World Famous Comics: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (Special Edition)
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (Special Edition)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies Directed By: Steven Spielberg Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: DVD Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Paramount Pictures Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: May 13, 2008 Running Time: 115 minutes Theatrical Release Date: June 12, 1981
Amazon.com Essential DVD: 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, humor, 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
Description: Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is no ordinary archeologist. When we first see him, he is somewhere in the Peruvian jungle in 1936, running a booby-trapped gauntlet (complete with an over-sized rolling boulder) to fetch a solid-gold idol. He loses this artifact to his chief rival, a French archeologist named Belloq (Paul Freeman), who then prepares to kill our hero. In the first of many serial-like escapes, Indy eludes Belloq by hopping into a convenient plane. So, then: is Indiana Jones afraid of anything? Yes, snakes. The next time we see Jones, he's a soft-spoken, bespectacled professor. He is then summoned from his ivy-covered environs by Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott) to find the long-lost Ark of the Covenant. The Nazis, it seems, are already searching for the Ark, which the mystical-minded Hitler hopes to use to make his stormtroopers invincible. But to find the Ark, Indy must first secure a medallion kept under the protection of Indy's old friend Abner Ravenwood, whose daughter, Marion (Karen Allen), evidently has a "history" with Jones. Whatever their personal differences, Indy and Marion become partners in one action-packed adventure after another, ranging from wandering the snake pits of the Well of Souls to surviving the pyrotechnic unearthing of the sacred Ark. A joint project of Hollywood prodigies George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, with a script co-written by Lawrence Kasdan and Philip Kaufman, among others, Raiders of the Lost Ark is not so much a movie as a 115-minute thrill ride. Costing 22 million dollars (nearly three times the original estimate), Raiders of the Lost Ark reaped 200 million dollars during its first run. It was followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1985) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), as well as a short-lived TV-series "prequel."
Still good after all this time. Well it's Saturday morning movies again. Indiana Jones is the best of the action hero's and Raiders is still the best of these movies. Even after all this time, it still holds up. Settle back with a bag of popcorn and be prepared to have a great time.
They buried the dialog! First off, Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of my favorite movies and I'd give the movie itself 5 stars. However, I'm upset with this DVD and I can't recommend it. The score and sound effects are very loud compared to the dialog. In fact, in many places its hard to hear what the characters are saying unless you really turn up the sound (but then the score is super loud, and that is quite irritating).
I purchased this DVD after watching Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I was a little disappointed by it (it was okay, but not as good as the previous 3), however, my girl friend really enjoyed it. Though she also admitted to me that she had not seen the previous Indiana Jones movies. So I felt like it'd be fun to do a movie night where we saw the original.
I picked this DVD up figuring it'd be the definitive version. The picture is wonderful and the movie itself is a thrill to watch. However, several times during the movie we found ourselves saying "what did that person just say?" The music and sound effects were very loud and prominent, however the dialog wasn't. We had to turn the volume way up, to the point where when the music kicked in or certain sound effects (like thunder) occurred, they were annoyingly loud.
We actually stopped the movie twice and fiddled around with the settings on her TV. At one point we even restarted the DVD and checked the options menu to see if there was some kind of setting for normal sound - there wasn't. She told me no other DVD had this problem. So I'm assuming they've mixed the sound like this on purpose, which I find to be extremely annoying. I wish they would have just left it alone or made it so someone could watch the movie with normal sound.
As it is, I'm unhappy with this purchase and can't see myself watching this version again.
The Man in the Hat....Is Back The special edition of the 1981 classic "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" reintroduces us to Henry "Indiana" Jones, professor of archeology and professional adventurer. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created an iconic movie franchise out of what was meant to be an homage to the B-movies of the 1930's and 1940's, spawning three sequels, including 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."
As this movie opens, a man in a fedora is leading an expedition through the jungles of 1936 Peru to an ancient temple, there to overcome a series of clever deathtraps to obtain a golden idol. This opening sequence introduces us to the familiar series elements: a quick-thinking archeologist prepared to dare much for relics; the fedora, leather jacket, and bullwhip as props; and the likelihood that any situation can turn to mayhem at any time. Jones survives the temple, only to lose the idol to a competing archeologist, and ends up running for his life from a band of dangerous natives.
When we next see Professor Jones, he is approached by a group of government agents about a Nazi plot to retrieve the long-missing Ark of the Covenant. The plot involves Jones' old mentor, Professor Abner Ravenwood, and Jones' old girlfriend, Miriam Ravenwood. Jones flies off to Nepal to find Miriam, straight into his first deadly encounter with the Nazis.
The plot takes Jones and Miriam through a series of exotic locations in Egypt, and a series of dangerous situations, each more spectacular than the last. An example is a classic sequence in which Jones battles a huge Nazi mechanic for possession of an airplane, while both dodge whirring propellers and Miriam is in danger of being burned alive by loose petrol. The stunning climax of the movie comes on a remote Greek island, where the Ark gives up its secrets at last.
Harrison Ford is perfect as Indy Jones, part professor, part hero, and very human. Karen Allen as a fiesty Miriam is an excellent foil, as she and Jones partner up to find the Ark. The competition is suitably nasty, and the thrills come fast and furious, more than enough to cover any plot holes (just how did Indy transit with the submarine to that Greek island?).
"Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" is very highly recommended to those new to the Indy Jones series, and those looking for a refresher on the franchise. This special edition contains a number of new features, including background material on the making of the movie and the series.
Transfer's Looking Good! We all know the 'Indy" movies, so this review is more astetic based than a storyline critique. "Raiders" will always be the best, and offered here in a single movie purchase rather than the three disc set. Sound is better than good, picture is great on this anamorphic widescreen [2:35:1] DVD. It far exceeds the VHS version I previously owned. Movie transfers done right are always a worthy purchase. Also highly recommended to anyone with an upconvert player and a 40" or smaller LCD TV.
excellent action movie I took my young grandsons to see Indiana Jones and the Chrystal Skull. This is a whole new character for the 10 year old set. They enjoyed it so much, that I bought the previous movies for whole family to enjoy. I think this movie is one of the best. Non stop action, villains and heroes. I thought of my own childhood and the saturday afternoon serials at the neighborhood movie theater.
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