The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: The Phantom Train of Doom (Video 1999)

November, 1916. Indiana Jones and Remy Baudouin have managed to get a transfer from the European trenches to the plains of Africa. On arrival they both receive a promotion to the rank of ... See full summary »

Director:

Peter MacDonald

Writer:

Frank Darabont

Stars:

Sean Patrick Flanery, Ronny Coutteure, Lynsey Baxter

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Patrick Flanery	...	Indiana Jones (archive footage)
Ronny Coutteure	...	Remy Baudouin (archive footage)
Lynsey Baxter	...	Margaret Trappe (archive footage)
Tom Bell	...	Col. Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck (archive footage)
Ronald Fraser	...	Donald Parks (archive footage)
Paul Freeman	...	Frederick Selous (archive footage)
Freddie Jones	...	Birdy (archive footage)
Norman Rodway	...	Gen. Jan Christiaan Smuts (archive footage)
Julian Firth	...	Richard Meinertzhagen (archive footage)
Mac McDonald	...	Big Mac (archive footage)
Abdullah Sohado	...	Mr. Colo (archive footage)
Perry Davey	...	Zoltan (archive footage)
Graeme Crowther	...	Harper (archive footage)
Roger Haller	...	Belgian Troop Major (archive footage)
Frederique Lemaire	...	Belgian Captain (archive footage)

Storyline

November, 1916. Indiana Jones and Remy Baudouin have managed to get a transfer from the European trenches to the plains of Africa. On arrival they both receive a promotion to the rank of lieutenant in the Belgian Army. When they take the wrong train they end up in Moshi. Desprerate to join their unit in Lake Victoria, the two men bump into the 25th Royal Fusiliers, a unit of cranky old men led by Indy's old acquaintance Frederick Selous. Indy's passing knowledge of trains and fluent German comes in handy for the Fusiliers, who are about to go on a mission to find and destroy a Phantom Train that carries an enormous German artillery gun. After accomplishing their goal, Selous tricks Indy and Remy into joining his unit for another caper involving the capture of the German military strategist Colonel Von Lettow-Vorbeck.

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Plot Keywords:

train | indiana jones | trenches | world war one | fedora | 

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Genres:

Adventure | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Lucasfilm

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Also Known As:

Az ifjú Indiana Jones: A végzet fantomvonata

Filming Locations:

Kenya

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amblin Entertainment, Lucasfilm Television, Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Big Mac calls Indy 'Mr. Train Expert' a snippet of the train music from John Williams's score for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade can be heard.

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Quotes

[Indy un-hitches the train to get away before the rear cars explode]
Selous: Next time, wait for my orders!
Indiana Jones: Sorry.
[the explosives go off, destroying the shells, but the cannon is left intact]
Selous: Blast!
Indiana Jones: We have to go back!
Selous: What?
Indiana Jones: Go back and get it! We can't let the Germans keep that gun!
[he reverses the locomotive]
Selous: Are you just making this up as you go along?
[...]

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Connections

Edited from The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Young Indiana Jones and the Phantom Train of Doom (1993)

User Reviews

Before there was a Temple there was a Phantom Train

Indy and Remy accidentally board the wrong train on their way to their next assignment. Once they realize their mistake they board another wrong train when trying to make their way back. Now hopelessly lost and facing the firing squad as deserters they encounter a group of old soldiers out in the African desert. For the time being their new mission is to take out a mysterious vanishing train with a massive cannon attached to it.

Phantom Train is certainly the fastest moving Young Indy adventure so far and there's never a dull moment in it. The second half is especially good as Indy and Remy kidnap Colonel Lettow-Vorbeck and hoist him away in a hot air balloon. The action scenes in this adventure are, for a change, up to the standard of the movies.

Though I am not sure of Paul Freeman as Frederick Selous (the real life inspiration for H. Rider Haggard's Allan Quatermain character). Why they cast the man who so famously played Indy's sleazy rival in Raiders to play a different person is beyond me. How great would it have been for Beloq to challenge Young Indy? His role as Selous here is bigger than the brief appearance he made in Passion for Life.

I can only hope that the rest will be this entertaining.