MovieFreak.com - "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc" DVD Review by Dennis Landmann

DVD REVIEW

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

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davis

Director: Steven Spielberg

Rating: PG

Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment

Release Date: October 21, 2003
Review posted: November 17, 2003

Spoilers: None

Reviewed by Dennis Landmann

Synopsis

Indiana Jones (Ford) teams up with an ex-girlfriend (Allen) in pursuit of the sacred Arc of the Covenant before it falls into the hands of Nazi agents.

Critique

"It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage." - Indiana Jones

Adventure knows only one name and one man. The name is Indiana Jones and the man is Harrison Ford. For my money the most entertaining films are those that are fun and deal with adventure. The opening sequence in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc sets the tone perfectly. Here it this serious guy with a dirty face and a whip on a trek through the South American jungle. Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan infuses the sequence with great interest and filmmaker Steven Spielberg creates an exciting atmosphere. And Harrison Ford embodies the adventurer with a lot of depth and grit, not to mention humor. Well, this is only the first ten minutes. The rest of the film builds on the suspense and adventure of that sequence.

Altogether the film makes for one of the coolest adventure films for over the past two decades. Wow, has it really been this long? Well yes, the film came out in 1981. It's hard to believe. They just don't make those kinds of films anymore. But we still have the next two Indiana Jones installments to quench our thirst for adventure.

Structurally, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc exists magnificently. Every scene and dialogue is in the perfect place. Lawrence Kasdan wrote the script from a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman and turned it into a great cohesive whole. The pacing of the film is also just right. At 115 minutes, it's not too long and not too short. Steven Spielberg and his crew set up some incredible action and chases. But it's also Spielberg's style that emerges in this film. He places objects and characters everywhere in the frame, making excellent use of the widescreen format. He and director of photography Douglas Slocombe capture the landscapes of South America, Cairo and Africa beautifully. One of the signatures of the film, however, is John Williams' kick-ass score. It is just so cool and memorable. In terms of acting, every one is top notch. Ford knows when to turn on the muscles and charm. Karen Allen is also terrific as Indiana's ex-flame Marion Ravenwood.

But what am I saying? You know all this. You've probably seen this film ten times. It has great repeat value, which is why every once in a while, at least once every two years or so, cable channels have a marathon or something. They do, don't they? That is because Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc offers a lot of excitement and fun. Enough said!

The Video

"I don't know, I'm making this up as I go." - Indiana Jones

Paramount presents all three Indiana Jones films in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Gorgeous! The transfer is absolutely gorgeous. The amount of clarity is simply top notch. Hell, darker scenes still carry some grain and whatnot, but the rest of the print quality is top notch. Colors are very vibrant and bright, not to mention very well saturated. Color detail is quite sharp. The transfer accentuates all daylight scenes very nicely.

That is, the picture has never been this bright. Looking at the beautiful images shot by Douglas Slocombe is very refreshing and greatly enhances the viewing experience. Darker scenes also look very good. Sharpness is pretty good. I didn't notice any major print flaws or concerns. All in all, this digitally mastered picture quality is as superior and clear as it's going to get. Did I mention it looks gorgeous?!

The Audio

"You're about to become a permanent addition to this archaeological find. Who knows? In a thousand years, even you may be worth something." - Belloq

Paramount presents all three Indiana Jones films in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Fantastic! Terrific! Okay, to be more specific, this THX-certified, digitally remastered soundtrack offers a great surround sound experience. The soundtrack has been "stereoized" as LucasFilm puts it. In fact, this presentation is the nicest surround sound experience I've had in a while. The soundfield is penetrated by speakers from all sides. Both front channels emit all sounds with a lot of bass and dynamic range. Dialog is clear and easy to understand, except for a few quiet spots. Sound reproduction across the front channels and rear channels are well defined.

Rear speakers add a lot of noise to the overall presentation. All the major sound effects, as well as some of the more subtle ones, come alive with a lot of depth. John Williams' epic and classic score is probably the most notable. Yet the sound effects, like the noise of crickets, gunfire, shooting arrows, smashing stones, explosions, and many other incredible sounds, are also very noteworthy as they also carry good bass and range. To sum up this presentation in a nutshell: most excellent sound quality. I had a really great time here.

Additional sound options include French and Spanish Dolby Surround dubs.

The Extras

All of the extras are found on disc 4.

You can select to view all the film with optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. The 115-minute feature is organized into thirty-one chapters.

Overall

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc is exciting, fun and features a great adventure story. Harrison Ford embodies the character with a lot of grace and grit. Video and audio quality is terrific. Picture quality looks clean and fresh. Surround sound is incredible. This film and DVD set is "the" one to own.

>>Continued: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

RATINGS SUMMARY