Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

(aka "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" )

directed by Steven Spielberg
USA 1981

You have to love a movie that is so devilishly clever as to make the hero's every effort, no matter how Herculean, irrelevant to the conclusion. Had Dr. Jones elected to go on an extended vacation to Mozambique and never have anything to do with the Ark of the Covenant, nothing would have changed. Jones doesn't save the day. In fact, he doesn't come close to rescuing it, unless one considers his having failed as being the key to success. (Although he does get the girl.) Yes, the movie ends with melting faces, but, underneath all of that liquefying flesh and exploding heads, there's an abundance of irony just waiting for the attentive movie-goer to unearth. When was the last time that an action hero has been so utterly, completely inconsequential as Indiana Jones?

Excerpt from James Berardinelli review found HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: June 12th, 1981

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DVD Comparison:

Paramount Home Entertainment (part of the Indiana Jones Trilogy Boxset) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Paramount Home Entertainment (Special Edition: part of Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection) - Region 1,4 - NTSC

Package of Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection

Paramount Home Entertainment (part of the Indiana Jones Trilogy Boxset) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs.

Paramount Home Entertainment (part of the Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection) - Region 1,4 - NTSC - RIGHT

DVD Box Covers
	Also released on May 13th - Indiana Jones - The Adventure Collection (Special Editions of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark / Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom / Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)
Distribution	Paramount Home Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC	Paramount Home Entertainment Region 1, 4 - NTSC
Runtime	1:55:08	1:55:08
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 8.28 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.8 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Paramount Home Entertainment (part of the Indiana Jones Trilogy Boxset)
Bitrate: (part of the Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection)
Audio	English Dolby Digital 5.1, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround	English Dolby Digital 5.1, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Subtitles	English, French and Spanish, None	English, French and Spanish, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • THX Optimizer • DVD-ROM: indianajones.com -web site access NOTE: Disc Four of The Indy Trilogy Boxset includes bonus material totalling about 190 minutes. It consists of Indiana Jones: The Making of a Trilogy doc. (127 min, , 3 X 4:3 featurettes, The Stunts of Indiana Jones featurette (12 minutes, 4x3), The Sound of Indiana Jones featurette (13 mins, 4:3), The Music of Indiana Jones featurette (12 minutes, 4:3), another featurette; The Light and Magic of Indiana Jones (13 minutes, 4:3), trailers. DVD Release Date: October 21, 2003 Part of Indiana Jones Trilogy, special cases in cardboard box Chapters 31	Release Information: Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Raiders of the Lost Arc (An Introduction) - 16X9 - 7:48 • Indiana Jones: An Appreciation (11:40) • The Melting Face (8:49) • Storyboard: The Wells of Souls (4:16) • Galleries: (Illustrations, Production, Effects, Marketing) • PC: Lego - The Adventure Game DVD Release Date: May 13th, 2008 Part of Indiana Jones Adventure Collection, slim keep cases in a cardboard box Chapters 31

Comments

Menus, subtitles and audio options (as far as my ears could tell) are all duplicated from the original boxset. As far as the image goes - it has no discernable upgrade that I can determine (although VOB files are new), but to be fair - it was not advertised as such. Both are obviously dual-layered and anamorphic. Subtle differences include a different THX logo before the film (kind of cool intro), in slim keep cases in the new collection box, coded for regions 1 and 4 and a trailer for the new upcoming Indy film. The rest is almost exclusively in the extras.

The original boxset had a 4th disc with a host supplement featurettes (see list above). In the Adventure Collection (and individual release in May 08') - after aforementioned trailer or the new Indy movie - we are given less than 30 minutes of supplements on this Raiders of the Lost Arc release. We have an anamorphic 7:48 Introduction with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg giving input on production details and the evolution of the series. Next is an 11:40 featurette: Indiana Jones: An Appreciation - it has some the cast and principles, Karen Allen, Harrison Ford, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg interviewed. The Melting Face is 8:49 and focuses on that particular scene from the film - special effects etc. 4 minutes of Storyboarding The Wells of Souls sequence (remember the snakes?). Some galleries: (Illustrations, Production, Effects, Marketing) and finally a PC: Lego - The Adventure Game (and an advert/ trailer).

Bottom line - are the new extras worth it? not at all in my opinion. In fact this smells a lot like a 'last kick at the SD can' before it goes to 1080P. Kind of shameful. I'm sure Paramount will sell a ton to the die-hard community of Indiana Jones fans but we don't endorse. I'm very content with the original boxset for $6 less.

- Gary Tooze

DVD Menus

Paramount Home Entertainment (part of the Indiana Jones Trilogy Boxset) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs.

Paramount Home Entertainment (part of the Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection) - Region 1,4 - NTSC - RIGHT

Screen Captures

Paramount Home Entertainment (part of the Indiana Jones Trilogy Boxset) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs.