Indiana Jones (4-Movie Collection): 4K UHD Review
This is a great time to be an Indiana Jones fan. Not only are we celebrating the 40th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but a fifth film in the series is currently filming. To top things off, a new 4K set has been released which includes Raiders, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade and Crystal Skull.
There is not much of a need for me to review each of the films themselves as I am sure most people reading this has already seen them. And each person has their favorite installment (mine is Temple of Doom). I think we can all agree that Crystal Skull is the worst. I originally owned the first three films on VHS and then on DVD, but never upgraded to the Blu-ray. I watched Raiders on Blu-ray when it was first released on that format and wasn’t impressed enough to upgrade. That-being-said, I was absolutely blown away by the four films which have been remastered from the original negatives and approved by Steven Spielberg.
Presented in Dolby Vision with Dolby Atmos audio, this collection had to be one of the most stunning remasters I have ever come across. Raiders of the Lost Ark has never looked better. I saw this film when it originally arrived in theaters in 1981 and again a few years back when it was re-released in IMAX. Although I can’t honestly remember how great the presentation was 40 years ago, I can say that I don’t think the film has ever looked better than it does here. The same can be said for Temple of Doom which unlike Raiders, is mainly set inside. The look and tone of the two are completely different, but Harrison Ford is still fantastic as Dr. Jones.
I was never a huge fan of Last Crusade. It is a fine adventure film, but what worked for me was the inclusion of Sean Connery. If Indy didn’t have his dad to play off of, I doubt the third film would have been as memorable. Still, the same care went into remastering Last Crusade and just like the first two films, it looks phenomenal.
This brings us to the disappointing fourth film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull. It may have a few endearing moments, but it’s pretty much an embarrassment to the series. Ford comes away unscathed though because even in this poorly conceived sequel, the actor brings his “A” Game. Ironically, the worst film manages to be the best looking of them all. Well, that is because it is by far the newest and didn’t need as much work done.
No new bonus features have been included, as they have all been ported over from the 2012 Blu-ray set. If you are a fan of Indiana Jones and have a 4K setup, picking up this collection is a no-brainer. This is a must own release.
By: Marc Ferman
