The one thing that I didn't understand in the movie is why was Akator so hard to find? When Indy describes it, I always thought it was hidden because it was deep in the jungle. But actually, Akator is on the open! Is it possible that not even a SINGLE plane flew over the city?
Why was Akator so hard to find?
- Thread starter Zealot
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Benraianajones
New member
Haha, yeah, there was a very large open area when they were running from the tribe. I know that part was surrounded on the outside by jungle and so on, but the main area was very open.
IAdventurer01
Well-known member
Yet it basically just looked like a primitive tribe, nothing of note. The important part of the area was underneath the obelisk. Unless they people knew something important was exactly at that location, it would have been relatively unnoticed.
Benraianajones
New member
No different to the Cresent Moon Canyon being flown over and not explored though , is it, The_Man?
I love all the Indy films, so I am not dissing Last Crusade, but it is only the same thing here - as there. It is't just a "Crystal Skull" fault.
I love all the Indy films, so I am not dissing Last Crusade, but it is only the same thing here - as there. It is't just a "Crystal Skull" fault.
Michael24
New member
Sure, it was out in the open, but anybody attempting to get near it would have had to deal with the Ugha tribe, which seemed pretty fierce. Indy and the gang only made it pass because Oxley had the skull, and Spalko and her men had superior firepower.
Besides, perhaps in 1957 it lay in area where there were no flight paths directly overhead.
Besides, perhaps in 1957 it lay in area where there were no flight paths directly overhead.
Benraianajones
New member
Also, remember - they dropped down 3 large waterfalls, went in a cave, and then this area lead to an open area, so it would have been an open area that was very low down in the jungle region. Not really a high point, any plane that did fly above, wouldn't have especially given sight to it being "Akator".
The Man
Well-known member
Benraianajones said:
Ahh, but the Canyon could have been explored without anybody realising its true significance. If you toured it alone and walked toward the blades...
Even if a group were to explore it, and one of them befell the above fate, so what? The ruling monarchy wouldn't give a toss.
The Grail was well hidden. The Temple Of Akator, on the other hand, was the primary target. Any Soviet plane - or even a rented one-engine - could run reconnaissance over Peru and spot it.
Your argument is fair to a point but...Crusade still holds more water when examined.
Benraianajones
New member
People may have explored the area of Akator and not realised its significance? Since the large temple had not been opened, and there was nothing there to suggest it was the "golden lost city of akator".
I still think is highly unlikely that no one has ever spotted Akator before from a plane or something. Not to mention that the obelisk with that stone faces was such a lame "protection", trap or whatever that even a 5-year old would figure it out. And yes, there is the Ugha tribe, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be much of a treath as they would drop to their knees at the sight of a plane.
Benraianajones
New member
Again though, weren't they looking for a "lost city of gold" in the jungle? To anyone else the area would just look like a "regular tribe" with normal temples, and have no reason to believe they were linked to a golden city.
In both cases, the Secret Canyon of the Crescent Moon and the Temple of Akator were not easily accessible.
They had to dynamite their way into the canyon in Last Crusade (a deleted scene) and they had to enter the valley of Akator through a cave. Plus, getting to the spot on the Amazon required a trek through the jungle with heavy equipment to blaze the trail.
Simply flying over these areas isn't going to be enough to discover them. Airplanes fly over temple mounds all the time and can't recognize them. There are still parts of the Amazon not explored.
They had to dynamite their way into the canyon in Last Crusade (a deleted scene) and they had to enter the valley of Akator through a cave. Plus, getting to the spot on the Amazon required a trek through the jungle with heavy equipment to blaze the trail.
Simply flying over these areas isn't going to be enough to discover them. Airplanes fly over temple mounds all the time and can't recognize them. There are still parts of the Amazon not explored.
Peacock's-Eye
New member
Who says it wasn't discovered & explored by some poor SOB who got himself & his team killed by the Uhga?
It's really f'n bizarre how people are treating this like freaking documentary. It's fantasy - a homage to big jungle action movies from the 50's like "King Solomon's Mines". Take a deep breath already.
It's really f'n bizarre how people are treating this like freaking documentary. It's fantasy - a homage to big jungle action movies from the 50's like "King Solomon's Mines". Take a deep breath already.
The reason no one had found "Akator" is because everyone was looking for a city of gold- not just a fairly unremarkable city in ruins. As the film shows, others had been there before Indy- they probably just didn't realize what it was they had found.
But really, Akator is no different from any of the lost cities that appeared in the type of pulp novels and films which inspired Indy. When Allan Quatermain found an actual city of gold, it was basically out in the open as well. The difference is that most of those books and films were created at a time when air travel was not as commonplace as it is today.
And hey, a few weeks ago we had news of a "lost tribe" discovered in the Amazon. How had no one discovered them before 2008?
But really, Akator is no different from any of the lost cities that appeared in the type of pulp novels and films which inspired Indy. When Allan Quatermain found an actual city of gold, it was basically out in the open as well. The difference is that most of those books and films were created at a time when air travel was not as commonplace as it is today.
And hey, a few weeks ago we had news of a "lost tribe" discovered in the Amazon. How had no one discovered them before 2008?
Peacock's-Eye
New member
>>Whoa whoa whoa, there's no need to get aggressive with the guy<<
Didn't mean to sound "aggressive".
Didn't mean to sound "aggressive".
phildominator
Member
Google Earth is destroying archaeology.
Quickening
New member
I hate to jump to the defense of this film, but Spanish explorers travelled less than a mile from cities and ruins without ever discovering them. The jungles are immense whether the immediate area around the city was cleared (which of course it would be) or not.
As for planes not discovering it, well the film is set in the 1950s at which time air travel was far less frequent than now. And when you consider that just a few days ago a new tribal community was discovered, it's not surprising at all. In fact, its more likely that it would remain unseen by plane in the 1950s than seen.
As for planes not discovering it, well the film is set in the 1950s at which time air travel was far less frequent than now. And when you consider that just a few days ago a new tribal community was discovered, it's not surprising at all. In fact, its more likely that it would remain unseen by plane in the 1950s than seen.