Rating: 
Summary: Long Live Freedom Of Choice
Review: I have a 4:3 (Fullscreen) TV and for this reason am DELIGHTED to be able to buy Indiana Jones in a fullscreen version from Region 1. In Europe, there is no freedom of choice, and unbelievably concerning a film as important as this,the only version available is a widescreen version which is no good on a 4:3 TV screen as the black bars are enormous. To avoid this, you have to zoom in on the image and then lose picture sharpness and gain pixellisation. Many people in Europe have 4:3 TV's and I just cannot understand why a full screen version is not proposed, like in the US. I can understand people with 16:9 TV's liking the Widescreen version but I own a great many dvd's some of which are forcibly in wide screen version and each time, the pleasure of watching is cut in half compared with a full screen dvd. Also, the US version contains subtitles and languages in just the three languages I speak : English French Spanish. The same freedom of choice is not available in the various European Versions. You'd have to buy the same disc from three different countries to get this choice of subtitles and languages. Bravo ! Paramount USA !
Rating: 
Summary: Finally!
Review: Since the advent of the DVD format, no films (with the possible exception of the Star Wars Trilogy) have been more widely anticipated than the Indiana Jones movies. Now, at last, they are here, and for the most part they live up to expectations. All too often, DVD releases, and in particular those from films released before DVD's, have a sterile, over processed quality to them, but these films have maintained their freshness and sense of adventure in fine style.There's no point in rehashing the plot here, given that these are three of the most popular movies ever made, I rather doubt there's anything I could add to the discussion. Instead, I'm going to limit myself to the technical aspects of the release, and the extras. First off is the picture is spectacular; I'm sure compared to the original releases it is excellent, but when compared to the fullscreen television versions we're used to seeing it is breathtaking. The movie literally looks like it was shot yesterday, as the colors leap off the screen. The resolution is superb on my regular DVD player, what it would look like on a progressive scan player, I can only imagine. The sound is equally outstanding; as anyone who has seen these movies knows, sound effects and score are essential to the success of these films. Both are superbly rendered in 5.1 surround, such that every punch, gunshot and whip crack has never sounded better. Likewise, John Williams' award winning scores all sound fantastic. Then there are the extras. First off, I have seen statements at various locations on the internet that deleted scenes are part of the set. This is simply not true, each movie is presented exactly as it was released in the theaters, and the fourth, bonus disc does not contain any deleted scenes. This is somewhat disappointing, as I have to assume there are ample scenes which didn't make the films. While I wouldn't advocate modifying the originals, deleted scenes are always fun to watch as a separate feature. What the bonus disc does contain are documentaries detailing the conceptualization, casting and filming of each of the three episodes. In addition, there are several short features covering sound, special effects, etc. There are aspects of these documentaries that I really enjoyed, particularly the evolution of each episode from concept to script; Spielburg's and Lucas' insight into the creative process was well presented and interesting. However, these features would have been better had they discussed some of what was abandoned as the story evolved; some of the most insightful commentary from directors often comes from what is left behind, as it casts light on what makes it onto film. Finally, the original theatrical trailers are included; more than anything, they are amusing, as they seem downright primitive when compared to the extravaganzas we see at the theaters today. To sum up: fans of these movies are going to buy them regardless of what I say, but you can rest assured that you are getting your money's worth. While I think the extras could have offered a bit more, what made it on to the discs is interesting in its own right. Moreover, the presentation of the films, which is what really matters, is second to none. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the picture and sound on these movies is as good as any I have ever encountered. Enjoy! Jake Mohlman
Rating:
Summary: Just Plain Classic
Review: These are some of the best action/adventure movies ever made. Harrison Ford plays Indy perfectly. His character is just plain awesome. These three movies are perfect. Plus you get a whole DVD of special features! If you want a great action/adventure movie, don't get anything else. Buy this box set...you and your DVD palyer will be very happy.
Rating:
Summary: The ultimate definition of action-adventure film-making
Review: It was only a matter of time when the Indiana Jones movies were going to be released on DVD. These films are quality movie-making and now get the benefits that go along with DVD releases, such as superior video and audio output.
This DVD set should be part of every home video library that values great entertainment. PS: Some retail stores (such as Best Buy and others) are selling the DVD set with a promotional 5th disc, containing a 10-minute "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" featurette. This promotion is similar to the 10-minute "USS Defiant" promotional disc Paramount released with its "Deep Space Nine - Season 3" DVD set earlier this year. Check it out!
Rating: 
Summary: No Care Taken in Clean-up and Mix
Review: Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of my top ten movies (were talking Ten Commandments and Ben Hur here). But the attention to detail and cleanup was very low on this DVD. In fact, the Laserdisk versions seems to be better. Here is what I found in viewing Raiders last night. Opening scene, when Indy enters the cave, the frame shifts. Did anyone at LucasFilm even see this? This is easily fixed in the studio, how did these pros miss this!? When talking to the feds in the university chapel, there is a two to three frame jump cut. Hello? This too is easy to fix, and I caught it after one viewing. We are talking basic quality control here. Who restored this film, high schoolers? Someone else mentioned this, and I want to second it. The 5.1 mix is very poorly done. I had to crank my center channel to hear the dialog. When Marion slugs Indy, I barely even heard it. The mixer was going for realism, but the original mix was for a melodramatic, "serial" effect. This from the creators of THX and Skywalker Sound? There were several scenes where dirt was on the camera lense protection glass. How hard is it to eliminate those large, out-of-focus blotches? I would have liked to have seen a little computer magic done in other places as well. A couple examples would be removing the reflection of the cobra in the glass that protected Harrison and Karen in the Well of Souls. The other would be eliminating the push-rod that flips the truck in Cairo. A few reviewers mention scenes or audio that is cut. I did not see any of these cuts on the Widescreen version. What I saw was the entire movie that I remember seeing in 1981. Dear LucasFilm, please provide (not in a collector set!) a SuperBit version of Raiders of the Lost Ark with DTS. Remix according to a film print and find people who can detect even the most BASIC flaws or errors. Let's hope the original Star Wars trilogy is treated with a little more detail and care.
