Customer Reviews

Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Chapter 17 - Masks of Evil [VHS]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In a significant way, the two hours of this episode could not be more mismatched. Hour one is a film noir exploration of the paranoia associated with a life of espionage. Hour two takes a decidedly more phantasmagoric tack, resulting in scenes of no small terror.

In Hour One, Indy is a spy in Turkey, trying at once to get married and complete a mission for the French Secret Service. It is easily the best-directed hour of the entire series. The lighting, pulled focuses, and intriguing camera movements all evoke the bittersweet emotion the plot would have us feel.

But it's hardly an original plot. It's "From Russia With Love" meets "The Maltese Falcon" meets "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". Fortunately, these are all very good films, so the trip is one we're more than willing to take.

Hour two is perhaps more questionable in this regard. It's a fantastic journey through the dark side of Romanian mythology, and while appropriately creepy for a Haloween party, it marks a significant departure from the traditional themes of Indy plots that some parents may wish to shield their younger children from. I wouldn't call the violence "needless", as other reviewers have, but it is graphic. It is, in short, classic gothic, and it's done very well.

All in all, then, this is an episode well worth your time, but, along with "Trenches of Hell" and "Temple of Doom", it's one of the few Indiana Jones episodes inappropriate for young children.

This adventure is truly amazing and is as good as any of the three movies. It is filled with espionage, with spies chasing each other through the streets of 1919 Turkey, a love story between Indy and a girl who becomes his fiance for only a short time, and ends with a climactic battle against Vlad the Impaler (aka Dracula). This film is filled with intrigue, mystery and great action at the same time. The horror of Vlad's castle is conveyed very well. This is probably my favorite of all the indy adventures, including the movies.

All I have to say is that these Young Indy movies are great. One thing that you have to remember though when you watch them is that they are the "Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" that aired on ABC in the early 90's. ABC canceled the show because the ratings were low because people tuned in to see all of the action and adventure that they had in the Three original movies and a lot of peple don't know that about these videos. The only thing that is missing is that when the show was aired, they started off different with an on old man who was Indiana Jones at like 85 years old and he would tell the story for the one hour show. The reason that some of these videos that last two hours where the first hour is totally different than the second is because they were two different episodes when the show was aired. I kind of like it that way. You get two Indy episodes for the price of one. I think that is cool. These videos are really well made and the special effects and actors they have are really good as compared to other T.V. actors and the places they used to shoot the shows are beautiful. I rate all of the videos five stars. I promise if you look at it as a made for T.V. Series you would watch every Sunday night you will love these videos.

I have no clue why so many of you reviewers think this movie is so bad! This is my second favorite Young Indy! (Phantom Train of Doom is my first favorite). The first half of the movie is a fantastic spy story, and after Indy completes his mission, he is sent to Transylvania to find some missing soldiers in the war. He finds much more than missing soldiers, though! He comes face to face with he absolutely terrifying Vlad the Impaler and barely escapes alive!
This is a great movie and the Transylvania part freaks me out, but I love it at the same time. Since this movie is so scary, I don't recommend it for very little children. But for ages... oh, let's say...12 and older it's okay.
So forget about this being a bad Young Indy. This one is very, very cool.

While the YIJ series takes some liberties with history, these movies are a great way to learn about the crucial events of the turn of the century. Some even seem to be more of a thinking-person's adventure, which is quite a departure from the swash-buckling Indiana Jones movies.

Too bad this series is so under-rated! I only wish Lucas would produce more! I don't understand why real-quality shows like this don't ever seem to last longer on the networks. Guess it needs to be on Discovery, the History Channel, or TLC.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is the worst episode of "Young Indiana Jones" in the series. The last twenty minutes is the worst segment of vampire video that I have ever seen.
It starts reasonably enough with Indiana posing as a Swedish journalist operating in the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. Since Sweden is neutral, it is a reasonable cover. Indiana is the leader of a group of Allied operatives whose goal is to try to convince Mustafa Kemal, later known as Ataturk, to take power in Turkey and make a separate peace with the Allies. However, there is a traitor in their group and Indiana must determine who it is before the mission is compromised. He is also deeply in love with an American woman and proposes to her with the wedding to take place after the war.
While the traitor is finally discovered, the mission is a complete failure and Indiana is recalled to Italy where he is given a new assignment. He is to be part of a team that will infiltrate into Transylvania and determine what happened to a group of Allied POW's that were "freed" from an Austrian prison camp. Three agents had previously been sent in and the only response has been a box containing a finger, an eye and an ear, one from each agent.
Indiana and a British agent go to Transylvania and there they make contact with three other undercover operatives. At this point, the story completely falls apart, the combination of macabre and supernatural events are poorly done and turn an adventure into a farce. I found it so bad that I had to stop it and watch the rest on another day.

The first half of this story is one of my favorite of the Young Indy stories: a beautiful romance, a truly frightening, spy story and Instanbul is a shadowy, creepy background.

The Dracula story of the second half is ironically not as scary as the first half; an OK vampire story.

Part one of this exciting episode finds Young Indy as a spy in World War I Istanbul. Then he's off to Transylvania to meet the immortal Vlad the Impaler. Normally skeptical Indy is shocked and baffled by what he finds. This is the only Young Indy episode to portray the supernatural, somewhat reminiscent of The Temple of Doom in its gore. A good episode to watch on Halloween. Note: the Transylvania part of this episode was never previously aired on television in the USA.

Okay, so the first half is isn't as involving without seeing it in context to the rest of the show, but the second half....Very cool. Good effects, great atmoshpere a couple of good "Igotchas" and a unique take on vampires.

Yes, I thought this was a great episode. Action packed, scary and fun. However I have one question for all the "moms" out there who were so shocked and surprised by how dark and scary this episode was when they showed it to their little kiddies... DID YOU EVEN BOTHER TO LOOK AT THE BOX FIRST?!?!?

I mean honestly, people, it says on the box... "Evil of a more enduring kind awaits him in Transylvania where he engages in mortal combat with bloodthirsty Vlad the Impaler and his horrific army of the living dead."

What did you THINK the episode was going to be about??? Maybe you should spend less time airing your opinions to the world regarding the obvious and spend more time reading reviews about what you show your children before you show it to them. DOH!

Besides, (and mind you, I'm not into the occult myself, but then, I realise this is just a TV show) if watching shows that deal with the occult bothers you so much, why would you let your children watch Indiana Jones to begin with??? Lets see, there were the faces that melted off in Raiders, there was the priest of Mola Rom who pulled peoples hearts out in Temple of Doom, not to mention all three movies centered on sick, twisted, anti-Semetic Nazis!!!

That aside, this is a very fun episode for fans of the series. This is what I wish most of the episodes were like. Would I recommend this episode to MOST other fans - heck yes. Would I recommend it to little, sheltered 10 year-olds who have nightmares from watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory... no!