Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures (US - BD RA)
Or as Gabe calls it: Indiana Jones and You're Getting the 4th with the Others...
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones’ first theatrical adventure is still his best and Raiders of the Lost Ark is still a top ten, quintessential American movie. It probably isn’t something future generations are going to revisit with a particularly critical eye and come back telling all us old folks we were wrong to adore. The film’s imagery has been indelibly etched in the minds of everyone that’s seen it, ensuring that we never look at a particularly round boulder, cobra snake, bull whip, fedora, or date-eating monkey the same way ever again. Raiders balances the scales of homage and original style better than possibly even Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy. Spielberg fills the screen with iconic images that we now take for granted, especially those of us who first saw the film as children. If one were to stop and contemplate the various booby traps Harrison Ford and Alfred Molina contend with at the beginning of the film, we might question the now-classic scene. Is there anything in the historical record to say that ancient people set deadly traps around their most prized relics? It doesn’t matter, because a much-beloved trope is born out of the sequence, in effect becoming its own historical record. Raiders is also one of a few ‘golden age’ Spielberg films that handles humour as well as action, though, of course, a lot of that credit must go to his actors. Also, as a fan of Italian trash cinema, I gotta love Raiders for bringing this specific brand of adventure pulp back into the mainstream. I’m especially fond of Antonio Margheriti’s Jungle Raiders and Ark of the Sun God.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
I don’t really like Temple of Doom. Fortunately, the movie nerd cliché of Temple of Doom backlash has seen backlash of its own now, so liking the film is now the cooler thing to do. And you all know how much I despise being cool. I don’t dislike because the film is darker than Raiders, or bloodier (both films are pretty close to R-rated in my book), or even because Short Round is an unbelievably obnoxious sidekick (which he absolutely is). Even the casual racism is somewhat amusing. Temple of Doom is a shadow of the first film, like a knock-off made in another country by filmmakers that didn’t understand what made Raiders of the Lost Ark great in the first place. The jokes fall flat quite loudly, the plot is contrived to the point of being boring, and the villains and supporting characters are thinly sketched – especially when compared to the colourful rogues of the series’ first installment. The mixing of Lucas’ ‘darker, more frightening’ goals and Spielberg’s hesitant attempts at cooling the horror edge by including an under-aged supporting character verges on the schizophrenic. Also, none of the heroes have an active role in the story. But my number one complaint is the matter of Kate Capshaw’s mind-numbingly awful performance and entirely inappropriate character. I understand that this wasn’t entirely Capshaw’s fault and I know she gets a lot of flack, but it doesn’t quiet all the revolting screaming or dull the misogynistic overtones. Temple of Doom also transpires so far outside the world of the other two films that it feels entirely unrelated. I understand that it’s supposed to be a prequel, but Indy’s search for ‘fortune and glory,’ despite already having his PhD, sort of spits in the face of the character’s most intriguing traits. In every other movie (even that terrible one I’ll be getting to in a minute) and the television series (if we’re counting that as canon), Indy seeks treasures for archaeological satisfaction, not for the money. He also involves himself in adventures because he wants to do what’s ‘right’, not because a bunch of beseeched natives made him feel guilty. There are a few things that still work in the film’s favour, namely Spielberg’s tight action direction, gorgeous production design, and the colourful photography. After the hours of brown that was Raiders of the Lost Ark, the sequences that take place in the titular temple are an optical array of fantastic eye-candy. The action set pieces seem to be the only part of the script anyone put any effort into and they are pretty spectacular, especially the famous mine cart chase that still stands up to decent scrutiny. Perhaps finding comedic inspiration in the Faces of Death series is a bit dubious, though.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
It has come to my attention that around the same time it became cool to like the bowl of mediocrity called Temple of Doom, it became even cooler to hate The Last Crusade. I find this utterly confusing as both a fan and critic. The Last Crusade is clearly a step down from the utter perfection of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but, thanks to a healthy dose of maturity and sharply crafted characters, the film is in some respects the best step for the character and a fantastic finale for the series (yes, finale). Though not quite comparable on a level of mature artistic achievement to Schindler’s List or Munich, The Last Crusade fits in nicely with Spielberg’s post-‘King of the Sentimental’-era modern output – fantasy/action films like Minority Report, A.I., and even War of the Worlds (all last act misfires absolutely included). When watched back to back with the first two films, the softening of the violence and menace is actually pretty surprising (though the first PG-13 film in the set, it’s by far the least gory). The Last Crusade’s violence is either played directly for laughs or for genuine emotional impact, like when Daddy Jones is shot. Tonally, Spielberg slowly cranks the film’s seriousness to ensure the climax holds that impact, but this creates a sort of Catch-22, wherein The Last Crusade is the only likeable Indy film that really drags. Even if it is a bit slow, this is the only one of the Indiana Jones films that still makes me laugh out loud, and I’m pretty sure that people that don’t get a kick out of Harrison Ford and Sean Connery’s father/son interactions are dead inside.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Disagreements on Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade aside, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is likely the one film here we can all agree isn’t good. But I continue to wonder if anyone really expect anything other than a passable adventure movie following a parade of behind the scenes fiascos with scripting woes and possible fallings out between the creative types? Perhaps a closer glance at the writer and director’s recent resumes might have been a good clue. When has Steven Spielberg ever been known to deliver on a project when he wasn’t interested? Wasn’t Munich a good enough launch into officially adult filmmaking for him to move on? Did he really owe George Lucas anything? Seriously, I’m like the only guy left in the world that still defends the Star Wars prequels; hasn’t Lucas developed enough negative surplus for you guys yet?
