Product Details

• Actors: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw
• Directors: Steven Spielberg
• Writers: George Lucas, Gloria Katz, Jeffrey Boam, Lawrence Kasdan, Menno Meyjes
• Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: May 13, 2008
• Run Time: 359 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0014Z4ONE
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,620 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #8 in	Movies & TV > Action & Adventure > Series & Sequels > Indiana Jones
  #17 in	Movies & TV > Action & Adventure > Action Stars > Harrison Ford
  #18 in	Movies & TV > Action & Adventure > Action Directors > Steven Spielberg

• For more information about "Indiana Jones - The Adventure Collection (Special Editions of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark / Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom / Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The trailer that begins each of the three DVDs is indication enough that the release of Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection, a boxed set of the original trilogy of blockbuster adventure films concocted by director Steven Spielberg and executive producer-story writer George Lucas, was timed to coincide with the May 2008 theatrical release of the long-awaited fourth installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Whether that’s a crass marketing ploy or simply good business is hardly the point, because considering the quality of the movies (in a word, they’re good), the affordable price, and especially the raft of new special features accompanying the set, there’s enough here to make this an appealing purchase for those who don’t already own them and a tempting one for those who do.

The first of the three films, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), is also the best, a certified classic loaded with non-stop action, grand spectacle, a hero for the ages (played by Harrison Ford), a beautiful love interest, humor, horror, and a potent storyline that brings together a profound religious-archaeological icon (the Ark of the Covenant, nothing less than "a radio for speaking to God") and the 20th century’s most infamous villains (the Nazis). Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), the second entry, is generally considered the weakest of the lot--certainly it is the most dark and disturbing--but it’s still very entertaining, while The Last Crusade (1989) is closer to Raiders in many respects, with fine acting contributions from River Phoenix (as the teenage Indy) and Sean Connery (as Indy’s father), a strong James Bond-type feel, and the return of the Nazis, who this time are competing for another antiquity of incalculable value and significance (the Holy Grail). Although the collection is missing the extra bonus disc (with a two-hour "making of" documentary) that accompanied the 2003 DVD issue of the films, all three discs include new and insightful introductions by Spielberg and Lucas; there are also storyboards from various scenes and photo galleries on each disc. Among the best of the other features are "The Creepy Crawlies" (about the thousands of snakes, bugs, rats and other scary critters that populate the trilogy), "Travels with Indy" (a look at some of the exotic locations where the movies were filmed), "Indy’s Women" (a candid discussion with leading ladies Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw, and Alison Doody), and a behind-the-scenes detailing of the "melting face" effect seen in Raiders' thrilling ark-opening scene. --Sam Graham

Product Description

Includes:Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark: Special EditionIndiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom: Special EditionIndiana Jones And The Last Crusade: Special EditionThe Raiders Of The Lost ArkArcheologist and university professor Indiana Jones must retrieve the mythic Lost Ark of the Covenant before the it gets into the hands of Adolf Hitler who plans on using its power to guarantee his global conquest.The Temple Of DoomIndiana Jones finds himself on a new adventure trekking across Asia with a gold-digging woman and a young child to rescue a village's missing children and find a magic stone. But along the way he must contend with an evil cult.The Last CrusadeRenowned archeologist and expert in the occult Dr. Indiana Jones returns for the 3rd and final Indy film. Teaming up with his father Indiana sets out to try and find the Holy Grail. Once again the Nazis are after the same prize and try to foil Indiana's plans.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS UPC: 097361370743 Manufacturer No: 137074

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

161 of 167 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bonus Material described. Not worth buying again, but still a very good set., May 5, 2008

By	Paul J. Mular (San Carlos, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I am giving this ***** because the DVD set itself is very good, it is loaded with bonus material. And it should be rated for what it is, ignoring any previous DVD releases.

That said, I would not suggest spending more money to get this set. The bonus material could bore you. I prefer interviews & documentaries produced at the time the films were made. The labeling on the box is designed to deceive by stating "Includes All 3 Films, First Time Available - Special Editions". Like there was no special edition before.

