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DVD Review:

Indiana
Jones: Adventure Collection

              

Movie

The Indiana Jones trilogy is something that I love.  I remember watching these films as a kid and wanting to be an Archaeologist.  I mean who wouldn’t want to travel to all of those exotic locations searching for the world’s treasures.  The only problem is that I found out the life of a real Archaeologist is not that exciting.  But luckily I have these films to fall back on for entertainment.  These films have been reviewed countless times so I will not go into each film individually.  But for me there are so many unforgettable moments like, Indiana’s fear of snakes, the melting heads in Raiders, and the guy with the huge swords where Indiana just shoots him.  I could go on and on.  Spielberg and Lucas have crafted some of the most beloved films and I am sure Indiana will live on for many years to come.  It’s now 2008 and we have a new chapter in the Indiana Jones saga coming out.  I just hope it lives up the other films.  I will let you know May 22.

10 out 10
   
     

Video

The transfers for these films don’t seem to be any different than the other set that was released in 2003.  But that is not a bad thing as the restoration process done for that release was incredible.  So if you only have the VHS copies this is a huge upgrade. But if you’re an Indiana fan you probably already have the set from 2003.  The transfers are sharp and colourful.  Indy has never looked so good.

9 out of 10
   
   

Audio

The surround sound track is again the same as the 2003 release.  Again not a bad thing since that track was also an incredible upgrade.  It gave your whole system an upgrade.  There were lots of directional effects and every time Indy used his whip you felt like you were in the middle of the action.  They have done a great job with the conversion to 5.1.  Indy has never sounded so good.

9 out of 10
   
   

Extras

So if you’re with me so far nothing much has changed since the 2003 release.  So what would compel you to buy this release?  All of the special features included with this set are new.  This could be a good thing or a bad thing.  If you have the 2003 release you will be probably disappointed to know that none of the extras from that set have been carried over to this set.  So if you were looking to upgrade, that probably is not an option.  Before I get into the extras I thought I should mention the packaging.  The cardboard sleeve it comes in is a lot sturdier that other cardboard cases I have seen.  But the colour scheme does not match up with the old set.  Each DVD comes in a slim DVD case which seems pretty flimsy.   Here is a list of each extra that’s included on each of the DVD’s.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 2.0 Surround and Spanish 2.0 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The disc includes the following special features:

  • An Introduction by Steven Spielberg & George Lucas
  • Indiana Jones: An Appreciation: The cast and crew of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull pay tribute to the original trilogy.
  • The Melting Face: A recreation of the amazing physical effect of the villain's melting face in Raiders of the Lost Ark, including Steven Spielberg and George Lucas commenting on the evolution of visual effects and CGI
  • Storyboard Sequence: The Well of Souls
  • Galleries: Illustrations & Props; Production Photographs & Portraits; Effects/ILM; Marketing
  • Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures Game Demo and Trailer



Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 2.0 Surround and Spanish 2.0 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The disc includes the following special features:

  • An Introduction by Steven Spielberg & George Lucas
  • Creepy Crawlies: Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Frank Marshall reminisce about snakes, bugs and rats.
  • Locations: Travel across the world to discover where the films take place and where they were shot.
  • Storyboard Sequence: The Mine Cart Chase
  • Galleries: Illustrations & Props; Production Photographs & Portraits; Effects/ILM; Marketing
  • Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures Game Demo and Trailer



Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 2.0 Surround and Spanish 2.0 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The disc includes the following special features:

  • An Introduction by Steven Spielberg & George Lucas
  • The Women: The American Film Institute Tribute: the three Indiana Jones women (Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw and Alison Doody) reunite for a discussion.
  • Friends and Enemies: Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Indiana Jones writers discuss how they created the most iconic characters in film history, including a look at new faces in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
  • Storyboard Sequence: The Opening Sequence
  • Galleries: Illustrations & Props; Production Photographs & Portraits; Effects/ILM; Marketing
  • Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures Game Demo and Trailer

Instead of going through each extra I will highlight my favourites.  In Raiders my favourite extra was the feature on the melting heads.  One of my favourite scenes recreated was interesting. In Temple of Doom, I really liked the Creepy Crawlies.  In this extra they go back and talk about rats, snakes, bugs etc.  In Last Crusade my favourite extra was Friends and Enemies.  It’s a look at all the characters by the writers, producers, and directors.  One thing I should also mention is I liked the introductions to each movie by Spielberg and Lucas.  These two have a tendency to be very candid.  So it’s really interesting to listen to them and wished it was a little longer. 

7 out of 10

 
   
   

Overall

I guess the real question is whether you should pick up this release.  I have a hard time recommending it if you have the 2003 release.  If you’re a huge Indy fan and have to have everything there is about Indy then by all means pick it up.  But for the rest of us you’re not missing a whole lot.  They could have at least included a free ticket to Indy IV.

7 out of 10

Recommended