My expectations for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull were so dashed that I created a simple (kind of pathetic), ten item checklist of necessities:
1. Indiana Jones in a hat. Check.
2. Indiana Jones whipping something. Check.
3. Faceless thugs being dispatched in a manner probably too graphic for a PG-13 movie? Check.
4. Sallah. Wait, where the hell is Sallah? Anti-check!
5. Cate Blanchet looking refined, sexy, and commie? Check.
6. Lots and lots of cobwebs? Check.
7. Double-Crosses (that was quick). Check.
8. Marion Ravenwood (I love you, Karen Allen). Check.
9. Creepy crawlies (no confined spaces this time, but still pretty gross). Check.
10. John Williams’ original musical cue. Check
Nine out of ten makes for a modest success, I suppose.

Checklist aside, Crystal Skull is better than it has been labeled, but it’s still extravagantly weak, mostly for different and sadder reasons than The Phantom Menace. When George reintroduced Star Wars in 1999, he put everything he had into it and didn’t have to share much of the creative control. When The Phantom Menace hit, the fallout laid on Lucas’ ongoing problems as a storyteller and filmmaker. Then, after almost a decade and three ‘great comebacks’ that were largely considered mistakes, Lucas’ inability to let the past go has sucked in a more impressive creative talent and one that’s actually managed to grow as a filmmaker. Nothing from the behind the scenes lead me to believe that Spielberg had any interest in another Indiana Jones movie. He appeared good natured and happy to be push Shia LaBeouf’s career along its merry little way, but his general malaise was damning. Following years of script issues, the record states it took something like twenty years for Harrison Ford, Lucas, and Spielberg to decide on a middle ground, which was written up by Stephen King’s best adaptor Frank Darabount. But then, despite Ford and Spielberg’s excitement, Lucas rejected Darabount’s script and the air finally went out of the project. Spielberg brought on his blandest capable conspirator David Koepp to keep Lucas’ awful sense of dialogue in check, and went through the numbers. You can see it all there onscreen.
I don’t like to play the Lucas blame game, because I think the guy is a genuine artist and has a hugely important place in film history (and, again, I actually enjoy the prequels), but here it’s obvious that the man isn’t only continuing to deal with his never-ending Star Wars and Saturday morning serials obsessions, but his post- Young Indiana Jones historical diddling has taken precedence, as has an official mid-life crisis level re-re-visitation of his greasy roots. This isn’t just Indiana Jones 4, this is Star Wars 7, American Graffiti 3, and chance to deal with the one major element of 1900s pop-culture Lucas hadn’t yet dabbled in—the red scare. Spielberg has no place in this film beyond his work with an awesome cast (he’s even fully dealt with red scare sci-fi in the far more efficient and relevant War of the Worlds remake), but then, working with Steve again is really just another symptom of his confused midlife crisis.
For the sake of space, read the rest of my thoughts on Kingdom of the Crystal Skull here. Please ignore all the typos I’m seeing while re-reading it myself.

Video
All four films in this set were filmed in good old 35mm and all four are presented in 1080p video for this Blu-ray release. The official word has Raiders of the Lost Ark being the one film in the set that has been given the full restoration treatment, including a 4K scan and brand new digital re-mastering. For the sake of doing it right I’m directly comparing this transfer to the previous DVD release, which, for the record, was a pretty great transfer, at least for the limitations of the format. First things first, the natural film grain has not been DNR’d out of this transfer. The entire film features a fine sheen of the stuff and grain thickness increases based on lighting schemes. Spielberg shot Raiders quick and dirty and even a top of the line transfer should show this. However, those that prefer their Blu-ray to appear closer to brand new should still be plenty satisfied with the general clarity of things. There are limits to the transfer’s detail capabilities, but these are all an obvious part of the source material, not a case of upgrading a DVD source and passing it off as a new transfer. Spielberg and cinematographer Douglas Slocombe just weren’t that concerned with us seeing every single background brick, they were more concerned with the impression of detail, often seen through smoke and sand. What works here in HD is the cleanliness of these impressions, specifically their lack of bleeding and compression artefacts. Foreground textures are sizably sharper than the DVD as are more complex background patterns, which tend to turn muddy in SD. Besides the obvious increases in detail and loss of compression artefacts, this new transfer is definitely brighter than the DVD release, occasionally to a minor detriment. Sometimes, this brightness leads to a bit of blooming, which does equate a tiny bit of detail loss on rare occasions (the golden idol, for instance, is shiny enough to lose a bit of texture, as are some of the desert hills towards the end of the film) and occasionally softer darkness spoils the mood the tiniest bit. The colour balance is a lot warmer than the DVD, which is generally more natural for the skin tones, but is a little disappointing in terms of the more lush jungle greens at the beginning of the film (the occasional blue pieces of wardrobe look just fine). Differences aside, the Blu-ray transfer features better cutting between hues and generally smoother gradations.