Oh, the slim cases are nice, but I like the original brown box more.

I will group the "12 All-New, Must-See Special Features" (their wording, not mine)by catagory.

1) New Introductions to the films by Steven Speilberg & George Lucas.

STORYBOARDS, unless something differs greatly from the film, I have trouble sitting through these:
2) Snakes Alive! The Well Of Souls. - From Lost Ark
3) Hold On To Your Hat! The Coal Mine Chase. - From Temple of Doom.
4) The Birth Of the Action Hero! The Last Crusade Opening Scene.

MEMORIES, modern interviews with those who worked on the films back then. These are always a little jaded for me.
5) The Indy Trilogy, A Crystal Clear Appreciation. - The cast & crew of the new movie talk about how well they like the original three.
6) Indy's Women Reminisce. - a reunion of Indy's main women.
7) Indy's Friends & Enemies. - Steve, George, & the writers discuss character creation, including a look at the new movie.
8) Creepy Crawlies. - Steve George & Frank Marshall remenisce about snakes, bugs & rats.

BEHIND THE SCENES, new documentaries about the making of the originals:
9) The Mystery Of The Melting Face. - a re-creation of the original special effect in "Ark".
10) Discover Adventure On Location with Indy. - A slightly misleading title as this is also a modern day travel around the world, showing where the films were originally shot.
11) Photo Galleries from each film.

And then there is:
12) LEGO Indiana Jones.- promotional demo games.

Again, this makes a very good DVD release, but nothing worth replacing your older set for. I prefer the original box set extras, especially the bonus 4th disc some stores sold that contained an original 1980's documentary about the films!

112 of 119 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars For Diehard Fans Only, May 10, 2008

By	Cubist (United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Being a big fan of the Indiana Jones films I find myself conflicted about this new box set. While it's no surprise that the studio decided to re-release the films to coincide with the release of the new Indy film, they have royally screwed over fans by including a new collection of extras thereby forcing them to buy the films over again if they want them. So, is it worth it? Short answer: no. Nothing is going to beat The Adventures of Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark/ Temple of Doom/ Last Crusade) - Widescreen Edition's two-hour making of documentary and many of these new extras are nothing more than left over bits from it.

On the Raiders of the Lost Ark disc there is an "Introduction" that features Lucas and Spielberg talking about the genesis of the film. Spielberg wanted to do a globe-trotting James Bond-type story and Lucas introduced the idea of an archaeologist. They both agreed that they wanted to pay homage to the old 1930s cliffhanger sequels.

"Indiana Jones: An Appreciation" was done on the set of the new Indy film as Lucas, Spielberg, Harrison Ford, and Karen Allen reflect on the character and the trilogy - its impact on them and popular culture. Cast and crew from the new film also give their impressions and everyone recounts their favourite scene from the trilogy.

"The Melting Face" takes a look at how they pulled off the climactic scene when the Ark is opened and Toht's face melts. The effects artists who did it take us through the process and there is vintage footage of it being done.

"Storyboard: The Well of the Souls" shows illustrations from this sequence with footage from the film to show how close the two match.

There are "Galleries" that feature character sketches, props, behind-the-scenes photographs taken on the set, effects shots, like Matte paintings, and models used, various designs for the film's logo, and finally, posters from all over the world.

The Temple of Doom disc features an "Introduction" by Lucas and Spielberg. The director says that he had always wanted to make a trilogy of films and Lucas wanted this one to be darker and edgier, like The Empire Strikes Back (1980). They admit that Temple of Doom got terrible reviews but at least Spielberg met his wife on that one - Kate Capshaw.

"The Creepy Crawlies" examines how each film has some creepy element to it: Raiders with snakes, Temple of Doom with bugs, and the Last Crusade with rats. There are segments from each film are shown with a trivia track option.

"Travel with Indy: Locations" examines the various exotic locales seen throughout the films. We see how Hawaii doubled for South America and so on. This featurette can also be viewed with an optional trivia track. Associate producer Robert Watts takes us through key locations while dishing production anecdotes.