Rating:
Summary: Three Great Films look and sound better than ever
Review: I'm not sure what all these folks complaining about horrible transfers and sound quality and such have been watching, because my widescreen set looks and sounds fantastic. Thinking maybe I was biased for having waited so long for these movies -- all of which I love -- I checked out reviews on two or three DVD/home theater fanatic sites -- the kind where the critics obsess over color saturation and screen ratios and discrete front and surround channel sountrack levels and such. Well, they seemed duly impressed with these DVDs, too -- though one did point out a minor imperfection visible in "three frames" of "The Last Crusade." Oh my. In other words, to quote a line in the last movie, "trust no one" who says these look and sound horrible. Seriously -- love or hate Lucas/Spielberg, do you really think they'd let these films slip out onto DVD looking and sounding rushed and lazy after all this time?
One more note: Lucas/Spielberg have done no "re-editing" of these films a-la E.T. and Star Wars; someone noted that "Temple of Doom" was cut to change the rating from PG 13 to PG. Nope. Doom was ALWAYS PG; "PG 13" was a rating introduced AFTER the film. "Last Crusade" -- easily the most family friendly of all three Indy movies -- was rated PG 13, and it still is.
Rating:
Summary: Questionable Video Transer & Noticable Cut
Review: I'm not going to review the films because let's face it...it's Indiana Jones we're talking about. The DVD's, however seem to have a few flaws. They seem rushed a bit (anyone remember the problem with Paramount's Back To The Future Set the first time it came out?). First of all, all three films seem too dark from what I remember them to be. They also have a yellowish hue throughout the entire film. Most annoying is that Marion's scream when she sees the snake coming out of the skeleton's mouth in the Well of Souls is missing. In the DVD version, she sees it and goes to scream, then Indy grabs her and pulls her out, in what appears to be a very poor edit. The original version had a VERY loud scream that was probably dubbed (George, Steven-which one of you guys is responsible for cutting this out?). Temple of Doom was the first film EVER to be rated PG-13 (they wanted to give it an R, but Spielberg convinced them to create the PG-13 Rating). The DVD version is PG (?). Is something cut out of that film as well?
Rating:
Summary: Great Movies - Good DVDs
Review: A review of the movies is a waste of space. For the fan of the Indiana Jones series, the long awaited DVD set is here. Unfortunately, the DVD is not quite as good as the movies themselves. Somewhere in the process, the music score levels were pushed up while the dialog dropped. Be prepared to either turn up your center speaker, or turn down the others. Otherwise, you will need to rely on the subtitles to know the dialog.
Rating:
Summary: Genius of the Lucas-Speilberg Collaboration is Back!
Review: Why they bother to make a Full Screen DVD edition of The Indiana Jones Trilogy is beyond me. It is understood, that some TV's are too small to watch films in widescreen, but to see these films restored to their original theatrical format since they premiered a decade or two ago, was exhilarating. Being that I'm in my younger years, I never saw these films on the silver screen, so much of the film that I have come to know as Indiana Jones was missing. Not anymore! DVD is so much better than VHS, and the quality of the remastered film is captured frame-by-frame in this exciting edidtion. I have anticipated this release for a long time, and have seen all of the four DVD's in this set. The sound was astonishing, to say the least, and to hear it in real dolby surround was wonderful. Remember the wonderful sound effects and music that has always been a great part of the Indy adventure? Then you can't miss this release! The crisply remastered audio, from the crickets in the jungles, the "fortune cookie" insects, to the rumble of the "steel beast", can't be beat. The films look as though they were just filmed this year. That is how good they look! The music of John Williams is still as delightful as ever, and the great portrayal of the archeological hero by Harrison Ford comes to life on these DVD's. In this set, the special features are actually interesting, and the commentaries by Lucas, Speilberg, and others are greatly educational peices on how the films came to be the classics they are today. This set is a must have! Few releases this year will be bigger, or more anticipated, than the Indiana Jones Trilogy "The Adventures of Indiana Jones". Watch for the first installment to a new trilogy in 2005!
Rating:
Summary: Terrific fun
Review: My wife and I never saw these films in the theater, and we regret that, but we spent the weekend just past watching all three of them plus the bonus materials. And we had a terrific time! The series started as a kind of homage to the old Saturday matinee serials, but these are far better than they ever were. They don't "cheat" getting Indy out of trouble, whereas one of the serials would push a hero off a cliff one week and the next week you'd find out that it wasn't really a cliff. We agree with Stephen Spielberg (in the bonus material) that "The Last Crusade" is the best of the three, but "Raiders" is a lot of uninhibited fun. The squeamish should approach "Temple of Doom" warily, and we rank it third for being a bit too far over the top in its violence. The bonus material is good, but there could have been more. The only disappointment came in the music featurette: John Williams has a presentation he does with film clips in concerts to show how a score gets matched to a film in the recording studio. It uses young Indy's escape with the Coronado Cross and would have been perfect for inclusion to demonstrate concretely how Williams accomplishes at least part of his work. This is, however, a minor letdown. The three films are an over-all outstanding achievement by everyone, and we're looking forward to a fourth film if that becomes possible.
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