There’s nothing in the technical specs I’ve read to indicate quite as much effort has been put into the restoration of Temple of Doom, but there’s no reason to be disappointed with the final effect of this new 1080p transfer. In fact, even though I’d call the Raiders of the Lost Ark transfer is better overall, the upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray is more substantial here. The DVD has some pretty mushy backgrounds, but here complex textures and contrasting elements are easily distinguished in both extreme close-up and deep-set shots. The comparative difference between the most expansive wide-shots are almost breathtaking at times, specifically establishing shots of (often painted) landscapes and architecture. Colours are sizably more vibrant than the somewhat dulled DVD, especially the blindingly vibrant reds that overwhelm the opening Shanghai sequence. Here, the solitary sequins on Capshaw’s dress can be visually separated and the wall of red background light features almost none of the compression noise seen on the DVD release. The even more vibrant reds of the Thuggee cult sequences are just as spectacular and possibly the biggest comparative upgrade from the SD version. The thematic darkness of Temple of Doom applies to its overall look as well and this prevalent shaded quality creates problems for the old release. This transfer largely corrects the generally ‘browned-out’ black levels, creating stronger contrasts with the warm and cool colour elements, which then helps establish those complex and finely textured backgrounds. Small details found in black wardrobe and set pieces aren’t lost due to overzealous crush either. The grain of 35mm film is still plenty evident, but generally finer and more consistent than the DVD release, which appears quite blocky and even pixilated throughout. The Blu-ray also corrects the slight horizontal warp seen on the DVD.

Again, nothing in the original specs says anything about The Last Crusade getting the 4K treatment (did it?), but there’s still little to nothing to really complain about, aside from perhaps a twinge of compression noise/edge enhancement here and there. This is the least of the three new transfers in terms of upgrade, but this is mostly because it had the least need to make improvements. Like the Raiders of the Lost Ark disc, the colour correction and increase in vibrancy end up sitting somewhere slightly above detail and clarity accruals. The Last Crusade features the cleanest overall look of the original three films and may also be the brightest, which leaves even the SD DVD in a pretty clear place. The general hues are warmer (both redder and yellower) than those of the drier, browner DVD, through cool colours like greens and blues basically match between the two transfers (1080p’s smashing abilities with hue purity aside, of course). Comparing these images directly, the DVD just appears generally dull and even washed out. Contrast is sharper, leading to a pretty sizable bump in close-up textures, which now appear life-like enough to touch. The image’s prevalent brightness tends to blow-out some of the background details on both transfers, but the Blu-ray corrects some obvious issues with mushy pattern blends and edge haloes. There are more signs of DNR work here, too, but there’s still plenty of film grain texture and natural blends – no waxy faces or weird CRT scan noise.
I’m not sure how much of my vague disapproval with the look of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has to do with this Blu-ray disc’s almost blinding clarity. Apparently, Spielberg refused to go full-on digital (which was a beautiful look for the Star Wars prequels), but went for a very clean, very digital 35mm look. I’m not usually one to harp on tradition if filmmakers want to move on, but the first three Indiana Jones features have such pleasant grain and imperfections to them. Sometimes, this super-pristine transfer, without more a smidgen of dirt, grain, of even real life texture, looks a little bit like it was shot entirely digitally and at worst, made for TV. This isn’t a bad thing for the purposes of this video section of the review, I suppose, because immaculate means there’s very little to complain about in terms of compression effects, it just isn’t quite what I was originally expecting from the material. The majority of the film features powerful, high contrast, and deeply dark textures. The cave diving stuff is especially rich in detail, reveling in every single one of those mossy, cobweb-encrusted walls. My favourite scene visually is at the beginning of the film, when Indy accidentally finds himself on a proto-‘50s town block settled to be Big Boy bombed. Here, Spielberg and frequent collaborator cinematographer Janusz Kaminski channel a bit of Tim Burton and David Lynch zaniness, including some really wonderfully vibrant hues and a little shot soft focus. The film’s climax features a more metallic and slightly lavender look, which is really the worst case of lacking texture in the whole film, but also the most immaculate part of the whole disc.

Audio
To match its 4K restoration, Raiders of the Lost Ark has been given a full digital restoration, presented in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. To quote the press release:
Quote: The sound design was preserved using (Ben) Burtt’s original master mix, which had been archived and unused since 1981. New stereo surrounds were created using the original music tracks and original effects recorded in stereo, but used previously only in mono. In addition, the sub bass was redone entirely up to modern specifications and care was taken to improve dialogue and correct small technical flaws to create the most complete and highest quality version of the sound possible while retaining the director’s vision.
