The Adventures of Indiana Jones: The Complete Movie Collection
December 2003 Reviewed by: Anthony Di Marco Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Every man wants to be Indiana Jones and every woman wants to date him. The appeal of this globetrotting archeologist is that he is both a handsome, self-assured male and a sharp, witty intellectual, who in many ways is no different than James Bond. But you won’t find Indy drinking martinis or wooing women. Indiana Jones is not interested in money or power, but adventure and knowledge. Like all heroes, he has a strong sense of what is right and wrong, but prefers sidestepping conflict if the situation allows. Don’t mistake him for a mamma’s boy. He may wear glasses and get turned on by ancient relics, but he is a man’s man who carries a big whip and is as tough as nails.

Indiana first started his journey in 1981. Donning a trademark fedora and emerging from the shadows, Harrison Ford was a natural for the part. The same smart-aleck charisma that made Han Solo so likeable not only afforded credibility to Jones’s far-fetched storylines, but also gave audiences another great character to root for. Exotic locales, menacing villains, and supernatural forces combined to create a character of almost mythic proportions, yet one who is also quite human. From the opening scene in Raiders to The Last Crusade’s final ride into the sunset, the filmmaker’s affection for Saturday-morning serials and classic Westerns is obvious. Then again, we are talking about a character and story developed by, among others, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg -- filmmakers known for their obsession with mythology, the supernatural, and human nature.

Even after two decades, Raiders of the Lost Ark deserves its "classic" status. In the spirit of entertainment, this film pulls out all the stops. There is no deep thinking, no pretentious ideals, just pure fun as Indy matches wits with Nazis and an evil colleague named Belloq. As they race to find the remains of the Ark of the Covenant, Spielberg wastes no time building the mythology of the Indiana Jones character or placing him in elaborately conceived peril. John Williams’ rousing and memorable score adds menace and whimsy to the proceedings. The opening sequence in the sanctum of the gold idol is all about the plot device of double jeopardy. All it takes is a moment of miscalculation and a handful of sand to get the ball rolling. Still, as the number of obstacles Indy must overcome builds to comic-book-like insanity, nothing in this film feels overindulgent. Poisonous darts, boulders, barroom brawls, tainted figs, snakes, large German men, and a maelstrom of ghastly demons propel an adventure that doesn’t slow down.

But slow down the series did.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the first sequel, proved a huge disappointment. After an exciting and promising start, with some not-so-subtle references to Casablanca, the adventure loses steam and gains an annoying heroine and a too-cute-for-his-own-good sidekick named Short Round. But a poor cast is only part of the problem. Where Raiders felt quick and free of fat, Temple of Doom sank under the weight of an undeveloped script. The story, which involves an ancient religious sect and three life-giving stones, is not only too convenient in its plotting but also painfully dull. What annoyed me most was the lack of continuity between Raiders and Temple of Doom. The writers try to establish Indy as a weathered explorer through the dying words of David Yip (as Wu Han), but there is no sense of history. Consequently, there is a feeling of detachment between the audience and the character. Temple of Doom contains none of the ingenuity of Raiders and has more than its share of poorly executed gross-out scenes and special effects. Even the typically reliable John Williams produces a central theme that sounds less than inspired.

But for the third installment in the series, Spielberg, Lucas, and crew came back with fresh new ideas and a brilliant piece of casting. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade may not have the classic feel of Raiders, but it certainly looks like an adventure in which Indy would partake. This time Sean Connery comes along for the ride, as Indy’s father, and the chemistry between the two could not be better. Amid Nazis, Panzer Tanks, and calls that are a little too close for comfort, the elder Jones still has time to quote King Charlemagne and criticize his son’s choices in life. The magic of Raiders returns with some deliciously complex and memorable cliffhangers and an ending that eclipses the first film's in some ways. I actually found myself enjoying The Last Crusade more than Raiders because the characters seem to be having more fun. A subplot involving the father and son’s involvement with a woman contributes more than its share of laugh-out-loud moments; while another scene aboard an airship proves why Harrison Ford is the success he is today. His comic timing is as good if not better than his dramatic instincts as he beats a Nazi blue and quips "no ticket."

Many felt that it took far too long for this trilogy to be released on DVD. But if waiting an extra year contributed to the quality of this set, then so be it! From the high-quality packaging to the extra disc of behind-the-scenes documentaries, this collection is a winner. All three films went through meticulous restoration, and it shows. The DVD production team did an outstanding job of capturing Douglas Slocombe’s beautiful cinematography. Elements like fire and shadow give each image a very deep three-dimensional quality that pulled me right in. The beautifully dense black level on each film lends a solid foundation to colors that are clean and rich. Scenes like the barroom fight in Raiders and the opening nightclub sequence in Temple of Doom wowed me with their superb clarity and wonderfully saturated colors. And while I could complain about some MPEG noise and subtle color smearing in Temple of Doom, that would be a severe nitpick. This is reference-quality video.

Contrary to initial reports, none of the films contains a DTS track, but you would never know it. The Dolby Digital encoding is marvelously open and dynamic. Everything from the music to the dialogue sounds like it was just recorded yesterday. And the surround channels are judiciously used throughout each film. Like the picture, the production team obviously spared no expense making this set's sound as close to reference quality as technology would allow.

If you’re anxious to hear Spielberg offer his insight on the trilogy then you’ll have to be satisfied with both his image and voice. Typical to all of Spielberg’s films there is no discrete director’s commentary, deleted scenes, or shameless marketing plugs. What the viewer gets are solid documentaries that talk about the stunts, sound effects, music, and visual effects. In addition, a spanking-new "making of" documentary goes back over the films in retrospect. This may not be an exhaustive set of extras, but it certainly does a satisfactory job at connecting the viewer with the talent and what it took to make each film.

When I first heard that Paramount would only be offering all three films in one collection I questioned the marketing choice. But after experiencing the attention and pride that went into restoring each film, I completely agree. The fact that Paramount sprung for high-quality packaging and kept the price reasonable shows how respectful they are of this series. Even if you think Temple of Doom should be boiled in oil, this trilogy is a must to own. It is simply one of the best collections of films I have seen in terms of overall quality and attention to detail. When it comes to contemporary entertainment with timeless appeal, few heroes approach the style and imagination of Indiana Jones.

Let’s all hope that the recently announced upcoming installment retains the same magic.

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