Frank Darabont's Indy IV script...

[Neil]

Appears, alot of his script (although he's not credited at all) is what we see in the film. General opinion is his script is better than what we ended up - Who would have figured that :rolleyes: LLUUUUCCCAAAASSS!!! :rant:

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Darabont-s-Alternative-Indiana-Jones-4-Script-Is-Online-9141.html

Here's a review of the script - http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/686188/Review_Darabonts_Indiana_Jones_IV.html#readmore

The script itself (PDF) - http://tinyurl.com/658zql

One thing to note:-
The version that's online is not the actual script that was turned in. Someone retyped it, presumably to avoid the watermarking that was on every single page of any copy of the script. Before you get all crazy about typos or even dropped words, realize you're reading the verbal equivalent of a fuzzy Xerox.


AND, in Darabont's original version, they do not drive a f***ing X tonne truck off a cliff risking almost certain death on purpose! This was a massive issue to me, and I suggested it would have been far better if the truck at least went off by accident! - And if we look at Darabont's script, this is EXACTLY HOW HE WROTE IT!

[AcesandEights]

:rolleyes: LLUUUUCCCAAAASSS!!! :rant:

That just about says it all. What a fetid pile we ended up with. :(

[bassman]

Damn, why do you guys still blame it all on Lucas? Yes....the Star Wars prequels weren't very good, but he's not the main driving force behind Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In fact, the whole car/cliff/tree sequence(or any other) could have very well been Stephen Spielberg's idea. Or Darabont's. Or Nathanson's. Or Koepp's. Or Marshall's. It's a collaborative effort, yet you guys just blame lucas for everything that you didn't like about the film.:rolleyes:

I still say that it was a fun ride. It doesn't have that special something that the originals had, but anyone going into the theater expecting it to be better than the originals was just setting themselve up for a let down.

[Neil]

Damn, why do you guys still blame it all on Lucas? Yes....the Star Wars prequels weren't very good, but he's not the main driving force behind Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In fact, the whole car/cliff/tree sequence could have very well been Stephen Spielberg's idea. Or Darabont's. Or Nathanson's. Or Koepp's. Or Marshall's. It's a collaborative effort, yet you guys just blame lucas for everything that you didn't like about the film.:rolleyes:

I still say that it was a fun ride. It doesn't have that special something that the originals had, but anyone going into the theater expecting it to be better than the originals was just setting themselve up for a let down.

1) I CAN blame Lucas. Darabont's script was thumbed up by Speilberg and Ford. Lucas was the one who kicked it out so he could put some gophers in it. And do you see Darabont's name anywhere in the credits? Hmmm... Even though most of what you see in the film was penned by him?

2) I wasn't expecting it to be better than the originals. I enjoyed the film, but my frustration stems from the easily fixable problems I witness in the film. Problems (eg: in the case of the truck scene) that only came about after Lucas decided he apparently knew best...


Damn, why do you guys still blame it all on Lucas? Yes....the Star Wars prequels weren't very good, but he's not the main driving force behind Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In fact, the whole car/cliff/tree sequence could have very well been Stephen Spielberg's idea. Or Darabont's. Or Nathanson's. Or Koepp's. Or Marshall's. It's a collaborative effort, yet you guys just blame lucas for everything that you didn't like about the film.:rolleyes:

I still say that it was a fun ride. It doesn't have that special something that the originals had, but anyone going into the theater expecting it to be better than the originals was just setting themselve up for a let down.

1) I CAN blame Lucas. Darabont's script was thumbed up by Speilberg and Ford. Lucas was the one who kicked it out so he could put some gophers in it. And do you see Darabont's name anywhere in the credits? Hmmm... Even though most of what you see in the film was penned by him?

2) I wasn't expecting it to be better than the originals. I enjoyed the film, but my frustration stems from the easily fixable problems I witness in the film. Problems (eg: in the case of the truck scene) that only came about after Lucas decided he apparently knew best... Something that clearly hasn't been the case for quite sometime now :rant:

[bassman]

When the dvd is released and the special features specifically say that Lucas came up with the idea for that sequence, then I'll buy it. Until then, you really have no idea who came up with that.