It’s a pretty wordy explanation, but it seems to say that the 5.1 channels were filled without compromising Spielberg and Burtt’s intended sound and without adding artificial stereo and surround elements that weren’t part of the original source material. We all know this movie like the back of our own ear at this point and we all know how sharp the original mix already was. It even sounds good in plain old stereo. This new mix offers a clearer version of Burtt’s expertly pitched whirr of noise where smaller, solitary aural elements can be picked out without being overwhelmed by the bigger and more boisterous stuff. There’s no better place to appreciate what has been done with the sound than the opening sequence with all its crackling, natural ambience, directionally enhanced booby traps and, of course, that rumbling rock that bowls over every channel on the set, especially the LFE. I’m thinking that the punchy bits of noise actually sound more natural here than they did on the 5.1 DVD release, specifically when it comes to gunshots. There are issues with dialogue, which are to be expected based on the film’s age. When the action is lively, the words remain clear, but lack natural intonations. This is likely due to either source ADR or because of additional noise reduction applied to this release. Non-action sequences where dialogue was caught more casually on set suffer no such artefacts. John Williams’ score has never sounded richer; in fact, I’m not sure any of his classic scores have ever sounded this good on home video, not even those on the recent Jaws and Star Wars releases. There’s so much bass in the musical mix that it positively throbs the room, but none of the fine sound detail is lost in warble.
Generally speaking, Temple of Doom is more of the same – the lossless qualities of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound help ensure a cleaner overall experience, which makes it easier to pick out the little embellishments among the louder pieces. Again, the warmth and roundness of John Williams’ score (which is probably at its most boisterous on this film above the other two) is the most expressive aural element, and the basic dialogue and sound effects are often easily lost in the rush of slam-bang music. Dialogue and source effects are plenty natural, the ambience of the jungle and caves is effectively immersive, and the action sequences feature plenty of aggressive directional elements. Burtt’s sound effects are a bit weirder this time around, as if realism was thrown out the window, but it certainly works for the more fantastic/horror-laced production and certainly sounds cool on the disc. The horrible, horrible bug scene and the mine cart chase are surely the track’s all-star moments.

This is the part where I start running out of things to say about audio quality, because again, generally speaking, this new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track improves in all the expected ways, including general clarity, element separation, and lack of compression effects. Williams’ score is generally more whimsical this time around, chugging along throughout the action sequences and calling out all the gags with fun little embellishments. This mix tends to set the music in front of the effects and dialogue, except during the most aggressive action scenes, which, despite plenty of over-the-top antics, tend to skew a little more naturally this time around. Burtt keeps the wackier stuff mostly under wraps, which makes for a nice, natural mix that deals more in ambience and dynamic ranges for the sake of comedy. But there are still plenty of aggressive, directionally-heavy moments throughout the film, including those elongated motorcycle and plane chases. My only complaint here is that the dialogue track is noticeably softer than the other two remixes, making it difficult to understand some of the more whispered words.
Despite iffy scripts and bored directors, I don’t think any of us were disappointed in good ol’ Ben Burtt and his memorable sound effects collection when we saw Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The quality of this new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (the previous Blu-ray release featured a 5.1 Dolby Digital TrueHD track) shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the pedigree or the effort Paramount usually puts into their big releases. The opening act pretty much contains everything you need—a car chase, a few fist fights, whip cracks, some explosions (including a nuke), and some specifically Ben Burtt-ian extras, like magnetized ammunition. The killer ant scene is another fun bit, featuring some huge surround sound creepy crawling, but the sci-fi finale is Burtt’s finest moment, recalling classic genre buzzes and beeps, vamped up with a modern slant, including some heavy bass and lively multi-channel spinning. John Williams is getting old too, and I’ve been regularly disappointed with his more recent scores (comparatively speaking, of course), with the exception of Revenge of the Sith, which was built gracefully and tonally on the original prequel’s cues. He doesn’t pull off the same shocker magic with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but Williams’ restraint in using an unaltered version of old cues is admirable, and gives the full-on theme a great bump when it finally springs in. The score is well-represented on the track, featuring full and immersive symphonic sounds that stand out effectively against all manner of otherworldly sound effects.

Extras
The original press release listed six total discs in this set, two of which were entirely devoted to extra features. This final product features five discs, so it appears some stuff went missing. First, I’ll run through the four movie discs. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull discs each feature a collection of trailers and nothing else (no timeline pop-up on Crystal Skull).
Then comes the solitary bonus features disc, which begins with On Set with Raiders of the Lost Ark (57:50, HD) a mostly new, two-part documentary following the making of the original film. This features vintage interview footage with Spielberg, Ford, Lucas (briefly), associate producer Robert Watts, stunt coordinator Glenn Randal, producer Frank Marshal, mechanical effects supervisor Kitt West, and actors Paul Freeman, Roland Lacey and Karen Allen, along with vintage behind the scenes footage and outtakes/bloopers/deleted scenes. This new documentary is fantastic for archival purposes, the bloopers are truly funny, and the deleted scenes/outtakes are quite exciting, but is a bit scatter-shot in terms of telling any kind of story. It’s not as if it’s hard to follow (the producers put events in order as they occur in the film and compare the footage to the final footage), it’s just a different approach than we’ve been treated to on previous behind the scenes docs, which usually feature a bit of narration. Perhaps I just prefer talking heads too much.

