Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures (Raiders of the Lost Ark / Temple of Doom / Last Crusade / Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) [Blu-ray]

Description

Own all four Indiana Jones adventures in this Blu ray
collection. This collection includes: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the
Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last
Crusade, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Raiders of
the Lost Ark Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is no ordinary archeologist. When
we first see him, he is somewhere in the Peruvian jungle in 1936, running a
booby trapped gauntlet (complete with an over sized rolling boulder) to fetch
a solid gold idol. He loses this artifact to his chief rival, a French
archeologist named Belloq (Paul Freeman), who then prepares to kill our hero.
In the first of many serial like escapes, Indy eludes Belloq by hopping into a
convenient plane. So, then: is Indiana Jones afraid of anything? Yes, snakes.
The next time we see Jones, he’s a soft spoken, bespectacled professor. He is
then summoned from his ivy covered environs by Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott)
to find the long lost Ark of the Covenant. The Nazis, it seems, are already
searching for the Ark, which the mystical minded Hitler hopes to use to make
his stormtroopers invincible. But to find the Ark, Indy must first secure a
medallion kept under the protection of Indy’s old friend Abner Ravenwood,
whose daughter, Marion (Karen Allen), evidently has a “history” with Jones.
Whatever their personal differences, Indy and Marion become partners in one
action packed adventure after another, ranging from wandering the snake pits
of the Well of Souls to surviving the pyrotechnic unearthing of the sacred
Ark. A joint project of Hollywood prodigies George Lucas and Steven Spielberg,
with a script co written by Lawrence Kasdan and Philip Kaufman, among others,
Raiders of the Lost Ark is not so much a movie as a 115 minute thrill ride.
Costing 22 million dollars (nearly three times the original estimate), Raiders
of the Lost Ark reaped 200 million dollars during its first run. It was
followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1985) and Indiana Jones and
the Last Crusade (1989), as well as a short lived TV series “prequel.” Temple
of Doom The second of the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg Indiana Jones epics is
set a year or so before the events in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1984). After a
brief brouhaha involving a precious vial and a wild ride down a raging
Himalyan river, Indy (Harrison Ford) gets down to the problem at hand:
retrieving a precious gem and several kidnapped young boys on behalf of a
remote East Indian village. His companions this time around include a
dimbulbed, easily frightened nightclub chanteuse (Kate Capshaw), and a feisty
12 year old kid named Short Round (Quan Ke Huy). Throughout, the plot takes
second place to the thrills, which include a harrowing rollercoaster ride in
an abandoned mineshaft and Indy’s rescue of the heroine from a ritual
sacrifice. There are also a couple of cute references to Raiders of the Lost
Ark, notably a funny variation of Indy’s shooting of the Sherpa warrior. Last
Crusade The third installment in the widely beloved Spielberg/Lucas Indiana
Jones saga begins with an introduction to a younger Indy (played by the late
River Phoenix), who, through a fast paced prologue, gives the audience insight
into the roots of his taste for adventure, fear of snakes, and dogged
determination to take historical artifacts out of the hands of bad guys and
into the museums in which they belong. A grown up Indy (Harrison Ford) reveals
himself shortly afterward in a familiar classroom scene, teaching archeology
to a disproportionate number of starry eyed female college students in 1938.
Once again, however, Mr. Jones is drawn away from his day job after an art
collector (Julian Glover) approaches him with a proposition to find the much
sought after Holy Grail. Circumstances reveal that there was another avid
archeologist in search of the famed cup — Indiana Jones’ father, Dr. Henry
Jones (Sean Connery) — who had recently disappeared during his efforts. The
junior and senior members of the Jones family find themselves in a series of
tough situations in locales ranging from Venice to the most treacherous spots
in the Middle East. Complicating the situation further is the presence of Elsa
(Alison Doody), a beautiful and intelligent woman with one fatal flaw: she’s
