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The Adventures of Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark/The Temple of Doom/The Last Crusade) - Widescreen Customer Reviews (88 - 90 of 140 Reviews)

Finally!
Since the advent of the DVD format, no films (with the possible exception of the Star Wars Trilogy) have been more widely anticipated than the Indiana Jones movies. Now, at last, they are here, and for the most part they live up to expectations. All too often, DVD releases, and in particular those from films released before DVD's, have a sterile, over processed quality to them, but these films have maintained their freshness and sense of adventure in fine style.

There's no point in rehashing the plot here, given that these are three of the most popular movies ever made, I rather doubt there's anything I could add to the discussion. Instead, I'm going to limit myself to the technical aspects of the release, and the extras. First off is the picture is spectacular; I'm sure compared to the original releases it is excellent, but when compared to the fullscreen television versions we're used to seeing it is breathtaking. The movie literally looks like it was shot yesterday, as the colors leap off the screen. The resolution is superb on my regular DVD player, what it would look like on a progressive scan player, I can only imagine.

The sound is equally outstanding; as anyone who has seen these movies knows, sound effects and score are essential to the success of these films. Both are superbly rendered in 5.1 surround, such that every punch, gunshot and whip crack has never sounded better. Likewise, John Williams' award winning scores all sound fantastic.

Then there are the extras. First off, I have seen statements at various locations on the internet that deleted scenes are part of the set. This is simply not true, each movie is presented exactly as it was released in the theaters, and the fourth, bonus disc does not contain any deleted scenes. This is somewhat disappointing, as I have to assume there are ample scenes which didn't make the films. While I wouldn't advocate modifying the originals, deleted scenes are always fun to watch as a separate feature.

What the bonus disc does contain are documentaries detailing the conceptualization, casting and filming of each of the three episodes. In addition, there are several short features covering sound, special effects, etc. There are aspects of these documentaries that I really enjoyed, particularly the evolution of each episode from concept to script; Spielburg's and Lucas' insight into the creative process was well presented and interesting. However, these features would have been better had they discussed some of what was abandoned as the story evolved; some of the most insightful commentary from directors often comes from what is left behind, as it casts light on what makes it onto film. Finally, the original theatrical trailers are included; more than anything, they are amusing, as they seem downright primitive when compared to the extravaganzas we see at the theaters today.

To sum up: fans of these movies are going to buy them regardless of what I say, but you can rest assured that you are getting your money's worth. While I think the extras could have offered a bit more, what made it on to the discs is interesting in its own right. Moreover, the presentation of the films, which is what really matters, is second to none. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the picture and sound on these movies is as good as any I have ever encountered.

Enjoy!

Jake Mohlman

Let The Adventure Begin
A tale of heroes and adventure finally on DVD. Indiana Jones was created by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. It is an homage to the great cliff hangers of early cinema. Many scenes from these films come right out of Dick Tracey and other serials.
Harrison Ford plays Dr. Jones an archeologist and adventurer who seeks to place precious relics in museum hands and out of the reach of scoundrels who use the antiquities for their own gains, and in the Nazis case their own agenda. To find out more about the film and why it is such a great adventure and a classic series I suggest viewing this set.
I carry very fond memories of this series and I have enjoyed all the adventures of Indiana Jones. The box comes with 4 disc. The picture is sharp and the sound is in THX for those who have a certified system. The menus are nice here too and feature changing picture clips and music from the film. One of the drawbacks of this set for me however was the absence of a director commentary on each disc and there are no German subtitles nor German language options. Those of you who have seen this series know that two of the three films featured the use of sparse German dialog and it would be nice to read what was said. The extra features have been saved to the fourth disc which includes a making of and other behind the scenes you would come to expect. I would however liked to have seen more from Lucas and Spielberg about their films and get some answers on what we can expect to see in the next film. Over all I was very pleased with the box set and look forward to seeing the Lucas Star Wars Trilogy come to DVD in a similar fashion.

Why God Invented Movies
Absolutely. Gloriously. Perfect.

OK, I'm basing this on having just watched "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (thankfully not renamed to the awkward "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" in the film itself). "Temple of Doom" and "Last Crusade" are very good movies, but pale in comparison to this absolutely perfect movie. I'm certain that they'll be as good, if not better than what I remember too. I thought that I'd seen "Raiders" too many times to really enjoy it, and that it would have aged quite a bit. Wrong. Seeing and hearing it in widescreen, on DVD, with a moderately good stereo system is unbelievable- it really felt like the first time I'd seen the movie. The sound in particular is mind-boggling- I'm certain that it sounds better in my acoustically poor basement than it ever did 20 years ago. Turn it up very, very loud during the truck chase and just listen to that engine, those bullets and that glorious, blaring brass. Some of the special effects, especially during the opening of the Ark, don't look as convincing as I remembered them, but they're still more impressive than Lucas's currentobsession with overrated, soulless CGI effects (someone else besides me is aware of this, because I've heard that Indy IV will make very little use, if any, of computer generated effects). The music is perfect, the dialogue is funny, the story is relentless, the sets are breathtaking, the costumes are cool, the characters are unforgetable, the stunts are still harrowing and impressive, the villains are wonderfully one-dimensionally evil, and on and on and on. THIS is why God invented movies and DVDs and popcorn and Spielberg and Harrison Ford. Now we just need the original Star Wars Trilogy on DVD...

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