Ke Huy Quan’s Short Round character in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom will always be Indy’s greatest sidekick. As beguiling as Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) might’ve been in Raiders of the Lost Ark or as compelling as Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) might’ve been in four of the franchise’s five films, no supporting character can touch Short Round. Not only does this character have the audacity, courage, and spunk to match Jones, but his youthful sweetness adds a layer of charm to Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) that no other sidekick manages to achieve. As we revisit Short Round’s role in Temple of Doom, we’ll see why he not only serves as a useful Robin to Jones’ Batman, but he also brings out a fatherly tenderness in Jones that makes the famed archeologist an even better protagonist.
Short Round Is an Essential 'Indiana Jones' Character
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is definitely one of the more unique films in the Indy franchise, considering it opens with an elaborate musical number and features a cult leader who can somehow rip beating hearts out of chests. Unfortunately, it also includes the character Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), who is easily the single most irritating character in the franchise. Thankfully, her presence is balanced out by Short Round, who compensates for her total lack of ability to do anything useful. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Marion Ravenwood is a compelling and capable character. As strong as Ravenwood was, that’s how weak Scott is in Temple of Doom. Without the inclusion of Short Round, we’d be watching one scene after another of Indiana Jones evading death while babysitting a lounge singer. Short Round gives us at least some reprieve from such a tiresome idea.
Among his many accomplishments in Temple of Doom, Short Round manages to drive a getaway car, go toe-to-toe with Dr. Jones in a heated game of poker, help Indy kill a would-be assassin, kick a maharaja, knock out a dude three times his size, escape captivity, and help liberate hundreds of enslaved children. Without him, Jones probably would’ve died more than once. Thus, Short Round is not just a charming character, he’s essential to the story and Indy’s survival.
Short Round Deserves His Own Stories
Aside from being extraordinarily useful, Short Round is just flat out awesome. He’s given a plethora of memorable quips, such as “Hey, Dr. Jones, no time for love,” “You call him Dr. Jones, doll,” “I’m very little but you cheat very big,” and “He’s not nuts, he’s crazy.” His enthusiasm is infectious, his resourcefulness advances the plot, and his genuine affection for Indy tugs at our heart strings. He’s also a huge New York baseball fan, as evidenced by his signature cap, which he always wears and never leaves behind.
Among all of the supporting characters in the franchise, Short Round is the one who arguably most deserved his own spin-off series. While some novels, comics, and video games toyed with the idea of making Short Round a more prominent character, he has yet to receive the big screen comeback he deserves. With his own signature hat, thirst for adventure, linguistic skills, and apprenticeship to Dr. Jones, it’s easy to imagine adult Short Round partaking in his own adventures. Perhaps now that Ke Huy Quan has made a comeback, Short Round will as well.
Short Round Makes Indy a More Interesting Character
According to the Temple of Doom novelization, Short Round was a pickpocket on the streets of Shanghai who tried to steal from Dr. Jones. When Indy caught him red-handed, he took a liking to the kid, teaching him how to drive a car and introducing him to the wonders of American baseball. Throughout the film version of Temple of Doom, we see Indy in the unique position of acting as a sort of big brother or father figure to his sidekick. Jones protects Short Round (as best he can, anyway) from witnessing graphic violence, jokes with him about making a move on Willie (not exactly age appropriate humor, but still), imparts some of his vast knowledge of archeology, and yells “leave him alone, you bastards” when Short Round is threatened.
When Indy is held captive, Short Round immediately runs over to hug him. At one point while trying to snap Indy out of a zombie-like trance, he declares “I love you,” and “you’re my best friend.” One of the most touching moments in the film is when Indy and Short Round exchange their signature hats and then embrace each other. While we see Indiana Jones romancing women and contending with his father, his relationship with Short Round paints him in a unique light. As headstrong as he may sometimes be, we see in Indy a tenderness emerge as a result of his relationship with Short Round.
Although Indy is later revealed to be an actual father to Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, their relationship takes on a far different tenor than that of Indy and Short Round. It’s through Short Round that we first see Jones as a mentor and caretaker. This relationship is especially important in Temple of Doom considering Willie and Jones have virtually no chemistry or genuine affection for each other. Without Short Round, we’d lose any sign of Jones’ humanity in Temple of Doom. Without Short Round, the Indiana Jones franchise simply wouldn’t be the same.
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