Amazon.co.uk Review
As with George Lucas's other movie franchise, there's a vein of mysticism running through the
Indiana Jones Trilogy. Watching all three back-to-back it's possible to unravel the chronology and chart the spiritual journey of our hero: the idealistic Young Indy ("It belongs in a museum", implores River Phoenix in the opening escapade of
The Last Crusade) grows up to become a cynical fortune-hunter seen trading archaeological treasures with Chinese gangsters at club "Obi-Wan" in
The Temple of Doom. From there we follow his path to redemption via three mystical religious objects: respectively Hindu (the Shankara stones in
Temple of Doom), Jewish (the Ark of the Covenant in
Raiders Of The Lost Ark), and Christian (the Holy Grail itself in
Last Crusade).
But that's just the subtext. Along the way, this knight-errant archaeologist undertakes improbable adventures (featuring spiders, snakes, rats, insects and Nazis galore), rescues damsels in distress (even when they really don't want to be rescued, such as Kate Capshaw in
Temple of Doom), and still finds time to bond with his dad (Sean Connery, in one of cinema's great cameo roles as Dr Jones Sr.).
Steven Spielberg revels in Lucas's recreation of 1930s cliff-hanger serials, infusing every scene with kinetic energy and infectious enthusiasm and creating any number of iconic sequences that have become touchstones of cinematic history. Director and producer are more than ably assisted by regular composer John Williams, whose swashbuckling Korngold-inspired "Raiders" theme casts Harrison Ford as a modern-day Errol Flynn. This trilogy plays like a self-contained whole that leaves nothing wanting: from the witty dialogue and breathtaking action choreography to the near-perfect casting, this is popular movie-making at its very peak.
--Mark Walker
DVD Description
Special Features: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Raiders of the Lost Ark: 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 villains 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 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: 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 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: An Introduction by Steven Spielberg & George Lucas The Women: The American Film Institute TributeThe 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
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