Blu-ray Review: The 4K INDIANA JONES Box Set will Melt Your Face
Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), the adventurous archeologist and my favorite Nazi puncher of all time, is back in a gorgeous 4K Blu-ray set with a ridiculous amount of extras fit for a legend.
As they're filming the fifth version right now, I wonder, though, if this set will be upgraded with that film down the line, whether sooner or later. Still, it's a privilege to have this set to review.
I probably don't have to repeat the plots of all four films, and there's been an on-and-off debate about which film in the series is best, so argue among yourselves; I'll be here simply enjoying the films.
I do have to say that Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is incredible. Where else can you enjoy incredible character actors and stunts, a fast-paced story, an awesome female (yessssssss, Karen Allen) lead as strong as the starring male --- plus see NAZI FACES MELT and explode?
Then again, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom has a special place in my heart because it's dark as Hell and I saw it in the theatre way too young. And there's so much amazing adventure in that, and all the village kids are saved in the end.
Of course, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is also incredible for the twists, action, another awesome female co-star in Alison Doody as Elsa and the incomparable Sean Connery and River Phoenix (RIP to both).
Then there's the 2008 installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which had mixed reviews when it came out; notably that the public didn't want to accept that Indy had a run-in with aliens and also suddenly had a kid and probably successor in the form of Mutt (Shia LaBeouf).
However, I'm willing to bet that upon a revisit, lots of viewers will warm up to this one. It's still got lots of amazing action and the production design is absolutely INSANE.
The Cold War rears its ugly head in this film, and we've got Russians instead of Nazis as the villains, with the incredible Cate Blanchett as Irina leading the pack. The sequence in which Indy escapes from the atomic bomb test still gives me chills.
For the most part, picture across all four films holds up quite well. There were only a few instances in Raiders that were minor annoyances, such as some crushed blacks in the opening jungle sequence, some graininess in the map transitions, a little flickering later on. Temple of Doom looked fantastic, especially those intense, underground "Hell" scenes. Sound across the four films is excellent.
The set includes a booklet with behind-the-scenes images from all four films. Each film is presented on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc with original theatrical trailers and access to digital copies. The set also includes a Blu-ray with seven insane hours of previously released bonus features:
• On Set with Raiders of the Lost Ark
• From Jungle to Desert
◦ From Adventure to Legend
• Making of the Films
◦ The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981 documentary)
◦ 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 (HD)
• Behind the Scenes
◦ The Stunts of Indiana Jones
◦ The Sound of Indiana Jones
◦ The Music of Indiana Jones
◦ The Light and Magic of Indiana Jones
◦ Raiders: The Melting Face!
◦ Indiana Jones and the Creepy Crawlies (with optional pop-ups)
◦ Travel with Indiana Jones: Locations (with optional pop-ups)
◦ Indy’s Women: The American Film Institute Tribute
◦ Indy’s Friends and Enemies
◦ Iconic Props (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)
◦ The Effects of Indy (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)
◦ Adventures in Post Production (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)
I LOVED watching these legacy featurettes; some of them are very funny with Spielberg and Ford goofing around, and it's always wondrous to see how they filmed some of those jaw-dropping stunts.
If you love action/adventure films, are a Spielberg fan, or both, you need this set in your home. You can find this awesome 4K box set pretty much anywhere, but if you'd like more specific links, head to Paramount's page for the set here.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Director(s)
- Steven Spielberg
Writer(s)
- Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay by)
- George Lucas (story by)
- Philip Kaufman (story by)
Cast
- Harrison Ford
- Karen Allen
- Paul Freeman
- Ronald Lacey
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Director(s)
- Steven Spielberg
Writer(s)
- Willard Huyck
- Gloria Katz
- George Lucas
Cast
- Harrison Ford
- Kate Capshaw
- Ke Huy Quan
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Director(s)
- Steven Spielberg
Writer(s)
- Jeffrey Boam (screenplay)
- George Lucas (story)
- Menno Meyjes (story)
- George Lucas (characters)
- Philip Kaufman (characters)
Cast
- Harrison Ford
- Sean Connery
- Denholm Elliott
- Alison Doody
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Director(s)
- Steven Spielberg
Writer(s)
- David Koepp (screenplay)
- George Lucas (story)
- Jeff Nathanson (story)
- George Lucas (characters)
- Philip Kaufman (characters)
Cast
- Harrison Ford
- Cate Blanchett
- Karen Allen
- Shia LaBeouf
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