This second chapter in the Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, is edited from two of the earliest episodes shot for The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles featuring Corey Carrier as Indy. In the USA, only the first half, 'British East Africa, September 1909' was shown as part of the first season. In Europe however, the first season was much longer and varied, and the second half 'Paris, September 1908' was actually shown first. When George Lucas and editor T.M. Christopher set to work on re-editing the series into 22 feature length films, they decided to mix and match the episodes according to theme instead of placing them in the original chronology. Still, it seems a bit strange to connect Africa with France. Perhaps it would have been wiser to add the African adventure to the first half of the pilot (Curse of the Jackal). That also would have straightened out some of the continuity problems regarding Corey Carrier's shifting age.
As it is now, the bookends featuring George Hall as old Indiana Jones have been removed, as has his voice over at the start of 'British East Africa' and even the first scene in which Henry Sr meets his old classmate Mellicot and the both of them do the silly greeting routine old Henry and Marcus did in 'The Last Crusade'. Instead, 'Passion of Life' starts with some beautiful wild life photography accompanied by music that sounds like Lebo M (but probably isn't) and the Jones family and their traveling companions already aboard the train. Paul Freeman, Belloq himself, makes a welcome return as famed hunter Frederick Selous, the man who inspired Alan Quartermain. Unfortunately he has very little to do this time around, though he did pop up again later in 'The Phantom Train of Doom'. At least he got to impress Indy's tutor Miss Seymour (Margaret Tyzack aka 'I Claudius's mother). The rest of the cast is a bit bland and forgettable I am sorry to say. Even the actors portraying Indy's parents, Lloyd Owen and Ruth De Sosa, never get much of a chance to shine, though in this first half they do manage to play some rare moments of being a couple still very much in love. You can't help but wonder how different the show might have looked if Steven Spielberg had been a bit more involved in casting. Of course he was spending his time productively on 'Jurassic Park' and 'Shindlers List' back to back and left the Chronicles to his buddy George.
In between a lot of gorgeous National Geographic shots of untamed nature, young Indiana is taught how to use a rifle by Teddy Roosevelt himself, learns to speak a bit of Maa from his new friend Meto and gets frightened by a snake. Although it could be argued that 13 year old Indy (River Phoenix) in 'The Last Crusade' was unafraid of just one snake at the start, it is not unnatural for 10 year old Indy to be startled. Anyway, he gets to utter one of his characters most famous catchphrases. None of the aforementioned nature photography look or feel like stock shots, except perhaps for the scene in which Indy and Meto find themselves being 'chased' by a lion (anyone can see the lion is really after other prey). All in all, 'British East Africa' is not terribly exiting (which is probably why they didn't pair it with the pilot). When the caravan of hunters leave Africa, us viewers realize we have only reached the halfway point of 'Passion of Life'. Luckilly the second part features a fantastic characterization of Picasso, played with Gary Oldman like glee by Danny Webb.
The two totally unconnected stories are linked together by a new bridge sequence on a boat. Notice that Indy, his parents and his tutor all look five years older, perhaps a little bit pudgier in some places and noticeably more blue eyed in the case of daddy Jones. To segue into the next story, they refer to their Egyption adventure from Chapter one and talk about Paris. They also seem to carry a lot of different traveling clothes with them. At the start of the 'Paris' segment Miss Seymour and Indy bump into a young Norman Rockwell (Lukas Haas) at the Louvre. It is here where screenwriter Reg Gadney gives way to the series educational purposes, as Rockwell explains a brief (but unnecessary) history of his entire family by using his scrapbook. The story picks up again when we meet Degas (Jean-Pierre Aumont) and Picasso (Webb) quarreling in a bar. As mentioned in the preceding paragraph as well as the summary, it is Picasso who saves this episode. His flamboyant character is well executed and makes you want to spend time with him the way Indy and Norman do. Naturally he gets all the best lines. Unfortunately there is too much silly tomfoolery and childish humor surrounding his scenes. Particularly the bit where Indy uses a toy airplane to knock out a French pimp (though the brawl scene is nicely scored by Joel McNeely). As if all the celebrities mentioned above weren't enough, Gadney even managed to cram Alice B. Toklas (of the Peter Sellers movie) and Beatrice Stein into it as well. For most of the proceedings, Indy is nothing but a spectator (as usual in this series). He does help in letting Picasso fall into his own trap, but the final scene in which it is revealed Degas was practically blind by the time this story is set was better explained during the original TV broadcast's coda with George Hall. Instead of that scene, 'Passion of Life' ends with another new scene featuring the Jones family conversing in a tea room and speaking dialog that takes up where the other bridge scene on the boat left off.
