While I have ragged on the original Star Wars Trilogy, noting that my recollection from my misspent youth was faulty in its fond memories, I recently also bought the complete seried of Indiana Jones movies on bluray. My fond memories of the magic of Indy, the stories of his adventures the fun effects. It was magical when I first saw it back in 1982 when Raiders of the Lost Ark was released.
Unlike the disappointment that Star Wars was, the Indiana Jones movies have held up well to the test of time. Yes, the effects were primitive at the start, and as the series went on, with Temple of Doom in 1984, and The Last Crusade in 1987, we see a progression of improvements in the art of effects. Naturally, this is to be expected of the work of ILM and Lucasfilms Studios.
I am just finishing the third in the trilogy, The Last Crusade with Sean Connery, and River Phoenix as the teenaged Indiana Jones, the story is complete.
Perhaps it is the film making of Spielberg, or just a better foundational story. Regardless it is a worthy addition to my collection. My memories are still in tact, and I enjoy the entire series.
You’ll note that I didn’t mention “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. The South Park boys captured that well, as the rape of Indiana Jones. Yep, like the “sequels” to The Matrix, it is best forgotten. Not even worth ripping for my PLEX server…
