Entry 25: Attack of the Hawkmen

Timeline: 1917

Attack of the Hawkmen opens with a German Zeppelin attack on Paris and concludes with Indy blowing up a German hangar filled with enemy aircraft before speeding away on a motorcycle.  For the first time in the series, this episode of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles manages to put together an action filled adventure for a full 90 minutes. 

Following his encounter with Dr. Schweitzer in Africa, Indy is determined to join French Intelligence in an effort to speed the end of the war.  This leads him to join an eccentric squadron of pilots, the Lafayette Eskedrille, where he will serve as an aerial reconnaissance photographer.  This squad was made up of American fighters, eager to take up the fight against Germany before their country formally entered the war.  Like the earlier episodes in which Indy joined the 25^th Royal Fusiliers, the Eskedrille provides a neat and off-beat historical example of that fits with the spirit of the canon. 

This setting – with Indy snapping photos from high in the air – provides a great opportunity for dog fights, aerial stunts, daring escapes and more.  At one point, in an admittedly unrealistic sequence, Indy is captured by the Red Baron himself!  The episode goes to great lengths to stress the parallels between the fighter pilots of WWI and medieval knights.  Issues of chivalry, bravery and honor are central and the dog fights are analogous to jousting.  Some of these sequences made me think of TIE fighter battles in the original Star Wars (I know Lucas used stock WWII footage of aerial combat in early cuts of that movie). 

In the second half of the episode, Indy is given a spy mission behind enemy lines to attempt to bring Dutch aircraft manufacturer Anthony Fokker over to the allies.  Again, this is a great premise for the show – a campy, fun spy adventure!  Indy parachutes down into a small German town, disguises himself and penetrates deep into an enemy research facility.  He even discovers a new SECRET WEAPON! 

Both halves of the episode are up-tempo and great fun.  We get to see little nods to the Indiana Jones of the films- such as his punching a German police officer over a bridge and into a river (much like him punching the Nazi officer out of the Zeppelin in Last Crusade).  Always in a bit over his head, but someone you want to root for, this is the Young Indiana Jones episode I have been waiting for from this uneven series.  I am cautiously optimistic that the trend of exciting episodes will continue.

Indy Rating: 9/10