Fun with archeology

Bob Grimm After a long wait, Indiana Jones, cinema’s all time greatest archeologist, comes to DVD in great form. Released in a box set containing all three films, fans old and new get a chance to see the films all at once, as I did one recent Sunday afternoon. Upon revisiting the films, I discovered newfound respect for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the darkest film of the trilogy. I also realized that the final chapter, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, was much sillier than I remembered. Raiders of the Lost Ark remains the best of the three, the movie that made Harrison Ford a star and producer George Lucas ridiculously rich. Steven Spielberg, director of all three films, got a chance to show both his dark and fun sides with this series, which looks to continue soon with a fourth Indiana Jones film starring a 60-plus Ford. If they can get Sean Connery on hand to play dad again, another chapter could be a hoot. It’s nice to see these films again in the fashion that they were intended, rather than cut up on television. One of the better releases of the year.

Special Features: The movies come in a four-disc package, including one dedicated to special features that include making-of documentaries for each of the films and features on stunts, music and special effects. The documentaries are original to this package, and include behind the scenes footage and the infamous screen test done by Tom Selleck, the original choice for Indiana Jones. The special features, which also include trailers and exclusive access to a DVD Web site, had me wishing for more, but that’s a good thing.

Movies:
Raiders of the Lost Ark: A
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: A-
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: B+
Special Features: A-