Wherever he went, he went. Indiana Jones is known and loved for his incredible charm, resourcefulness and ingenuity, which help him easily bypass the most dangerous traps, make his way to the innermost temples and sanctuaries, as well as effortlessly break the locks of doors leading to obstinate female hearts. The first big adventure faced by fans of the restless Dr. Jones took place in the Egyptian sands, where, according to legend, the legendary Ark of the Covenant was buried. A little later we got acquainted with the earlier adventures of an archaeologist who got into serious trouble somewhere in the jungle of India, and then went with Dr. Jones in search of the Holy Grail, from which, according to legend, Jesus Christ himself drank during the Last Supper. And even in the fifth, perhaps even sixth decade, Indiana Jones still could not sit still, when he knew that his intervention will depend not only world history, but the well-being of his loved ones. Large-scale, ambitious and, as always, cheerful return of the hero to the ranks occurred in the “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, and he, of course, did not fail, revealing the secrets of the emergence of a long civilization of Indians, in many ways superior to the rulers of the Old World.
In addition to all the well-known feature films that tell about the brightest discoveries of Dr. Jones, the efforts of George Lucas were born and a television series that returns viewers and with them the main character to the very beginning of the 20th century, when young Indy depended on the opinion of his father and was represented mainly by Henry Jones Jr. “The Chronicles of Young Indiana Jones” shed clarity on the years of the formation of an ordinary brisk guy in the most famous archaeologist ever lived, and at the same time made a serious bent from the event of the First World War, which also took part in our unforgettable Indiana. And although the series seriously lacked the charm of Harrison Ford, the permanent performer of the role of Jones, George Lucas co-fellows managed to build an easy, adventurous spectacle, successfully complemented by a lot of very real historical facts that educate the audience no worse than annoying school textbooks. The series lasted three successful years, expanded with a series of themed novels, video games and fascinating board quests, providing fans with almost limitless territory for fantasy.
It is not surprising that after watching the official pictures from Lucasfilm, enthusiastic viewers began to develop their own independent crafts, expanding the already huge world of archaeology of Indiana Jones. No matter how many discoveries Harrison Ford made, in the ground, rocks or under water, there are still a couple of artifacts waiting for the hour when they are found worthy. In this regard, the franchise of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg has a truly amazing potential and is able to conquer new spaces without looking at past merits. Feeling trembling feelings in the original trilogy of Dr. Jones, and looking respectfully towards the revived myth of the “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, the director of the people, enthusiastic amateur cinematographer Alexander Hankoff took up the production of a personal archaeological adventure, inventing for him an absolutely self-sufficient story, unpretentiously connected with the plot with the “Seekers of the Lost Ark”. The film “Little Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Magic Scrolls”, or “Little Indiana Jones and the Mystery of Magic Scrolls”, became one of the most striking events in the field of fan works based on the films of Spielberg and Lucas, becoming another proof that with great desire and love for their work, serious breakthroughs occur, worthy of respect for the general public.
So, this time, Indiana Jones (Jason Mant) and his faithful friend Marion Ravenwood (Joy Bellis) become the objects of intrusive persecution by the shadow archaeologist Jacques Beldlock (Kevin Colack), the brother of Renee Belloc, who prematurely passed into the other world, recklessly stared at the Ark of the Covenant itself. However, Jacques doesn’t really care much about the affairs of days gone by, because his eyes are turned to the prospects of the future. Having received information that Indiana and Marion are on the trail of mysterious Scrolls that can give life to the dead and restore youth to the elderly, the dishonest villain Bellock decides to follow in the footsteps of his negligent brother and get priceless relics by the hands of Dr. Jones. Having got the perfect trump card in the person of Marion, Jacques still forces Indiana to enter the cave and get scrolls, the price of which cannot be measured by earthly riches. But once entering the cave, it is impossible to get out of yourself as before, since the ancient crypt has the cunning property of turning adults into small children, which eventually happened to Indiana. And now he has to get himself back, get Marion and the scrolls, deal with another Bellocmus as a little boy. Remember that Indiana Jones never cheats. Whether he is a one-year-old child, a young man or an old man, enemies still cannot avoid a tense fight, the winner in which is predetermined initially!
Alexand Halkoff’s film successfully borrows the immortal ideas of Steven Spielberg, almost exactly recreating scenes from the “Lost Ark Seekers”, while not forgetting to demonstrate previously unprecedented episodes. The main character of the short film performed by Jason Mant looks quite confident and does not annoy at all. Of course, the magnificent Harrison Ford is beyond his reach, and yet Indiana Jones must be given a chance. Led by Kolkoff, Jason Mant performs stunts on his own, throws himself into dangerous skirmishes and even risks his health during the most tense moments of the narrative. Not far behind him and his young colleague, who also happened to participate in the pursuit of Jacques Belloc, repeating the notorious trick with the whip and truck. Of course, the tape has its logical blunders and shortcomings, not always the director and actors managed to reach the level of high-quality studio cinema, but to be honest, their efforts with all the cons are still worthy of being familiarized with them. Alexander Halkoff went against ridicule, disbelief and skepticism, giving almost 20 minutes of an excellent adventurous spectacle, pleasantly pleasing with high-quality tricks, impressive scenery, an interesting plot and remarkable acting.
“Little Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Magic Scrolls” is playing well on the pitch of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. The uncomplicated short film is great entertainment, without requiring anything from the viewer in exchange. It should be perceived as an optional, but terribly funny entertainment, nothing more. And I wish you only the most pleasant view!
7 out of 10