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Anyone Else Feel They Dumbed Down Karen's Looks in Indy 4?

posted 15 years ago by Iwishyouwell
9 replies | jump to latest

I'm one of those rare few that has little issue with Indy 4; it was a rousing, fun Sunday night at the movies for me, the audience at the Ziegelf in NYC was awesome, and it's a night I won't soon forget. And seeing Karen back was a dream come true. Honestly, when she was first announced, I assumed Marion would have a small cameo, so color me very pleasantly surprised to find she was actually heavily featured in the film. That was a damn fine gift.

But one thing has bugged me about the reintroduction of Marion, her appearance. Looking at Karen Allen in all the publicity, and premiers, of the film she looks almost untouched by age, svelte, and quite younger than her nearly sixty years. And while I'd never say she looked "bad" in Indy 4, I was disconcerted to see that the costume department did no favors to the usually sexy Marion. Frumpy, ill fitted clothing, dull hair, and almost nonexistant make up, all this really conspired to to play down Karen's looks, which is pretty surprising to me. You'd think that considering Karen's age they'd do even MORE to help her out, considering she's in the rare place of being a mature woman playing the love interest in a huge tentpole film. Marion didn't even get to look glammed up at her own damn wedding.

It's a testament to Karen's natural looks that she came across as well as she did. If they have Marion back for Indy 5 (and I so, so hope they do), I'd like to see her not only back in the action, but just as attractive as Karen is in real life.

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[–] bruhn 15 years ago

The main-problem is: Indy is not Indy and Marion is not marion in "Skull". They are totally out of character... that's the reason people called "Skull" an ANTI-Indiana Jones-Movie....

My Indy-Collection.
http://www.harrisonfordweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8759

[–] Suspected94 15 years ago

They are not out of character. They are simply 20 years older. Nobody called it the ANTI anything.

If you want to see Indy acting out of character, compare Temple of Doom with Last Crusade. Fortune and Glory vs It Belong in a Museum.

[–] megs23 15 years ago

Not to get all geeky, but chronologically, Temple of Doom comes first, followed by Raiders of the Lost Ark, followed by The Last Crusade. I can see where Indy's attitude has shifted from his "fortune and glory" perspective to "it belongs in a museum" after the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark. But as to the actual topic, yeah, I think Karen Allen looks much more attractive in reality than she did in the movie.

[–] thirdrow 14 years ago

Yes, I agree completely with the OP. The costuming and hair on Karen were so unflattering. The vest she first wore was unbecoming to her figure, as was her dress in the final scene.

Hated her hair too. Marion had dark hair in the first film. I wish they had gone a shade or two darker with Allen's own reddish hair on film.

[–] Iwishyouwell 14 years ago

But Marion isn't real, so whether she wants to be glammed or not is irrelevant.

All I saw was an attractive, older woman put in the very unique position of being a love interest in a major tentpole movie. They went out of their way to show how fit Indiana was, despite his age, and I just don't feel the same effort was put into Marion.

She's still obviously very attractive, but it makes no sense that they'd put much more attention into Marion's look when she was decades younger. Common sense dictates that more effort should have been delivered now. I mean even at the wedding at the end they didn't give Marion the full glammed treatement, which makes no sense.

[–] 5535 14 years ago

I agree. They certainly made her very mommy esque, with her attire, but the worst part was that they dumbed her character down! I know she had aged, but her acting was certainly off, but I believe part of that had to do with her stupid lines (Koepp's fault), and with her direction (Lucas AND spielberg surprisingly) to make her more kid/family friendly. She got angry, but it was in a hokey way, and they had her acting stupid during many scenes including the part where she's still holding the steering wheel after the waterfall scene. I like Karen, but UGH this movie was cringeworthy.

[–] Iwishyouwell 14 years ago

Honestly it's very difficult for me to criticize Marion's role in this film. See I went into Indy 4 with the assumption that Marion was going to be doing a brief cameo. So I ended up so overthrilled to not only have her along for the ride for half the picture, but also to see the Indy/Marion romance revived, that the movie ended up giving me an embarrassment of riches. Certainly the woman is far better drawn in Raiders, but I'm just glad she was there, in the thick of the action, and that the Indy/Marion chemistry was still firmly in place. I'm crossing my fingers that she shows up in Indy 5, and for your sake my friend I hope she's better drawn to your liking.