Next up on the standalone extras disc is a collection of ‘Making the Films’ subheadings. These start with The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (57:50, SD), another vintage doc from director Phillip Schuman that I believe hasn’t been available on DVD before. This rather dingy looking featurette/EPK covers a lot of the same ground as the On Set doc, but acts well as a companion piece. This is followed by a making-of look at all four films, beginning with The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (not to be confused with the previous one, 50:50, SD), The Making of The Temple of Doom (41:10, SD), and The Making of The Last Crusade (35:00, SD), all of which appeared as on the original DVD release, but not on the re-released ‘Adventure Collection’ that was released more recently to cash-in on Crystal Skull. The originally announced sixth disc was scheduled to feature all the extras from Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s previous two-disc Blu-ray release, along with some additional bibs and bobs from the previous releases. However, this final collection is clearly only five discs long, though it appears that the stuff promised on that sixth disc is present on this fifth disc. This includes slightly shortened The Making of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (28:30, HD), a nostalgia piece-cum-production diary (as labeled on the original release) which covers the conception, screenplay, pre-production, filming, stunts, casting, et cetera, complete with cast and crew interviews.
This brings us to the ‘Behind the Scenes’ subheading, which includes a nice collection of previously available featurettes:
- The Stunts of Indiana Jones (11:00, SD)
- The Sound of Indiana Jones (13:20, SD)
- The Music of Indiana Jones (12:20, SD)
- The Light and Magic of Indiana Jones (12:20, SD)
- Raiders: The Melting Face (8:10, SD)
- Indiana Jones and the Creepy Crawlies (with optional pop-up trivia, 11:50, SD)
- Travel with Indiana Jones: Locations (optional pop-up trivia, 10:00, SD)
- Indy’s Women: The American Film Institute Tribute (9:20, SD)
- Indy’s Friends and Enemies (10:10, SD)
- Iconic Props (9:50, HD)
- The Effects of Indy (22:30, HD)
- Adventures in Post Production (12:40, HD)

Overall
Why did I even bother writing this review? I know you’re going to buy this. The only people that aren’t going to buy this are those that hate one of the four movies enough to not want a copy on their shelf, even for the sake of prosperity. I certainly don’t expect I’ll ever watch Kingdom of the Crystal Skull again and don’t feel any real need to own Temple of Doom, but I’m reasonably sure there won’t be a Raiders of the Lost Ark solo release Blu-ray anytime soon, so I guess we’ve got to take what we get. Paramount hasn’t skimped on re-mastering this particular golden goose for Blu-ray release, including brilliant new 1080p transfers and vibrant new DTS-HD MA soundtracks. The extra features don’t feature a lot of new material, but, aside from audio commentaries (which we all know Spielberg isn’t going to do, ever), there isn’t a lot more to say about the behind the scenes stories of these films. Except maybe Crystal Skull. But who cares about that?
* Note: The images on this page are not representative of the Blu-ray image quality.
Review by Gabriel Powers
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Existing Posts
I've just seen some HDTV/BD comparison shots and all I can say is WTF have they done to the colour timing? It's pushed way too far on the BD. Everything looks orange!
james55011 wrote: Yes because you hate it then EVERYONE must hate it, that's the way the world works in your world.
That's not what this is about, and you can stow the defensive attitude. The last time I wrote a review of the DVD series most of the replies were Temple of Doom defenders. I also got into arguments about how much I don't like Doom with my facebook friends. That statement was based entirely on my experiences. Also, did any of you read my review? I'm guessing not, since I never said I hated Crystal Skull. I actually spent quite a bit of time defending it in my original review, which I linked.
I suppose it's easier to make assumptions and cut right to the comments section though, huh?
That's not what this is about, and you can stow the defensive attitude. The last time I wrote a review of the DVD series most of the replies were Temple of Doom defenders. I also got into arguments about how much I don't like Doom with my facebook friends. That statement was based entirely on my experiences. Also, did any of you read my review? I'm guessing not, since I never said I hated Crystal Skull. I actually spent quite a bit of time defending it in my original review, which I linked.
I suppose it's easier to make assumptions and cut right to the comments section though, huh?
Of course, I was being a little extreme in my comment...funny, I was going to mention "with the exception of ROTS" - but in the end the decided, ah, what the heck... 
I still don't get the hate towards KOTC. It's certainly not the level of 1 or even 3, but I don't think it's worse than 2 (no grating Willie, no all-you-can-eat snakes and bugs buffets, etc.)

I still don't get the hate towards KOTC. It's certainly not the level of 1 or even 3, but I don't think it's worse than 2 (no grating Willie, no all-you-can-eat snakes and bugs buffets, etc.)
Well s**t. I was expecting people getting on me for hating on Temple of Doom, but I was not expecting Crystal Skull defenders...
Yes because you hate it then EVERYONE must hate it, that's the way the world works in your world.
Yes because you hate it then EVERYONE must hate it, that's the way the world works in your world.
