primitive and didn't work as a shooting script like KOTCS.

 

[emtiem]

It's a fun read but certainly wasn't a finished item: you can see this where the whole opening sequence drags and has far too much in it, unlike the nearly identical opening in KOTCS which zips along nicely.

I think there were a number of fun ideas, though. My ideal Indy 4 would have a little of both KOTCS and COTG.

 

[Lance Quazar]

It's a fun read but we have to remember that's one of the first drafts for the new Lucas story with Crystal Skulls , so in the end, the structure of the final shooting script if written by Darabont could have been like the final movie after a long development.

The treatment of Darabont's script was developed by Spielberg and Lucas, including the anaconda scene. So Darabont is responsible for the dialogue, characters and scene descriptions, but the structure / synopsis of the script comes from Lucas. That's something that people forget. Darabont worked closely with Spielberg/Lucas and wrote what they were dictating to him.

For me the fundamental error with Darabont's script was those "little sayings from the first 3 films everywhere" and that Indy and Marion seem to be only 5 years older than in Raiders. The introduction of Mutt as Indy's son resolved the problem of why to do a new story after 20 years.

It's fun to read like Monkey King or Saucer Men , but it's still primitive and didn't work as a shooting script like KOTCS.

Yes, it definitely feels a little rough around the edges, but had the script continued to develop, I'm convinced it would have made for an exemplary finished product.

Even the "rough" Darabont version is so vastly superior to the "polished" KOTCS script.

Of course Lucas was dictating the story, that's why Daranbont's script shares many common elements with the finished film.

My vision of a "perfect" version of the script would have been only if Lucas was able to keep additional interference to a minimum. Obviously, his opinion carried more weight than either of the actual writers. We're just talking hypotheticals.

And I certainly recognize that Koepp's hands were tied to a very large extent by both Lucas and Spielberg. He obviously wasn't free to write whatever the heck he wanted to.

I further agree that "City of the Gods" has a few too many winking nods to "Raiders", but I sincerely believe many of those would have been weeded out in the process.

But, again, it's all pure speculation. This script didn't happen specifically because Lucas himself didn't like it. Which is such a shame, since this "rough" version outdoes the finished film in every respect.

 

[Wilhelm]

I personally think that Spielberg didn't like Darabont's script for the same reasons than Lucas, but he's usually very polite and didn't want to hurt his feelings.

I think that Lucas ideas for Indy 4 were great: crystal skulls, mayan temples, amazon, ants, 50s B-Movie feel etc... He had wonderful ideas for the series since those famous "Raiders conference transcripts". He's the driving force of the series.

I like more the "Kingdom" title than "City because "Kingdom of the crystal skull" sounds more B Movie and pulp like "Undersea Kingdom" and those Republic serials. It have the sonority of "Raiders of the lost ark" but with another words.

Reading "City of Gods" is like reading the first drafts of Star Wars or Back to the future: there're a lot of great ideas but it lacks a good structure. Nathanson introduced the idea of Mutt as Indy's son, something that I didn't like in the first place. But now it's more logical, if the series is a homage to the serial adventure and the classic pulp heroes it's typical to see the son of the hero, like in the Tarzan or Allan Quatermain adventures. It's also the reason for the 20 year wait between LC and KOTCS so it's the logical next step for Indy.

Another problem with "City" is that each new Indy movie is about the interaction between Indy and a new companion: Marion, Willie-Shorty, Henry Jones Sr... We see a different Indy with each new sidekick. In "City" is the same relation with Marion, we don't see something new. With Mutt we meet a more academic and older Indy, so that works for the saga.

 

[Wilhelm]

About structure: I get lost in "City" with too many villains and long set pieces. Koepp did a good job of synthesis using the essential elements. A great example is to compare the first 20 minutes from both scripts. The ideas of beginning with Indy inside the trunk or the Roswell "Mummy" in the warehouse work better in the screen than a long introduction like in "City".

 

[Lance Quazar]

^You raise some interesting points, Wilhelm.

I agree that "City" does feel a bit overstuffed at times - a few too many characters and subplots. But, again, I feel that is the result of it being a first draft and that it would have become more streamlined during the re-writing process. Same thing with the structure and some of the longer set pieces, though I never felt bored at all reading it.

On the other hand, I was frequently bored by watching KOTCS and that was an actual film! Sad when a screenplay is more engrossing than an actual movie.

I felt the "expedition" that Indy was a part of was crammed with too many supporting characters and I started to lose track of them. I though the inclusion of the German ex-Nazi Von Grauen (is that it?) was utterly unnecessary (though it was nice to see the Hovitos back) and it led to the dreadful Hitler apparition in the ending.

But, then, I really enjoyed the character of the Pervuian presidente. I thought it was a really cool idea to introduce a third party, so that it wasn't just the same old "Indy Vs. the Bad Guys" and made for some more sophisticated plotting. The only time we ever saw that was the all-too-brief inclusion of the Brotherhood in LC, which was a great addition, even if tragically underused.

