Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

 Special Editions
I am a fan of the movies but was sorely disappointed when the DVD's came out a few years ago. While watching the movies, especially Raiders, I found there were quite a few instances where the recorded background music was drowning out the dialog. I'm hoping that this special edition DVD will correct that. As for special features, I'm all for that but like the numerous Star Wars DVD and VHS sets over the years, I don't like shelling out money every time they feel the need to add 30 seconds of "extras". I feel if they are serious about getting this right, then take your time and do it right. May 13, 2008

 New Raiders Special Collector's Edition due out May 13th, 2008! Great movie, good DVD
The details of new DVD editions of the three classic classic Indiana Jones movies with all-new special features have been announced. They'll be available separately for the first time on DVD, or as a set. They were previously only available on DVD as a set.

The new releases will coincide with the new movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which comes out on May 22nd. They'll have new special features designed to introduce new Indy fans to the old movies, and to introduce old fans to the new movie.

The Indiana Jones movies are George Lucas's recreation/update of the serialized adventures of the 1930s and '40s. The first three were made in the '80s and set in the '30s. They feature Harrison Ford as a mild-mannered archeology professor who moonlights as an adventurous seeker of priceless antiquities. This takes him to exotic locations across the world, and gets him in some very tight spots of the kind that only a movie hero could get into, or out of. He invariably finds himself opposed by dangerous men with evil plans for the powerful objects only he has the skills to recover. There are elaborate set pieces with creepy critters, ancient traps, fights with weapons from bare hands to airplanes and tanks, and sometimes supernatural forces. Along the way Jones manages to have some romance too.

Raiders was the first in the series. In 1936, having barely survived an unsuccessful attempt to find (OK) and bring home (whoops!) an ancient idol from Peru, Indiana Jones is recruited in a race against the Nazis to recover the Ark of the Covenant (yes, the one mentioned in the Bible, but with lots of added mythology), which is reputed to have the power to make an army invincible. The ark is located in the Well of Souls somewhere in Egypt; the key to the exact location is a medallion located, naturally, in a seedy lodge/bar in Nepal, in the possession of Indy's ex-lover. All kinds of sparks fly, literal and metaphorical, as the pair, joined by another confederate in Egypt, use their knowledge of ancient myth and sheer bravado to work right under the noses of the Nazis to find the ark and remove it to safety. Almost. There are several reversals along the way, close escapes, a huge near-finale, and icky stuff--spiders and, especially, snakes, thousands of them, of which Indy unfortunately has a bit of a phobia.

Some of the more memorable moments are tinged with humor, if not outright hilarity. Indy's reactions make the snakes as amusing as they are scary. We see how to fight an expert swordsman, if you're in a hurry. The way the Nazis got a copy of (half) the medallion is painfully funny. The fate of the ark is a wry comment on Washington bureaucracy.

Raiders was an instant classic. I'm sure there are people who don't like it, but I've never met any. It's fine for most kids (PG violence and mild sexuality), and it's plenty smart enough for all but the most snooty adults.

The original title is just Raiders of the Lost Ark, which is preserved in the movie itself. The longer title makes it easier to market as part of the franchise.

If you just want Raiders and don't want to wait until May, you could get a used copy of the old Raiders DVD (people sell them out of the sets). The difference is in the extra features. The bonuses from the old set are on their own disc, so what you get when you buy just the old Raiders DVD is pretty bare. The new release, on the other hand, has the following, all new:

-- "Raiders of the Lost Ark: An Introduction" by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas

-- "Indiana Jones: An Appreciation," in which the cast and crew of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull pay tribute to the original trilogy

-- "The Melting Face," a recreation of the famous effect from the climactic scene that certainly left an impression on me (was new then), with Spielberg and Lucas on the evolution of visual effects and CGI

-- storyboards for "The Well of Souls" sequence

-- DVD galleries of illustrations, props, production stills and portraits, FX/Industrial Light and Magic stuff, and promotion/marketing materials

-- "Lego Indiana Jones," a demo and trailer for a game based on the trilogy

If you like a few extras, you'll probably like this new DVD, though maybe not enough to upgrade from the old one, or to wait until May. I like audio commentaries, myself, and since they're easy to produce and tend to bring out points not covered in other features, I subtract one star for a special edition without any, but I look forward to the rest. If you don't care about commentaries, this may be a five-star DVD for you.

There have been rumors of deleted scenes, but none are included.

Some will want to wait for a high-def release, which may make sense if you have the equipment or plan to get it. Many speculate that a Blu-ray release will come out for Christmas, but that's guesswork.

There's also some speculation that an edition with all four movies will be released for Christmas. They may bundle the four together, but I doubt that there will be a better edition of this movie soon, if ever, on standard DVD. Keep in mind that the previous set came out over four years ago, and if not for the new movie, that would probably be the only release during the decade of standard DVD. The next upgrade may be high-def only, and may not happen for a while.

If you do want the whole trilogy (highly recommended), the new set is here, the old set is here. If you want to pick up one of the others from the new set, the new edition of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is here, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade here.

I was in college when Raiders came out. There was great anticipation because of the people associated with it, after the great success of Star Wars. A bunch of us went to the old full-size theater downtown to see the premiere, waited outside for hours. We weren't disappointed. It was a wild, gripping ride from beginning to end, lots of excitement, good characters, clever moments for comic relief, and romance. More memorable than some entire semesters! March 8, 2008

 I, for one, am pleased
But only because I will finally be able to buy Raiders without getting the other two movies. I have never been able to enjoy Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade drives me nuts with the way they changed Marcus Brody into a moron and turned Salah into a racist caricature, not to mention the horrid CGI. The only bone I have to pick is the fact that they changed the title: it's called "Raiders of the Lost Ark," not "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark." Friggen' Lucas. March 6, 2008

 The Money Maker strikes again
Like my predecessor in his review,i just have to say that George Lucas always mess around with DVDs,Special Edition,Exclusive Special Edition,Original Cut,and Limited Editions.One thing is clear his Cash Cow Indy Jones will always work on Dvd but this Editions are for nothing.The original release is awesome the Specials ok,so why put them away and buy another disc.It's a shame that real fans will consider to buy the new editions,but they shall be warned,it's a waste of money. March 6, 2008

 Who Knew All You Could do with a Bull Whip
Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) doesn't just teach about archeology. When the right opportunity comes up, he goes in search of the lost ancient treasures of the world. And he specializes in the supernatural and occult.

That's why he gets approached by the US government to go in search of the ancient Ark of the Covenant. They have received intelligence that the Nazis have located its probably burial place. And, while we aren't at war with them yet (it is 1936), we don't want that power to fall into their hands.

And so, Jones is off to Egypt to beat them to the ark. But first, he has to stop in Nepal to get a needed item from Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), his ex-girlfriend and the daughter of his mentor. When the Nazis show up at the same time, Marion decides to go with Jones.

But the danger has just begun. Can Indiana Jones find the ark before the Nazis? If so, can he steal it away under their very noses?

This is a wonderful pop corn flick. It's got lots of action to keep everyone on the edge of their seats. Yet the story is decent and holds together well. And the characters, brought to life by great acting, are more then the cardboard cut outs you normally associate with the genre. The special effects at times to betray the movie's age, but they are minor.

What surprises me more is the film's rating. While originally rated PG, I think it belongs in the PG-13 category. Some of those images are rather gruesome and the violence can get graphic. Of course, back when this film was releases, PG-13 wasn't an option. Still, parents will definitely want to preview this movie before they let their kids see it.

This movie has many imitators, and some of them are very fun. But it's hard to top the original if you are looking for a great action flick. October 19, 2007

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