The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Two - The War Years (1992)

Young Indiana Jones Volume Two

I got caught up in the hype for Indy 4, so I brought these dvds when they were on special. I put on disc 1 and pretty much turned it off after 10 - 15 mins. I didnt like it. I had never seen the series before and it just wasnt what I was expecting. June 15, 2008

adventure movie

IT IS A VERY ENTRETAINING MOVIE, WE LIKE TO WATCH IT WITH ALL THE FAMILY, SOME OF THEM ARE INTERESTING AND THE KIDS LEARNED HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY. June 15, 2008

Don't see why many miss the George Hall bookends - this re-edited series is amazing!

Why four out of five stars? Simply put, I paid a lot of money - these are pricey! (Definitely angry at the fact that the price dropped about $20 a week after I finally got around buying these...). All this aside, I absolutely love this series - I'm a huge Indy fan. Although some say the packaging is cheap (I disagree - really it's not that bad - any of you own the Sex and the City DVDs - that's cheap). There's 8 episodes (all about 2 hours long), loads of bonus features - for those history buffs -, plus an interactive 9th disk with the time line and game. I know many fans of the original are disappointed because of the new editing - they try to follow a more chronological order of Indy's life (which means that the beginning of some episodes with Corey Carrier have been completely revamped) and more notably the missing original entrance theme with the George Hall (old Indy) bookends. Honestly, I think the editing is great. Besides, I always fast forward the George Hall part (do your really think Indy would have turned out like him anyways?). Overall, (to wrap things up) this was a great buy and I'm very happy with my DVDs! Love the show! May 18, 2008

better Than Vol. 1

The second in a three volume set of the Adventures of Young Indiana Jones has been released and Paramount is certainly wasting no time in getting these out in anticipation of the new Indiana Jones film. The second volume features 8 full length episodes over 9 discs, with the last disc being an interactive bonus disc. Once again the set is packed with historical documentaries, some two-dozen, that relate to the themes of the episodes.

Those who might be looking for an Indiana Jones lite may be surprised to know that there is little mention of archaeology or treasure hunting in these episodes. In fact, the set might me subtitled "The War Years" as these adventures are set against the backdrop of World War I. Each full length episode runs approximately 90 minutes. Some are two connected episodes from the TV show while others were shot as full length features. We follow Indy's exploits first as a corporal in the Belgian army and later as an agent for the French Secret Service.

The opening movie, "Trenches of Hell" deals with the horrors of war as Indy is on the front lines, joined by his friend Remy (Ronny Coutteure). His unit is assigned to take a chateau occupied by the Germans. While not gory, the battle scenes are quite intense. Soldiers are shot, blown up, gassed, and burned alive with flame throwers. These are massive and very well-framed scenes, especially for a TV show. Indy is eventually captured and sent to a prison that is supposed to be escape-proof. There he meets Charles De Gaulle, then a captain, and they plot their escape.

In "Demons of Deception" Indy is now a runner for the French army. Several top generals argue over an attack which will be a disaster if it goes on as planned. Later, Indy is on leave in Paris and has an affair with exotic dancer and suspected spy, Mata Hari.

One of the best features is "Phantom Train of Doom." Indy and Remy have been sent to Africa but get lost when they board the wrong train. They stumble upon an odd company of soldiers, all older men from different nations who have banded together under a British General. Indy is sort of shangheid into helping them locate a phantom train which the Germans are using to move a gigantic piece of artillery. He then helps them try to capture a genius Germany general who has evaded them for years.

Another terrific episode is "Attack of the Hawkman." Here Indy is assigned a reconnaissance position as an aerial photographer. His assignment is to last only two weeks but he's disheartened to learn that none of the previous photographers have lasted more than eight days before being killed. Indy will also encounter one of the most well-known figures of World War I, Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the infamous Red Baron.

In "Adventures in the Secret Service" Indy is escorting two brothers into Austria. Their sister is married to the Austrian Emperor and they want to negotiate peace terms to remove Germany's biggest ally. Getting in was the easy part, getting out of Austria to neutral Switzerland will be the hard part. Christopher Lee Guest stars.

George Lucas and the writers did a fantastic job in shaping young Indy into the man we know from the films, and they did so often subtly. For example, in "Phantom Train of Doom", one of the aged officers chastises Indy because young people always wants a plan and the officer explains he's "making it up as he goes along." This would become one of Harrison Ford's more famous lines from the film. And of course, this set goes a long way to developing Indy's hatred for Nazi's and what they stood for. While he may not be tomb-robbing, Young Indy is still at his two-fisted, adventurous best. Sean Patrick Flannery is really underrated for his performance as Young Indy.

One of the great benefits of these sets is the historical documentaries. While I'm a bit of a World War II buff, I learned more about World War I through the documentaries and episodes than I ever learned in school. April 25, 2008

highly entertaining

Not only are these episodes entertaining but they are also educational. Much thought was put into the special features to satisfy the curiousity the shows spark. April 22, 2008

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