Lao Che Airplane: Why not just shoot them in their sleep?
-
ivsm — 9 years ago(October 27, 2016 12:06 AM)
I can assume that if they killed our heroes and threw them out (to get rid of the bodies) there would be many questions to Lao Che. Indy was a famous archaelogist and there were people who saw him get on the plane. Including Weber (Dan Aykroyd) - who helped him to arrange the flight. But if the plane just dissappears then there wont be any questions. The reason is obvious the plane crashed during its flight.
In fact I think Lao Che considered the crash earlier when he found out that Indy had got possibility to get on this flight. Obviously his henchmen (including his son) had been spying on him and his people (Short Round, Weber). So the pilots were warned in advance that in the future there could be a possibility of doing it. That's why they understood Lao Che's gesture immediately.
In my opinion, initially Lao Che didn't intend to kill Indy at the club using the poison. He wanted just to scare him to retrieve the Diamond (that's why they brought the real antidote). But his quick success in getting both Nurhaci and the Diamond changed his mind very quickly. Lao Che was an arrogant and powerful person. So in the moment of euphoria he maybe thought: To hell with him! Let him die right here! Somehow Ill manage with the consequences!
But after the shootout in the club and subsequent car chase Indy finally managed to get on the plane and Lao Che turned to his initial plan.
As for the plane, I think after Lao Che had got such treasures as Nurhaci and the Diamond he could afford not to bother about losing it. By the way, I think he got the money for the cargo traffic in advance. -
Karl Aksel — 9 years ago(November 06, 2016 02:05 PM)
I can assume that if they killed our heroes and threw them out (to get rid of the bodies) there would be many questions to Lao Che. Indy was a famous archaelogist and there were people who saw him get on the plane.
More questions than if they had succeeded in shooting and killing Indy on the way to the airport? Or at the club?
In my opinion, initially Lao Che didn't intend to kill Indy at the club using the poison. He wanted just to scare him to retrieve the Diamond (that's why they brought the real antidote).
I always wondered why he bothered to bring the antidote. He could simply have kept chatting with Indy and let him expire at the table, and then take whatever he wanted.
[qutoe]But his quick success in getting both Nurhaci and the Diamond changed his mind very quickly. Lao Che was an arrogant and powerful person. So in the moment of euphoria he maybe thought: To hell with him! Let him die right here! Somehow Ill manage with the consequences!
I don't think they put that much thought into the script.
As for the plane, I think after Lao Che had got such treasures as Nurhaci and the Diamond he could afford not to bother about losing it. By the way, I think he got the money for the cargo traffic in advance.
The money for the cargo - a few measly crates of chicken - would have been insignificant. The aircraft would have been the real loss. -
ivsm — 9 years ago(November 08, 2016 01:25 AM)
I don't think they put that much thought into the script
Well, why not? I can assume that preparing the Shanghai scene they had all this in their minds. At least it explains some things: not killing Indy when he was asleep, bringing the real antidote, quick understanding between Lao Che and the pilots.
But even if they didn't I think it's a rather logical explanation.
More questions than if they had succeeded in shooting and killing Indy on the way to the airport? Or at the club?
Indy had just killed one of Lao Che's sons. So then he couldn't think of anything else but killing Indy at any price. -
thylacine80 — 9 years ago(October 28, 2016 02:54 AM)
Well I guess it would have been disturbing if the main hero would have die 8 minutes into the film, in a violent fashion along with a child and an innocent woman.
And maybe it would have been a little boring to see the rescue team searching for the 3 bodies for the 90 remaining minutes. -
Karl Aksel — 9 years ago(November 01, 2016 01:26 AM)
What I don't get is why Indy & co. didn't leave the plane once they landed - because we see on the map that they did have a stop long before they got the Himalayas. And why would the pilots wait that long, anyway?
-
Karl Aksel — 9 years ago(November 07, 2016 11:19 PM)
Weber didn't decide the destination, however - he simply found the plane which had the route which best matched Indy's itinerary - they had to make do with a cargo plane which was already going somewhere with live poultry. But good point, Weber had secured three seats (though why he should secure a seat for Willie, I have no idea).
Of course, the stop they had was in Chongqing (spelled Chungking in the movie), after which they seemed to make a course straight towards New Dehli - though their map was a bit off. However, while they stopped at Chongqing, you would expect them to at least exit the plane to stretch their legs, get some fresh air, maybe get something to eat - at which point they would easily spot the markings on the plane. Also, as Chongqing is a major city, they could switch to a plane with more comfortable seating - I'm pretty sure Willie would have insisted upon it. Even if there were no more flights that day from Chongqing, Indy's hurry was to leave HongKong rather than get to his next destination.
Yes, I know, I'm overthinking things. -
ivsm — 9 years ago(November 08, 2016 01:10 AM)
But good point, Weber had secured three seats (though why he should secure a seat for Willie, I have no idea)
Initially the third seat was for the guy who later was killed by one of Lao Che's sons, not for Willie. -
Animated — 3 years ago(April 25, 2022 03:22 PM)
In the novelization Lao Che does order the captain by radio to kill the three passengers, but the co-pilot is reluctant to murder a woman and a child in cold blood, and Indiana seems on the verge of waking up when the captain approaches him with a gun - so the two men decide to leave the matter in the lap of the gods by dumping the fuel and parachuting out of the plane.