Because every bit of good news helps these days, Indiana Jones is finally getting the release it was always destined for, and no, that doesn't refer to the upcoming Indy video game from Bethesda. The 4 films are now set to release on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, and the prospect of watching that fridge fly through the air in super high definition has many fans shaking with anticipation.
All 4 films, including Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, will now be available to the masses in the level of detail they were always meant for, at least until something better comes along (or if someone just decides to look at the actual, very expensive props from the Indiana Jones movies). Paramount announced the collection to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark, adding an undertone of "wait, it's seriously been 40 years?!" to the whole deal.
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Now, this isn't just some low-effort upscale with a bit of loudness maximization. Under the approval of Steven Spielberg himself, the films have been restored from their original film negatives, allowing for levels of detail unmatched by any other release of the series. Aside from that, the legendary Skywalker Sound division of Lucasfilm handled the audio remastering, remixing each of the films for maximum quality under the supervision of the equally renowned Ben Burtt. Sounds like an appropriate effort for the franchise that influenced series like Uncharted.
Aside from the Indiana Jones films themselves, the collection will feature a disc chock full of special features, 7 hours of them, in fact. From "making of" featurettes to deep dives into the stunts and special effects of the movies, this collection will have plenty to whet the appetites of all the fans, who may or may not have spent more time watching the Lord of the Rings extended edition bonus content DVDs than the films themselves. Hey, how else will everyone at work know that Viggo Mortensen broke his toe when kicking the helmet in that one scene, whether they want to or not?
While the 40th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark is certainly a fitting occasion to release all these films in their 4K glory, it's still been a long time coming. These films are cultural landmarks in their own right, even The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which marked the first time a large number of nerds agreed on something. In all seriousness, though, a great many viewers did enjoy even the couple black sheep of the franchise, so it's good that they'll get to experience something that gave them happiness in its (presumably) best form.
Yes, there are many arguments to be made on the other side of that issue, but this isn't about that. It's about finally giving the movies that sweet 4K treatment before the upcoming 5th Indiana Jones film gets released. Of course, that begs the question of whether the series will get yet another full collection like this once that happens, but that's another story for another time.
The Indiana Jones 4K collection will be available beginning June 8th, 2021.
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Source: Collider