Revenge of the Sith is much, much, much better that Crystal Skull. Complaining about Vader's big 'no' is among the most wrong-headed complaints about the prequels a person can possibly make.
Seriously, there are a million things I'd agree with on the weakness of those films, but that is not one of them. It's part of the series language since the originals.
Seriously, there are a million things I'd agree with on the weakness of those films, but that is not one of them. It's part of the series language since the originals.
In defense of KOTC, it's still better than the Star Wars prequels...
Besides, it's not THAT bad. Indy isn't yelling 'nooooooooooooooo' at any point...
Besides, it's not THAT bad. Indy isn't yelling 'nooooooooooooooo' at any point...
For me, "Raiders" is movie perfection, in a class all by itself - the "Casablanca" of action movies, I say - and all of the sequels are just a bonus.
"Temple of Doom" sure does have its flaws. Forget all that annoying screaming, Kate Capshaw's LOOK is too contemporary 1984 for a movie that takes place in 1935, and the silly foods at the Pankot palace dinner are a distraction. However, Harrison Ford at the peak of his 1980's powers RULES this movie from frame one, and John Williams' score absolutely tears it up.
Not much to dislike about "Last Crusade" other than it's "Raiders" redux with Sean Connery, and I recall being one of MANY paying customers in 1989 that didn't mind that one damn bit. This film was FUN, particularly with a packed audience.
Count me as one who was happy to watch our hero ride off into the sunset with #3, but compared to all the movie c**pola that typically comes out in the summer these days, I thought this one was a nice fond trip down memory lane. I'm completely with you on the checklist, Gabe. Of course the old ones are better. That's a given. But it was sure nice to see Ford back in fine form and having more FUN on screen than he's seems to have been having for a long time.
My biggest gripe on this film is there's, like, 5 people tagging along with him on this one - that's at least 2 or 3 sidekicks too many. And the old 3 each had one big exposition scene after the opening teaser, then it was typically off to the races while in this one they keep stopping to talk and explain things far too often. But if you turn it into a drinking game whenever something is explained as meaning something else and you're in for a good time.
I wish this blu-ray set had been more comprehensive, with all the stuff from the previous DVD's and blu-ray, not to mention where's the vintage "Great Movie Stunts" documentary from 1981 or the excellent Making of Temple of Doom that aired on PBS back in 1984? Those should have been included too.
"Temple of Doom" sure does have its flaws. Forget all that annoying screaming, Kate Capshaw's LOOK is too contemporary 1984 for a movie that takes place in 1935, and the silly foods at the Pankot palace dinner are a distraction. However, Harrison Ford at the peak of his 1980's powers RULES this movie from frame one, and John Williams' score absolutely tears it up.
Not much to dislike about "Last Crusade" other than it's "Raiders" redux with Sean Connery, and I recall being one of MANY paying customers in 1989 that didn't mind that one damn bit. This film was FUN, particularly with a packed audience.
Count me as one who was happy to watch our hero ride off into the sunset with #3, but compared to all the movie c**pola that typically comes out in the summer these days, I thought this one was a nice fond trip down memory lane. I'm completely with you on the checklist, Gabe. Of course the old ones are better. That's a given. But it was sure nice to see Ford back in fine form and having more FUN on screen than he's seems to have been having for a long time.
My biggest gripe on this film is there's, like, 5 people tagging along with him on this one - that's at least 2 or 3 sidekicks too many. And the old 3 each had one big exposition scene after the opening teaser, then it was typically off to the races while in this one they keep stopping to talk and explain things far too often. But if you turn it into a drinking game whenever something is explained as meaning something else and you're in for a good time.
I wish this blu-ray set had been more comprehensive, with all the stuff from the previous DVD's and blu-ray, not to mention where's the vintage "Great Movie Stunts" documentary from 1981 or the excellent Making of Temple of Doom that aired on PBS back in 1984? Those should have been included too.
Indy films are the opposite of Star Trek films in that only the ODD numbered ones are good.
Gabe Powers wrote: Well s**t. I was expecting people getting on me for hating on Temple of Doom, but I was not expecting Crystal Skull defenders...
I suppose Indy is kinda like Star Trek for me. Each film series has one bona-fide all-time classic (Raiders, The Wrath of Khan). Each has entries that are clearly inferior (Crystal Skull, Final Frontier). But I don't outright hate any of them.
Oh, and of course, they're both from Paramount.
And if nothing else, Crystal Skull has one outlandish "No! It is I who will eat YOU!" moment (the scene where one of the bad guys gets eaten by the fire ants).
I suppose Indy is kinda like Star Trek for me. Each film series has one bona-fide all-time classic (Raiders, The Wrath of Khan). Each has entries that are clearly inferior (Crystal Skull, Final Frontier). But I don't outright hate any of them.

Oh, and of course, they're both from Paramount.

And if nothing else, Crystal Skull has one outlandish "No! It is I who will eat YOU!" moment (the scene where one of the bad guys gets eaten by the fire ants).
Man, how can Kate Capshaw be your #1 complaint about Temple of Doom?? Even as a kid, I always thought she looked scrumptious in that movie. I definitely understand why Spielberg wifed her up after filming wrapped...