8 out of 10
As it is now, the bookends featuring George Hall as old Indiana Jones have been removed, as has his voice over at the start of 'British East Africa' and even the first scene in which Henry Sr meets his old classmate Mellicot and the both of them do the silly greeting routine old Henry and Marcus did in 'The Last Crusade'. Instead, 'Passion of Life' starts with some beautiful wild life photography accompanied by music that sounds like Lebo M (but probably isn't) and the Jones family and their traveling companions already aboard the train. Paul Freeman, Belloq himself, makes a welcome return as famed hunter Frederick Selous, the man who inspired Alan Quartermain. Unfortunately he has very little to do this time around, though he did pop up again later in 'The Phantom Train of Doom'. At least he got to impress Indy's tutor Miss Seymour (Margaret Tyzack aka 'I Claudius's mother). The rest of the cast is a bit bland and forgettable I am sorry to say. Even the actors portraying Indy's parents, Lloyd Owen and Ruth De Sosa, never get much of a chance to shine, though in this first half they do manage to play some rare moments of being a couple still very much in love. You can't help but wonder how different the show might have looked if Steven Spielberg had been a bit more involved in casting. Of course he was spending his time productively on 'Jurassic Park' and 'Shindlers List' back to back and left the Chronicles to his buddy George.
In between a lot of gorgeous National Geographic shots of untamed nature, young Indiana is taught how to use a rifle by Teddy Roosevelt himself, learns to speak a bit of Maa from his new friend Meto and gets frightened by a snake. Although it could be argued that 13 year old Indy (River Phoenix) in 'The Last Crusade' was unafraid of just one snake at the start, it is not unnatural for 10 year old Indy to be startled. Anyway, he gets to utter one of his characters most famous catchphrases. None of the aforementioned nature photography look or feel like stock shots, except perhaps for the scene in which Indy and Meto find themselves being 'chased' by a lion (anyone can see the lion is really after other prey). All in all, 'British East Africa' is not terribly exiting (which is probably why they didn't pair it with the pilot). When the caravan of hunters leave Africa, us viewers realize we have only reached the halfway point of 'Passion of Life'. Luckilly the second part features a fantastic characterization of Picasso, played with Gary Oldman like glee by Danny Webb.
The two totally unconnected stories are linked together by a new bridge sequence on a boat. Notice that Indy, his parents and his tutor all look five years older, perhaps a little bit pudgier in some places and noticeably more blue eyed in the case of daddy Jones. To segue into the next story, they refer to their Egyption adventure from Chapter one and talk about Paris. They also seem to carry a lot of different traveling clothes with them. At the start of the 'Paris' segment Miss Seymour and Indy bump into a young Norman Rockwell (Lukas Haas) at the Louvre. It is here where screenwriter Reg Gadney gives way to the series educational purposes, as Rockwell explains a brief (but unnecessary) history of his entire family by using his scrapbook. The story picks up again when we meet Degas (Jean-Pierre Aumont) and Picasso (Webb) quarreling in a bar. As mentioned in the preceding paragraph as well as the summary, it is Picasso who saves this episode. His flamboyant character is well executed and makes you want to spend time with him the way Indy and Norman do. Naturally he gets all the best lines. Unfortunately there is too much silly tomfoolery and childish humor surrounding his scenes. Particularly the bit where Indy uses a toy airplane to knock out a French pimp (though the brawl scene is nicely scored by Joel McNeely). As if all the celebrities mentioned above weren't enough, Gadney even managed to cram Alice B. Toklas (of the Peter Sellers movie) and Beatrice Stein into it as well. For most of the proceedings, Indy is nothing but a spectator (as usual in this series). He does help in letting Picasso fall into his own trap, but the final scene in which it is revealed Degas was practically blind by the time this story is set was better explained during the original TV broadcast's coda with George Hall. Instead of that scene, 'Passion of Life' ends with another new scene featuring the Jones family conversing in a tea room and speaking dialog that takes up where the other bridge scene on the boat left off.
8 out of 10