IN FACT, I remember reading an interview with Spielberg in which he states that he and the stunt coordinator were coming up with the action sequences while he was filming Munich. So it's very much possible that it was Speilberg and the stunt coordinator's idea....

Lucas just gets alot of crap because the Star Wars prequels weren't what everyone wanted. I'm starting to see what he's talking about when he says in interviews that the fans can never, and will never be pleased. ANYTHING they do will be bitched about and picked at until the end of time. And he just happens to be the scape goat....

I'm sure Darabont's script is better, but Lucas surely wasn't the only one making decisions behind the camera. Everyone helped make the film that we saw.

BTW.....where did this script leak come from? How do we know it's not a fake?

[Neil]

When the dvd is released and the special features specifically say that Lucas came up with the idea for that sequence, then I'll buy it. Until then, you really have no idea who came up with that.

IN FACT, I remember reading an interview with Spielberg in which he states that he and the stunt coordinator were coming up with the action sequences while he was filming Munich. So it's very much possible that it was Speilberg and the stunt coordinator's idea....

Lucas just gets alot of crap because the Star Wars prequels weren't what everyone wanted. I'm starting to see what he's talking about when he says in interviews that the fans can never, and will never be pleased. ANYTHING they do will be bitched about and picked at until the end of time. And he just happens to be the scape goat....

I'm sure Darabont's script is better, but Lucas surely wasn't the only one making decisions behind the camera. Everyone helped make the film that we saw.

BTW.....where did this script leak come from? How do we know it's not a fake?

Yes, you could be right... But again, Lucas threw out Darabont's script, so any deviation to nonsense from there (eg: driving trucks of cliffs on purpose) I put down to him! He gave them the thumbs up!

Yes, there is no verification that the script is legit... But from what I've read it's looking likely...

[zombie04]

I think a lot of blame for Indy IV can be placed on Lucas. While yes it was a joint effort between him and Spielberg it was well known that Spielberg was ready to shoot the film with Darabont's draft back around 2002/2003. Lucas rejected the script and Darabont publicly expressed how pissed off he was. While a lot of the same stupid elements are in both his script and the final film (the fridge, ants, etc.) its very likely that these were elements he was told to put in by both Spielberg and Lucas. I don't blame Lucas by himself, I think Spielberg is equally responsible for under performing as a director while raising the expectations of the fans.

Sure Lucas has a point that the fans will never be pleased (while I wasn't thrilled with the Star Wars prequels I enjoyed them nonetheless for the fun they were) I think they made a lot of errors in making Indy IV that easily could've been different. The biggest problem I can come up with is the very excessive use of CGI. It's not so much that they went overboard with it, but that Spielberg went on the record trying to reassure us that the film would use minimal CGI in order to preserve the look of the originals. I didn't even mind the alien aspect of the plot, but the reliance on computer graphics from beginning to end really made me feel detached from the characters and it was hard for me to feel any sense of impending doom that happened in Raiders, Last Crusade, and even Temple of freakin' Doom!

Overall while Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a FUN film, it was far from being good. I just feel Lucas and Spielberg phoned this one in and didn't give it the heart it required. Harrison Ford brought his game but infortunately the script made Indy all but a background character. It may sound like I could never have been pleased with this film, but I know it had a lot going for it. I was ok with a plot involving aliens even if it was a bit absurd but the film itself just seemed to lack the heart that could've made it succeed. It all felt so removed from the others it was like watching a $300 million sequel to Big Trouble in Little China...just uncomfortably out of place in the series and uncomfortable for the fan viewers to truly love.

[Neil]

I think a lot of blame for Indy IV can be placed on Lucas. While yes it was a joint effort between him and Spielberg it was well known that Spielberg was ready to shoot the film with Darabont's draft back around 2002/2003. Lucas rejected the script and Darabont publicly expressed how pissed off he was. While a lot of the same stupid elements are in both his script and the final film (the fridge, ants, etc.) its very likely that these were elements he was told to put in by both Spielberg and Lucas. I don't blame Lucas by himself, I think Spielberg is equally responsible for under performing as a director while raising the expectations of the fans.