Even as an adult, I never really pay attention to all of her screaming and bad acting when I watch the movie, I just stare at her cleavage and booty whenever she's onscreen...
Even as an adult, I never really pay attention to all of her screaming and bad acting when I watch the movie, I just stare at her cleavage and booty whenever she's onscreen...

Uniblab wrote: jangomac wrote: And for anybody curious about the Frank Darabont draft of Indy 4, it was available online a few years ago shortly after Crystal Skull was released. IMO Lucas made the right call, beyond the beginning and the ending (which were virtually identical to what we ended up with) it was an awful draft with a muddled reason for Indy getting involved in the plot and some awful set pieces, not to mention the prospect of Connery singing at the end of the movie!!
Interesting...Darabont got really disappointed for that. But that was only one of many others... I remember that Shyamalan had written one, Jeff Nathanson (who replaced Koepp as Spielberg's resident screenwriter for a couple of years), another, and there's one written by Chris Columbus back in 1995 (if I'm not mistaken) available on IMSDb...and not to mention the scores of wonderful spec scripts that must have been circulating since Raiders came out (Diane Thomas from Romancing the Stone also wrote one)...
Indeed.
There's a great book called Tales from Development Hell by David Hughes that has a chapter on the long tortured history of Indy 4, very interesting reading and well worth a read, not just for that chapter.
Interesting...Darabont got really disappointed for that. But that was only one of many others... I remember that Shyamalan had written one, Jeff Nathanson (who replaced Koepp as Spielberg's resident screenwriter for a couple of years), another, and there's one written by Chris Columbus back in 1995 (if I'm not mistaken) available on IMSDb...and not to mention the scores of wonderful spec scripts that must have been circulating since Raiders came out (Diane Thomas from Romancing the Stone also wrote one)...
Indeed.
There's a great book called Tales from Development Hell by David Hughes that has a chapter on the long tortured history of Indy 4, very interesting reading and well worth a read, not just for that chapter.
jangomac wrote: And for anybody curious about the Frank Darabont draft of Indy 4, it was available online a few years ago shortly after Crystal Skull was released. IMO Lucas made the right call, beyond the beginning and the ending (which were virtually identical to what we ended up with) it was an awful draft with a muddled reason for Indy getting involved in the plot and some awful set pieces, not to mention the prospect of Connery singing at the end of the movie!!
Interesting...Darabont got really disappointed for that. But that was only one of many others... I remember that Shyamalan had written one, Jeff Nathanson (who replaced Koepp as Spielberg's resident screenwriter for a couple of years), another, and there's one written by Chris Columbus back in 1995 (if I'm not mistaken) available on IMSDb...and not to mention the scores of wonderful spec scripts that must have been circulating since Raiders came out (Diane Thomas from Romancing the Stone also wrote one)...
Interesting...Darabont got really disappointed for that. But that was only one of many others... I remember that Shyamalan had written one, Jeff Nathanson (who replaced Koepp as Spielberg's resident screenwriter for a couple of years), another, and there's one written by Chris Columbus back in 1995 (if I'm not mistaken) available on IMSDb...and not to mention the scores of wonderful spec scripts that must have been circulating since Raiders came out (Diane Thomas from Romancing the Stone also wrote one)...
Great review Gabe, I look forward to buying the UK version which will finally see Temple of Doom released uncut for the first time (it had always been previously cut in the UK to gain a PG certificate)
I love all of the films, even the fourth, but Raiders remains my absolute favourite.
And for anybody curious about the Frank Darabont draft of Indy 4, it was available online a few years ago shortly after Crystal Skull was released. IMO Lucas made the right call, beyond the beginning and the ending (which were virtually identical to what we ended up with) it was an awful draft with a muddled reason for Indy getting involved in the plot and some awful set pieces, not to mention the prospect of Connery singing at the end of the movie!!
I love all of the films, even the fourth, but Raiders remains my absolute favourite.
And for anybody curious about the Frank Darabont draft of Indy 4, it was available online a few years ago shortly after Crystal Skull was released. IMO Lucas made the right call, beyond the beginning and the ending (which were virtually identical to what we ended up with) it was an awful draft with a muddled reason for Indy getting involved in the plot and some awful set pieces, not to mention the prospect of Connery singing at the end of the movie!!
Well s**t. I was expecting people getting on me for hating on Temple of Doom, but I was not expecting Crystal Skull defenders...
felipe-11 wrote: I still can't understand all the hate on Indy 4. It's DAMN better than Indy 2.
"Mother of God"...
Temple of Doom not only is the best one of them, but also the least dated one seen now (the 4th one came out already dated...).
"Mother of God"...
Temple of Doom not only is the best one of them, but also the least dated one seen now (the 4th one came out already dated...).
Already gots me the first three on DVD, and the 4th on BD. All I want is Raiders and Last Crusade on BD. Don't care for Temple of Doom, that was 4x c**ppier than Crystal Skull.
