Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #250 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-11-10
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Number of discs: 5
• Running time: 461 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Reviews
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

It’s said that the original is the greatest, and there can be no more vivid proof than Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first and indisputably best of the initial three Indiana Jones adventures cooked up by the dream team of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Expectations were high for this 1981 collaboration between the two men, who essentially invented the box office blockbuster with ‘70s efforts like Jaws and Star Wars, and Spielberg (who directed) and Lucas (who co-wrote the story and executive produced) didn’t disappoint. This wildly entertaining film has it all: non-stop action, exotic locations, grand spectacle, a hero for the ages, despicable villains, a beautiful love interest, humour, horror… not to mention lots of snakes. And along with all the bits that are so familiar by now--Indy (Harrison Ford) running from the giant boulder in a cave, using his pistol instead of his trusty whip to take out a scimitar-wielding bad guy, facing off with a hissing cobra, and on and on--there’s real resonance in a potent storyline that brings together a profound religious-archaeological icon (the Ark of the Covenant, nothing less than "a radio for speaking to God") and the 20th century’s most infamous criminals (the Nazis). Now that’s entertainment. --Sam Graham

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

It’s hard to imagine that a film with worldwide box office receipts topping US$300 million worldwide could be labeled a disappointment, but some moviegoers considered Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the second installment in Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ 1980s adventure trilogy, to be just that. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad effort; any collaboration between these two cinema giants (Spielberg directed, while Lucas provided the story and was executive producer) is bound to have more than its share of terrific moments, and Temple of Doom is no exception. But in exchanging the very real threat of Nazi Germany for the cartoonish Thuggee cult, it loses some of the heft of its predecessor (Raiders of the Lost Ark); on the other hand, it’s also the darkest and most disturbing of the three films, what with multiple scenes of children enslaved, a heart pulled out of a man’s chest, and the immolation of a sacrificial victim, which makes it less fun than either Raiders or The Last Crusade, notwithstanding a couple of riotous chase scenes and impressively grand sets. Many fans were also less than thrilled with the new love interest, a spoiled, querulous nightclub singer portrayed by Kate Capshaw, but a cute kid sidekick ("Short Round," played by Ke Huy Quan) and, of course, the ever-reliable Harrison Ford as the cynical-but-swashbuckling hero more than make up for that character’s shortcomings. --Sam Graham

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

The third episode in Steven Spielberg's rousing Indiana Jones saga, this film recaptures the best elements of Raiders of the Lost Ark while exploring new territory with wonderfully satisfying results. Indy is back battling the Nazis, who have launched an expedition to uncover the whereabouts of the Holy Grail. And it's not just Indy this time--his father (played with great acerbic wit by Sean Connery, the perfect choice) is also involved in the hunt. Spielberg excels at the kind of extended action sequences that top themselves with virtually every frame; the best one here involves Indy trying to stop a Nazi tank from the outside while his father is being held within. For good measure, Spielberg reveals (among other things) how Indy got his hat, the scar on his chin, and his nickname (in a prologue that features River Phoenix as the young Indiana). --Marshall Fine

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Nearly 20 years after riding his last Crusade, Harrison Ford makes a welcome return as archaeologist/relic hunter Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, an action-packed fourth installment that's, in a nutshell, less memorable than the first three but great nostalgia for fans of the series. Producer George Lucas and screenwriter David Koepp (War of the Worlds) set the film during the cold war, as the Soviets--replacing Nazis as Indy's villains of choice and led by a sword-wielding Cate Blanchett with black bob and sunglasses--are in pursuit of a crystal skull, which has mystical powers related to a city of gold. After escaping from them in a spectacular opening action sequence, Indy is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young greaser (Shia LaBeouf) whose friend--and Indy's colleague--Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has been captured for his knowledge of the skull's whereabouts. Whatever secrets the skull holds are tertiary; its reveal is the weakest part of the movie, as the CGI effects that inevitably accompany it feel jarring next to the boulder-rolling world of Indy audiences knew and loved. There's plenty of comedy, delightful stunts--ants play a deadly role here--and the return of Raiders love interest Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, once shrill but now softened, giving her ex-love bemused glances and eye-rolls as he huffs his way to save the day. Which brings us to Ford: bullwhip still in hand, he's a little creakier, a lot grayer, but still twice the action hero of anyone in film today. With all the anticipation and hype leading up to the film's release, perhaps no reunion is sweeter than that of Ford with the role that fits him as snugly as that fedora hat. --Ellen A. Kim

Synopsis
Contains the acclaimed Indiana Jones action adventure films Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Allies discover the Nazis are planning to use the Lost Ark of the Covenant as a weapon. The U.S. government enlists archaeologist-adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) to locate the biblical treasure chest where the remains of the broken tablets of the Ten Commandments were placed. En route, Jones and his feisty ex-girlfriend, Marion (Karen Allen), must escape the clutches of evil Nazis, duplicitous 'natives', and a nest of venomous snakes--not to mention the wrath of God.

In Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, thw whip-wielding archaeologist-adventurer Indiana Jones is joined by comely chanteuse Willie and a 12-year-old sidekick named Short Round. Together they search for a mystical stone stolen from an Indian community and stumble upon a dangerous Thuggee cult. Exotic locales, wild chases, death-defying cliff-hangers, last-minute rescues, screaming damsels, and tribal sacrifices are the order of the day as the threesome attempt to acquire the stolen stone.

In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the fearless archeologist is once again pitted against the Nazis as he musters up every last ounce of cunning and courage to rescue his father and the mythical Holy Grail from their evil clutches.

In Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Harrison Ford dusts off his infamous brown fedora for another Indiana Jones film, which is once again made by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. The year is 1957, and Indy is on the run from a team of Russian spies led by a rapier-wielding Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). The Russians want Indy to help them locate an ancient artefact that they believe can be used as the ultimate military weapon. Indy manages a narrow escape, and tries to return to his life as a professor of archaeology, but he soon bumps into a '50s greaser named Mutt (Shia LeBeouf). Mutt's mother, as well as one of Indy's longtime friends, have been captured somewhere in Peru. Mutt and Indy hop on a plane to the country, where they manage to track down both Mutt's mother, Marian (Karen Allen), and Professor Oxley (John Hurt), but they also find themselves surrounded by the same scheming Russians. The Russians have found the artefact they were seeking, but Indy now knows its secret and dangerous powers. With the help of Mutt, Marian, and Oxley, he races to return it to its rightful resting place.

Subtitle Information

Raiders of the Lost Ark - English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Turkish

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Turkish

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Turkish

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hebrew,Hungarian, Icelandic, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian

Customer Reviews

The Greatest Action Films of All Time
Raiders of the Lost Ark

For all the criticisms George Lucas has received in recent times, we must remember that he did manage to come up with this gem of an idea for a perfect action film, and in doing so he created one of the most iconic action hero's that cinema has ever seen. A role perfectly played by its star, Harrison Ford.
The script, written by Lawrence Kasdan, is expertly directed by Steven Spielberg, who by this stage of his career was firing on all cylinders. He takes Kasdan's script and perfectly balances the dialogue with the action creating a finely tuned fast paced action film.
The opening scene and the `Truck Scene' showcase Spielberg's uncanny ability to create stunning set pieces within his movies. This is something that really sets him apart from other directors, and makes Raiders of the Lost Ark not just one of the best action films of the 80' but one of the finest action films of all time.


Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Second time round for Indy and in my opinion the third best Indiana Jones movie.
At the request of George Lucas, scriptwriters Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz turned in a far darker and more foreboding script than the previous movie. George felt that the second film should be a lot darker, following in a similar vein to the second Star Wars film, `The Empire Strikes Back'.
With a lot of script ideas left over from `Raiders' the film certainly wasn't short on creativity or action set pieces. But, it seems Spielberg wasn't entirely comfortable with the direction George had decided to take the franchise. Dealing with a lot of the darkness Spielberg wisely injected a lot more humour into the script, which is handled very well by performers Ford and Ke Huy Quan, creating some very amusing scenes. Kate Capshaw's performance as Willie Scott is routinely criticised. Admittedly there is a lot of screaming, but in my opinion I feel she gives a well balanced performance that doesn't really detract from the other actors, or from the actual film.

My main criticism is that a great deal of the movie is spent within the Temple itself and I felt the film could have benefited had they made more out our hero's escape. I'm every bit as grateful as our intrepid action hero to see daylight after so many hours spent in the doom and gloom.

Although this is one of the weaker films in the cannon, it still remains a thoroughly enjoyable, extremely fast-paced, exciting action epic, knocking spots of any imitators to the throne. Thus proving that, even Spielberg on a bad day is better than most directors on a good day.


Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Perfectly balanced sequel, with some fine comedic chemistry from Ford and Connery.
This remains my favourite Indy sequel/prequel. Spielberg gets a firm grip on the reins and delivers what are to some, the finest of the Indiana Jones films.
The real genius of this sequel lies in the addition of Sean Connery playing Indy's Father. It works well and provides some great on screen chemistry, creating some, laugh out loud comedic moments between Ford and Connery. Harrison routinely pulls faces and shrugs shoulders as his dad continually undermines him. I have always felt that Harrison Ford's comic ability is greatly underappreciated, and it should also be noted that Ford is one of cinema's finest physical actors, reacting to kicks and punches like no other actor, and in doing so, adding tension and excitement to one of the films most exciting set pieces, the `Tank Scene'.


Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Nineteen years in the making and five different screenwriters that had Ford, Spielberg and Lucas all banging heads trying to agree on the films overall direction. Was it worth the wait?
I found the opening sequence thoroughly exciting, and after Raiders, it remains probably the best opening sequence of the franchise. There have been criticisms of the flying fridge scene, and although it is 'over the top', it is by no means anymore unrealistic than Indy leaping out of a plane on a life raft, or a mine cart jumping thirty foot over the breaks in the tracks and landing perfectly on the other side.

Harrison Ford, although grey haired and obviously older, manages to deliver a decent performance as the ageing Indiana. Only on the removal of his hat do you remember that this is a man in his sixty's. Where the film falls down for me is with the other main characters; Shia LaBeouf fails to shine. Ray Winstone's character feels underdeveloped and the film misses out on what could have been a great performance. Karen Allen reprises her role as Marion Ravenwood and lights up the screen with her arrival, but doesn't seem to do much else through the rest of the film. John Hurt is completely wasted and Cate Blanchett delivers a boring two dimensional performance.

The negatives aside, the film is rather enjoyable. The two hour running time just flew by. My main criticism is that the `Jungle Chase' lacks tension due to the CGI, and that overall, the film could have done with another action scene.

I have to say that the main problem is with the script. David Koepps script lacks intrigue and character motivation, only an amateur script writer would have a double agent reveal himself in the first five minutes of the film.
Having read Frank Darabont's `City of Gods' script, there is no doubt it would have been the better movie, and it is a terrible shame it wasn't the script that ended up as the final movie.

"Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes!?"
I got this DVD box in Chistmas and I must say, this box set is very well done. Along with Star Wars, Indiana Jones is my favorite movie saga.

Everyone knows what these films are all about.
My favorite is probably the first one, Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was just so entertaining and exciting, perfect would be the correct word to describe.
The Temple of Doom was very good as a movie too, but if I had to choose the "worst" Indy film, it would probably be the Temple of Doom (though I really enjoyed it) since I didn't like the darker theme that much.
Last Crusade was very close to the Raiders when it comes to quality, and it's my second favorite of the Indy films. And the humour was hilarious, I laughed about half the time of the movie. Connery and Ford are just perfect together.
Many have said that Crystal Skull is a weak Indy film, but I really loved the whole movie. There are also a couple of surprises in the movie and dammit, Harrison Ford's performance was just as good as in the original Indy films! You just have to give some credit to a man who still does, in his sixtys, something like this.

The quality of the films is great. I don't have anything bad to say about the picture and sound quality. The box art is very nice too.

The special features are very interesting, but it's kind of strange they didn't include the Bonus Features disc from the 2003 Indy box for this one. There are about 30 minutes of bonus features and some photo galleries for each of the original Indy films.
It was a very big plus they put a two-disc edition of Crystal Skull in this box set, as the bonus disc for Crystal Skull has several hours of bonus features.

If you already have the 2003 box set, you should just buy the two-disc edition of Crystal Skull, but if you don't have these movies already on DVD, go ahead! These movies are a piece of film history. Steven Spielberg did a great job directing these, and let's not forget George Lucas, who is the creator of Indy, and the executive producer of these films.

Couldn't really ask for more.
I have bought several compilation DVDs in the past and a lot have been poor quality, which is why I waited for all four to come before getting Indian Jones. I have to say I was impressed.. it has all been put togther very well and everything from the quality of the box to the quality of the movies is excellent. There are also tonnes of special features including interviews with the cast, Steven Spielberg and lots of other Indy trivia. Oh, and for those that haven't seen the latest movie (in my opinion at least), its the best yet.