 

[mister64]

I actually enjoyed KOTCS the first time I saw it in theatres, then liked it less due to the Tarzan scenes and how I didn't like Indy's voice at the beginning in the warehouse (sounded like he was trying to sound extra-tough to compensate for being old. It seemed to go away after his escape/chase in the warehouse though) but still had a good time watching it. On DVD I've liked it even more (not as good as ROTLA or TLC, but still entertaining). I actually believed Indy would be okay in the fridge since it was "lead-lined"

But now after reading what KOTCS could have been, I'm disappointed. I'm glad Mutt was in KOTCS but the climax from COTG would have been way better (seeing Henry and Sallah would have been nice too). If Indy 5 happens, maybe some of the unused COTG ideas could make an appearance.

 

[emtiem]

I think that Lucas ideas for Indy 4 were great: crystal skulls, mayan temples, amazon, ants, 50s B-Movie feel etc... He had wonderful ideas for the series since those famous "Raiders conference transcripts". He's the driving force of the series.

I really agree: I think Lucas was justifiably bashed over the Star Wars prequels but people are pre-disposed to knock any decision he makes, and his ideas for Indy 4 were bang-on.


I re-read COTG recently and one thing that really got me was how long the expedition went on for and how episodic the incidents along the expedition were. Indy's on a trek with some guys, something happens; the next day Indy's still on a trek with some guys. It's not as fluid and as ever-changing as an Indy story should be.

 

[Wilhelm]

The structure needs a lot of work and the dialogue is too referencial. But it's fun to read, thanks to Darabont's passion in the descriptions. Although my favourite aborted Indy script is the Monkey King. It's like a crazy temple of doom. Very entertaining.

 

[AnnieJones]

The things I like about KOTCS are the action,the humor,the Marshall College scenes,the Connecticut scenes,the fact that Marion is in another Indy movie,the wedding scene,and the fact that it was another story in Indy's life.

The things I don't like about the movie are the aliens,the flying saucer(the alien and the flying saucer thing just took away from the whole archaeology/adventure feel to the movie),and the mind control thing(it also took away from the whole archaeology/adventure feel to the movie).

But oh well.You win some,you lose some.

 

[Col. Detritch]

Originally Posted by AnnieJones
The things I don't like about the movie are the aliens,the flying saucer(the alien and the flying saucer thing just took away from the whole archaeology/adventure feel to the movie),and the mind control thing(it also took away from the whole archaeology/adventure feel to the movie).

I personally loved CotG and KotCS both and am very content with what we were lucky to get.

I feel that CotG would have receved the same critisisms as KotCS. It had the fridge, the vine swing, Aliens (which actually talked), a UFO and mind control powers (mainly Ox- the dancing spoons ) so I don't see what difference there is. If you liked KotCS you would have liked CotG and if you hated KotCS then most likely you would have hated CotG!

Originally Posted by Lance Quazar
Yes, it definitely feels a little rough around the edges, but had the script continued to develop, I'm convinced it would have made for an exemplary finished product.

Even the "rough" Darabont version is so vastly superior to the "polished" KOTCS script.

Look at KotCS closer... it IS a polished CotG in a way and it IS a rough draft of KotCS. They have very similar plot elements as listed above plus:
Marion
A trator to Indy
A Crystal Skull
A Lost Myan City with 'Gold'
A Rocket Sled
Nuclear explosion
Opening secquence in a Warehouse (But cleaned up and sped up pacing)
Waterfalls
Ants
A 'Jungle Chase' of sorts
Nazca

Need I go on. I'm not saying I don't think CotG is bad and needed cleaning up, or that KotCS is a copy of CotG but the evedence is there. They are very similar and if they used did use the CotG script, after some 'cleaning' we would have KotCS with a different name!

 

[emtiem]

There are certain bits of physics that don't make sense in COTG, too. Indy and the fella fighting on the rocket sled? Don't think you can move on one of them. Indy and Marion having a conversation between two noisy biplanes? I don't see how that can play out.

 

[Saber79]

I just reread COTG and really enjoyed it. There were some things in the script that I read over and over again because they really are entertaining...the warehouse (loved the MP impression) scene, the fight in the museum with a drunken Indy, the bi-plane scene and the river chase in trucks and horses. great stuff.

Some of the humor was good but after awhile I thought that some of the references were forced. A couple of references were fine, but it seemed to me like almost every scene had one.

I didn't really care for the anaconda eating Indy...if they made it huge but chasing the group and Indy fighting it or something, would have been a better way to go I think. I liked the ending for the most part, the dream sequence could have been flushed out more or involving less characters...even though I really liked Crystal Skull, City of the Gods (with some polishing) would have made a worthy installment also.