And yes. Get off the band wagon, you are way more likely to survive a nuclear blast, swing with monkeys, and find aliens than find the holy grail, the ark, or survive your heart getting pulled out of your chest and still be alive to see it. The more people hate on Indy 4, the more I feel like I like the movie.
And yes. Get off the band wagon, you are way more likely to survive a nuclear blast, swing with monkeys, and find aliens than find the holy grail, the ark, or survive your heart getting pulled out of your chest and still be alive to see it. The more people hate on Indy 4, the more I feel like I like the movie.
The more I think about it, the more I realize I just want Raiders on a nice, single Blu-ray. (Not that I hate ToD and Last Crusade but since I bought the DVD set back in whenever-that-was I have watched Raiders twice and thought once about maybe watching Last Crusade.)
But as I guess such a thing as a Raiders-only BD is not forthcoming, I'll see how the Raiders DVD holds up in upscaling. I would much prefer not to have KotCS in my house; I still feel unclean for having bought Alien frakking Resurrection twice by now.
But as I guess such a thing as a Raiders-only BD is not forthcoming, I'll see how the Raiders DVD holds up in upscaling. I would much prefer not to have KotCS in my house; I still feel unclean for having bought Alien frakking Resurrection twice by now.
felipe-11 wrote: I still can't understand all the hate on Indy 4. It's DAMN better than Indy 2.
I'm with felipe on this one. I don't understand the level of hatred number 4 inspires. YES, the monkey swinging is ridculous, YES Shia Leboef is irritating and YES nuking the fridge is ridiculous, but then so is jumping out of a plane with a dingy, Short Round is more irritating than Laboef and any scene with Willie in is worse than anything in KOTCS.
Seriously guys, get off the band wagon. KOTCS has some great stuff in it, and although it doesn't work as well as 1 and 3, it still delivers some classic Indy stuff AND manages to be original. As much as I like LAST CRUSADE, it's just RAIDERS with laughs.
I'm with felipe on this one. I don't understand the level of hatred number 4 inspires. YES, the monkey swinging is ridculous, YES Shia Leboef is irritating and YES nuking the fridge is ridiculous, but then so is jumping out of a plane with a dingy, Short Round is more irritating than Laboef and any scene with Willie in is worse than anything in KOTCS.
Seriously guys, get off the band wagon. KOTCS has some great stuff in it, and although it doesn't work as well as 1 and 3, it still delivers some classic Indy stuff AND manages to be original. As much as I like LAST CRUSADE, it's just RAIDERS with laughs.
felipe-11 wrote: I still can't understand all the hate on Indy 4. It's DAMN better than Indy 2.
Bullcr*p. I would rather see "Temple Of Doom" anyday over "Crystal Skull". The 4th is dogsh*t.
Bullcr*p. I would rather see "Temple Of Doom" anyday over "Crystal Skull". The 4th is dogsh*t.
i didn't realize it was originally announced as a 6 disc set with 2 discs of extras, very interesting. it seems the only thing missing from the Crystal Skull set is the 90min documentary. they bothered to put pretty much everything else, wonder why they decided to change all that. now i have to keep my copy of Crystal Skull.......well ok i would have anyway since i got the steelbook but you know. 
at least they included pretty much everything from the dvd collection's bonus disc. i totally expected most of that to be omitted after the lackluster extras on the Star Wars set. but yeah simply including disc 2 of the Crystal Skull set as well would have been a great idea. i guess that'll be for the double dip down the line...or the eventual 3D releases. lol

at least they included pretty much everything from the dvd collection's bonus disc. i totally expected most of that to be omitted after the lackluster extras on the Star Wars set. but yeah simply including disc 2 of the Crystal Skull set as well would have been a great idea. i guess that'll be for the double dip down the line...or the eventual 3D releases. lol
I still can't understand all the hate on Indy 4. It's DAMN better than Indy 2.
Yes, I did know that.
Of course you are aware that 'Last Crusade' is the first PG-13 movie in the set for the simple reason that, when the first two movies were released theatrically, PG-13 didn't exist yet. Right? :-)
As for this Blu-ray set, I'll wait for a price drop (as I did with the Lord of the Rings Extended Trilogy). I don't have a need to upgrade all my DVDs to Blu-ray on day 1.
As for this Blu-ray set, I'll wait for a price drop (as I did with the Lord of the Rings Extended Trilogy). I don't have a need to upgrade all my DVDs to Blu-ray on day 1.
I love this franchise, but I really wish the 4th had never been made.


Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13
Disc Details
Release Date:
18th September 2012
Discs:
5
Disc Type:
Blu-ray Disc
RCE:
No
Video:
1080p
Aspect:
2.35:1
Anamorphic:
No
Colour:
Yes
Audio:
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Spanish and Portuguese, Dolby Digital 2.0 English and Portuguese
Subtitles:
English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese
Extras:
On Set with Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Making of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Making of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Making of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Behind the Scenes Featurettes, Trailers
Easter Egg:
No
Feature Details
Director:
Steven Spielberg
Cast:
Harrison Ford,
Genre:
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror and Thriller
Length:
481 minutes
Ratings
Amazon.com
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