an undercover Nazi agent. The search for the grail is a dangerous quest, and
its discovery may prove fatal to those who seek it for personal gain. Indiana
Jones and the Last Crusade earned a then record breaking $50 million in its
first week of release. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Steven Spielberg and
George Lucas bring you the greatest adventurer of all time in “a nonstop
thrill ride” (Richard Corliss, TIME) that’s packed with “sensational, awe
inspiring spectacles” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times). Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull finds Indy (Harrison Ford) trying to outrace a
brilliant and beautiful agent (Cate Blanchett) for the mystical, all powerful
Crystal Skull of Akator. Teaming up with a rebellious young biker (Shia
LaBeouf) and his spirited original love Marion (Karen Allen), Indy takes you
on a breathtaking action packed adventure in the exciting tradition of the
classic Indiana Jones movies! Raiders of the Lost Ark It’s said
that the original is the greatest, and there can be no more vivid proof than
Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first and indisputably best of the initial three
Indiana Jones adventures cooked up by the dream team of Steven Spielberg and
George Lucas. Expectations were high for this 1981 collaboration between the
two men, who essentially invented the box office blockbuster with ‘70s efforts
like Jaws and Star Wars, and Spielberg (who directed) and Lucas (who co-wrote
the story and executive produced) didn’t disappoint. This wildly entertaining
film has it all: non-stop action, exotic locations, grand spectacle, a hero
for the ages, despicable villains, a beautiful love interest, humor, horror…
not to mention lots of snakes. And along with all the bits that are so
familiar by now–Indy (Harrison Ford) running from the giant boulder in a
cave, using his pistol instead of his trusty whip to take out a scimitar-
wielding bad guy, facing off with a hissing cobra, and on and on–there’s real
resonance in 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 criminals (the Nazis).
Now that’s entertainment. –Sam Graham Temple of Doom It’s hard to imagine
that a film with worldwide box office receipts topping $300 million worldwide
could be labeled a disappointment, but some moviegoers considered Indiana
Jones and the Temple of Doom, the second installment in Steven Spielberg and
George Lucas’ 1980s adventure trilogy, to be just that. That doesn’t mean it’s
a bad effort; any collaboration between these two cinema giants (Spielberg
directed, while Lucas provided the story and was executive producer) is bound
to have more than its share of terrific moments, and Temple of Doom is no
exception. But in exchanging the very real threat of Nazi Germany for the
cartoonish Thuggee cult, it loses some of the heft of its predecessor (Raiders
of the Lost Ark); on the other hand, it’s also the darkest and most disturbing
of the three films, what with multiple scenes of children enslaved, a heart
pulled out of a man’s chest, and the immolation of a sacrificial victim, which
makes it less fun than either Raiders or The Last Crusade, notwithstanding a
couple of riotous chase scenes and impressively grand sets. Many fans were
also less than thrilled with the new love interest, a spoiled, querulous
nightclub singer portrayed by Kate Capshaw, but a cute kid sidekick (“Short
Round,” played by Ke Huy Quan) and, of course, the ever-reliable Harrison Ford
as the cynical-but-swashbuckling hero more than make up for that character’s
shortcomings. A six-minute introduction by Lucas and Spielberg is the prime
special feature, with both men candidly addressing the film’s good and bad
points (Lucas points out that the second Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes
Back, was also the darkest of the original three; as for Spielberg, the fact
that the leading lady would soon become his wife was the best part of the
whole trip). Also good are “The Creepy Crawlies,” a mini-doc about the
thousands of snakes, bugs, rats and other scary critters that populate the
trilogy, and “Travels with Indy,” a look at some of the films’ cool locations.
Storyboards and a photo gallery are included as well. –Sam GrahamLast
CrusadeNot as good as the first one, but better than the second. That’s been
the consensus opinion regarding Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the final
installment in Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ original adventure trilogy,
