Indiana Jones: raiders of the lOst Ark

The man with the hat is back!  And this time in 4K.  Complete with a sparkling new HDR-10 and Dolby Vision 4K transfer with state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos for the best sound quality possible, Paramount offers fans of Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones a 4-movie Steelbook collection, with awesome packaging in a white box for them to go GAGA over.

"invites audiences to experience one exciting cliffhanger after another when you discover adventure with the one and only Indiana Jones!"


And why not?  The collection is housed in a sturdy white box with new art adorning all sides.  The movies - echoing the white packaging - are slick and offer a visual counterbalance to the previously released black-cased 4K offerings.  It might be completely unnecessary, but it looks HEROIC.

These movies are, simply put, timeless in their offering of thrills and spills.  Based on an idea from George Lucas who took inspiration from the swashbuckling 1940s/1950s era of Hollywood and directed by Steven Spielberg, the character of Indiana Jones was made perfect by Harrison Ford’s performance of the loveable hero who finds himself in over his head when it comes to snakes and ancient artifacts.  The four movies housed inside this collection include Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom from 1984, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade from 1991, and the much-maligned Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull from 2008.

In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy and his ex-flame Marion Ravenwood stare down nazis and snakes in their incredible worldwide quest for the mystical Ark of the Covenant.  It’s the movie which, released in 1981 and largely shot on location in Africa, the starting point for Indy’s classic adventures remains the best one as Indy (Harrison Ford) and his feisty ex-flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) dodge booby-traps, fight Nazis ans stare down snakes in their incredible worldwide quest for the mystical Ark of the Covenant. 

In Indiana Jones and Temple of Doom, the team of Lucas and Spielberg once again bring you non-stop thrills and excitement like nothing you’ve ever experienced as Indy, his sidekick Short Round (Everything Everywhere All At Once’s Ke Huy Quan) and nightclub singer Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) go from high-flying action above the Himalayas to a nail-biting runaway mine car chase and finally a spine-tingling escape from a fortress-like mine in India. Hang on tight as the world’s ultimate action hero takes you on a heart-pumping roller-coaster ride of adventure that’s guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.Indiana Jones: raiders of the lOst Ark

In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Spielberg and Lucas invite audiences to keep up with the Joneses.  There’s nothing more exciting!   Indy’s enemies are back and have kidnapped his father, Professor Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), to get help in their search for the Holy Grail. Following a trail from America to Venice to the deserts of the Middle East, it’s up to Indy (Harrison Ford) to save his father, save the Grail and save the day in this non-stop, action-packed adventure the whole family will treasure.

In Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, fans meet Indy’s son, Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), as they team up to outrace a brilliant and beautiful agent (Cate Blanchett) for the mystical, all-powerful crystal skull of Akator. Reuniting with his spirited original love Marion (Karen Allen), Indy takes you on an action-packed adventure that only aliens would venture into!  Yeah, yeah, so it isn’t near the fun of the original three, BUT Crystal Skull does have its moments, even if there’s way too much CGI and not enough on location moments to make it completely gel with the others.

With the final Ford-helmed Indiana Jones movie on the wings, Paramount - once again - invites audiences to experience one exciting cliffhanger after another when you discover adventure with the one and only Indiana Jones!

5/5 stars

Indiana Jones: raiders of the lOst Ark

4k details divider

SteelBook / 4K Ultra HD + Digital

Home Video Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Available on Blu-ray
- June 8, 2021
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles
: English, English SDH, French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Russian, Swedish, Thai
Audio:

Discs: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray DiscFive-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free playback

From legendary filmmakers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, comes one of the greatest movie franchises of all time in 4K Ultra HD. Collected together, all four original Indiana Jones movies have been visually remastered with HDR-10 and Dolby Vision, and state of the art Dolby Atmos for optimum picture and sound quality. Dive into the spectacular stunts and groundbreaking effects with seven hours of special features on one disc. Spanning the globe, on death-defying archeological endeavors, if adventure has a name… it must be Indiana Jones.

Video:

This, like Jaws (courtesy of Paramount instead of Universal) is an immaculate and honest restoration. I say honest because nothing reeks of modern proclivities encroaching on this classic film. What you get is a flawlessly detailed print, grain intact, and as a result, at this 2160p/DOLBY Vision presentation is as detailed and immersive as you have ever seen Raiders. The depth of color leaves the previous blu ray in the dust. From the opening, the darks of the jungle and the temple are ink black and colors pop off the screen.

Especially impressive is the fertility idol, noticeably blazing off your display with rich and nuanced golds (the HDR working particularly well in this scene). They haven’t reinvented the wheel here. There are almost imperceptible shots that are a touch on the soft side, and the optical effects stand out more so at this resolution, but this is completely faithful to the source, organic even, and the finest the film has ever looked.  For Temple of Doom, there is a great portion of the film being set at night. Or in a subterranean temple, blacks and detail loss were a large pitfall to conquer. Conquer they did! BLAZINGLY amazing restoration! Grain is intact and at this resolution brings with it details and intricacy never before seen.

Pay particular attention to lower lit scenes: the depth and complexity of color leaves the previous offering in the dust. The DOLBY Vision HDR also brings richness and depth to the picture never seen before, from Indy and Willie’s white costumes at the start to the rich reds in the thuggee’s temple. The film’s 2160 scan is blemish free, even in compositing shots, and is the best the film has ever looked. The Last Crusade transfer is a filmic and faithful 2160 scan of the original camera, making it three for three in Paramount’s flawless restoration. There are no signs of DNR, and the detail is off the chart. It’s truly like looking at the film with a microscope, such is the detail and refinement of Douglas Slocombe’s camera work.

As with the previous two, the transfer handles the darkest locations to the blazing desert vistas effortlessly. The rich colors from the prologue pop of the screen, the skin tones, the costumes, everything looks as good as it ever has. And, with Crystal Skull, while it may be the least favored Indy movie, it cleans up the winner trophy for 4K transfer. Made nearly two decades later, the film stock used was superior to the first three and it shows at this resolution. The picture looks flawless, organic and breathtaking. HDR from the DOLBY Vision obliterates the flatter presentation of the blu-ray to provide and immersive dimensional picture that is a feast for the eyes. Paramount has knocked this set out of the park.

Audio

The 7.1 DOLBY Atmos mixes on these movies are also another massive upgrade over the previous releases. With new overhead channels mixed in, a robust soundscape awaits your ears. Again, the start of the film wastes no time in showing you the difference aurally as well as visually. When Indy escapes the boulder, you get a thunderous immersion that I haven’t experienced since seeing it in cinemas. 

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • None

Special Features:

 

4k rating divider

  Movie 5/5 stars
  Video  5/5 stars
  Audio 5/5 stars
  Extras 3/5 stars

Composite Blu-ray Grade

4.5/5 stars

 

Art

Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection 4K Ultra HD + Digital Limited Steelbook Edition