"Storyboards: The Mine Car Chase" allows you to view the illustrations for this sequence along with the actual scene from the film.

The "Galleries" section is identical to the one on the Raiders disc only pertaining to Temple of Doom.

The Last Crusade disc starts off with yet another "Introduction" where Spielberg admits that he wasn't crazy about the idea of the Holy Grail and suggested using it as a metaphor for the father-son relationship between Indy and his father. Lucas and Spielberg talk about the casting of Sean Connery and what he brought to the role.

Easily the most entertaining and engaging extra of the entire set is "Indy's Women: The American Film Institute Tribute" reunites the leading ladies from each film: Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw and Alison Doody. They talk about their characters and working with Spielberg. They all look great and speak candidly about their experiences. In particular, Capshaw and Doody talk about the reaction to their characters.

"Indy's Friends and Enemies" takes a look at the sidekicks, love interests, and villains in the trilogy. Spielberg speaks admiringly of the leading ladies and the strengths of each character. This featurette also explores the role sidekicks and villains play in the film with plenty of clips.

"Storyboards: The Opening Sequence" shows the sketches for the film's exciting opening action sequence with a young Indy (Phoenix) alongside the actual scene in the film.

Finally, the "Galleries" features a nice collection of snapshots from various aspects of the film like the galleries on the other discs.

The extras on these discs are well done and interesting to watch but do not warrant you double-dipping unless you are a hardcore fan that MUST have everything. If this is the first time buying the Indy films and you don't know which set to get, purchase the first one because each film does not share disc space with extras and for the two-hour making of documentary which is superior to all of the extras on this new set combined.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Transfers for a Classic Trilogy, June 1, 2008

By	P. G. Keller "Packerfan75" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just finished watching this set and I can honestly say that I was blown away by the picture quality for all 3 films.

There's not much you can say about these movies that hasn't been said before. They're beloved and classic adventure films that many other movies (Mummy,Tomb Raider,etc.) have tried to copy but never could. In all honesty though, I must say that I really only prefer Raiders and Temple of Doom. Last Crusade comes off as goofy and lightweight compared to it's predecessors. But even Crusade looks a little better now compared to the new and atrocious Crystal Skull, or Numb Skull as I like to call it. But I won't get started on how laughably bad that one is as I won't be able to stop. I'll save that for it's own dvd review. Raiders is still the best though and provides all the classic moments, characters, and action that make Indiana Jones so great.

I used to watch these movies alot on vhs when I was younger but I never got the last set on dvd. I also hadn't seen them, except on t.v., for quite a while. I took advantage of a sale for this newly released box set and I just can't get over how good they look. I watched them using an upconverting dvd player via HDMI to my HDTV and they almost look like they could be HD DVD's or Blu Ray's. They colors are robust, the edges are sharp, details pop, and the transfers are very clean. I usually inspect movies from a tech point of view as I'm kind of a audio and videophile and none of the transfers ever came across as dirty or grainy. There are maybe few instances when you may see a spec or spot but you have to look for them. I wish all remasters got this kind of treatment.

I listened to them on my home theater and each movie sounded better than the last. Given the fact that they were originally mono 2.0 tracks, I think they did a very good job converting them to 5.1. Raiders came across the weakest of the bunch as Temple and Crusade feature much fuller, bass filled tracks. But considering it's age, it was still pretty good.

I've read that the DD 5.1 tacks are the same from the last box set but that the video is superior here. Some of the extras are different from the sets too. They've added a couple of new ones here but removed alot of the documentary style ones from the last set as it had a separate disc to contain them. They didn't have the room to include them here but I'm wondering why they didn't just add the extras disc from the last set to complete it.

Overall, this is simply a no-brainer must have for any fan of the series. If you already have the last set, you may just be happy to keep it, especially if you like extras. If you don't have either set, you'll select one based on where your priorities are. Either video quality or extras seem to be the only differences. Personally, I'd rather have better audio and video, but that's just me. I don't think you can go wrong no matter which you choose and you'll be happy either way. Recommended.