Sure Lucas has a point that the fans will never be pleased (while I wasn't thrilled with the Star Wars prequels I enjoyed them nonetheless for the fun they were) I think they made a lot of errors in making Indy IV that easily could've been different. The biggest problem I can come up with is the very excessive use of CGI. It's not so much that they went overboard with it, but that Spielberg went on the record trying to reassure us that the film would use minimal CGI in order to preserve the look of the originals. I didn't even mind the alien aspect of the plot, but the reliance on computer graphics from beginning to end really made me feel detached from the characters and it was hard for me to feel any sense of impending doom that happened in Raiders, Last Crusade, and even Temple of freakin' Doom!

Overall while Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a FUN film, it was far from being good. I just feel Lucas and Spielberg phoned this one in and didn't give it the heart it required. Harrison Ford brought his game but infortunately the script made Indy all but a background character. It may sound like I could never have been pleased with this film, but I know it had a lot going for it. I was ok with a plot involving aliens even if it was a bit absurd but the film itself just seemed to lack the heart that could've made it succeed. It all felt so removed from the others it was like watching a $300 million sequel to Big Trouble in Little China...just uncomfortably out of place in the series and uncomfortable for the fan viewers to truly love.

All I know is the script pre-Lucas had no people trying to kill themselves by driving trucks of cliffs on purpose, and had no gophers or monkeys in it. And then post-Lucas, people are suicidal with no desire for self preservation, and gophers and monkeys are apparently required to improve a film... :)

[clanglee]

Ok, i do have to say this for your favorite scene Neil. You know that the truck was a DUCK right? A land/sea vehicle? And there was water at the bottom of the cliff in question. Of course it does take a level of daring that leaks into the psychotic to try it, but that situation does make the jump more plausible.

[Neil]

Ok, i do have to say this for your favorite scene Neil. You know that the truck was a DUCK right? A land/sea vehicle? And there was water at the bottom of the cliff in question. Of course it does take a level of daring that leaks into the psychotic to try it, but that situation does make the jump more plausible.

It explemplifies Lucas' issues... Stunt/image over logic/intelligence.

I've already gone over this - There is absolutely NO way anyone would drive a truck off an X hundred foot high cliff when they do not have to (they could have driven in a different direction, or even run off on foot). I suggested they would only do it by accident, and it appears Darabont suggested the same as well...

But all knowing Lucas decided, no, let's cock up the scene instead by showing the audience the characters are either, (a) suicidal, (b) have supernatural survival powers. The outcome of either of these is you care less about them as they are basically invincible, and/or at a lower level you basically realise the script is just cheating, and not playing fair, so why invest any care...

Such little things are far more important that how many cuddly f***ing gophers you can have CGI'd into scenes... Lucas doesn't get it though...


So to me it's a perfect example., hence me concentrating on it... Now, let's not get to onto monkeys and ropes what ever we do... :)

[clanglee]

ok, i get the monkeys. . . but why the gophers man? why you hatin' on the gophers?

[Neil]

ok, i get the monkeys. . . but why the gophers man? why you hatin' on the gophers?

Actually they weren't too bad... It's just that I know they are 100% Lucas! :)

[bassman]

Yeah....I bet it was Lucas who put the monkey in Raiders. And the monkey head/brains in Temple of Doom. I bet that bastard also put those pigeons in Crusade. Let's just blame him for everything.:|

[AcesandEights]

Yeah....I bet it was Lucas who put the monkey in Raiders.

No, it wasn't a cgi monkey and actually managed to further engage the vast majority of the movie's viewing audience.

It's all about how most film makers in general--and Lucas, specifically--have lost any sense of light touches in storytelling and film making. No respect for the audience, for milieu, for the narrative. Disgusting.

[bassman]

I was just poking fun at the Lucas bashers. Apparently the entire film was created by him and him alone.:p