throughout the nearly two decades since its 1989 theatrical release. It’s a
fair assessment. After the relatively dark and disturbing Temple of Doom
(1984), The Last Crusade (1989) recalls the sheer fun of Raiders of the Lost
Ark (1981). With its variety of colorful locations, multiple chase scenes (the
opening sequence on a circus train, with River Phoenix as the young Indy, is
one of the best of the series, as is the boat chase through the canals of
Venice), and cloak-and-dagger vibe, it’s the closest in tone to a James Bond
outing, which director Spielberg has noted was the inspiration for the trilogy
in the first place; what’s more, it harkens back to Raiders in its choice of
villains (i.e., the Nazis–Indy even comes face to face with Hitler at a rally
in Berlin) and its quest for an antiquity of incalculable value and
significance (the Holy Grail, the chalice said to have been the receptacle of
Christ’s blood as he hung on the cross). Add to that the presence of Sean
Connery, playing Indy’s father and having a field day opposite Harrison Ford,
and you’ve got a most welcome return to form.Special features include a six-
minute introduction by Spielberg and Lucas, who discuss the grail as a
metaphor for bringing Indy and his estranged father together and agree that
Crusade is the funniest of the three films; “Indy’s Women,” an American Film
Institute tribute with leading ladies Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw, and Alison
Doody each discussing her character (Capshaw candidly describes Temple of
Doom’s Willie Scott as “whiny, petulant, and annoying”); “Indy’s Friends and
Enemies,” a look at the films’ various villains and sidekicks; plus
storyboards and photo galleries. –Sam GrahamKingdom of the Crystal
SkullNearly 20 years after riding his last Crusade, Harrison Ford makes a
welcome return as archaeologist/relic hunter Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones
and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, an action-packed fourth installment
that’s, in a nutshell, less memorable than the first three but great nostalgia
for fans of the series. Producer George Lucas and screenwriter David Koepp
(War of the Worlds) set the film during the cold war, as the Soviets–
replacing Nazis as Indy’s villains of choice and led by a sword-wielding Cate
Blanchett with black bob and sunglasses–are in pursuit of a crystal skull,
which has mystical powers related to a city of gold. After escaping from them
in a spectacular opening action sequence, Indy is coerced to head to Peru at
the behest of a young greaser (Shia LaBeouf) whose friend–and Indy’s
colleague–Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has been captured for his knowledge of
the skull’s whereabouts. Whatever secrets the skull holds are tertiary; its
reveal is the weakest part of the movie, as the CGI effects that inevitably
accompany it feel jarring next to the boulder-rolling world of Indy audiences
knew and loved. There’s plenty of comedy, delightful stunts–ants play a
deadly role here–and the return of Raiders love interest Karen Allen as
Marion Ravenwood, once shrill but now softened, giving her ex-love bemused
glances and eye-rolls as he huffs his way to save the day. Which brings us to
Ford: bullwhip still in hand, he’s a little creakier, a lot grayer, but still
twice the action hero of anyone in film today. With all the anticipation and
hype leading up to the film’s release, perhaps no reunion is sweeter than that
of Ford with the role that fits him as snugly as that fedora hat. –Ellen A.
Kim

Features:

Product Details:

• Genre: Action, Adventure
• Format: Dolby, AC-3, NTSC, Box set, Blu-ray, Dubbed, Widescreen, Subtitled, DTS Surround Sound
• Contributor: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Philip Stone, John Rhys-Davies, Paul Freeman, Roshan Seth, Denholm Elliott, Jonathan Ke Quan, Julian Glover, Ronald Lacey, Karen Allen, Alison Doody, Amrish Puri, Sean Connery See more
• Language: English
• Runtime: 8 hours and 1 minute
• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.40:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 0.01 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Dolby, AC-3, NTSC, Box set, Blu-ray, Dubbed, Widescreen, Subtitled, DTS Surround Sound
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 8 hours and 1 minute
• Release date ‏ : ‎ September 18, 2012
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Julian Glover, Harrison Ford, John Rhys-Davies, Alison Doody, Kate Capshaw
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French, Spanish, Portuguese