Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Vol. 3 DVD: Review By B. Alan Orange

My immediate thoughts when sticking the first episode of this in my DVD player were, "God, this must have been the most expensive show being produced for network television at the time it was made." The look and feel is very cinematic, and it has George Lucas' trademark visual stamp all over it. My second thought was, "God, how boring is this sh*t?" Seriously. At the time of its premier, I remember being ecstatic about the series. That first episode was a big deal in our household. Lucas hadn't brought one of his iconic characters to the small screen since the haphazard and much maligned Star Wars Holiday Special. I sat, watching it, and I remember not really digging it that much. It just didn't feel like Indiana Jones to me. And I didn't return for too many episodes. The one event I do remember tuning into was the Mystery of the Blues, which featured an appearance by Harrison Ford. That episode is included here, and was one of the initial reasons I picked up this set. Rewatching these old episodes from 1992 and 1993 reminded me just how much this series felt like homework. It was intended as a form of historical edutainment, as it has so been labled, and that's exactly what it is. Each episode highlights a different historical figure, the first disc kicking off with a kindergarten introduction to Ernest Hemingway. In the episode (or, rather, mini-movie, as it is two episodes edited together), Young Henry Jones Junior falls into an Italian love triangle, his nemesis being non-other than the famous novelist Hemingway. Right off the bat, it is hard to watch this and think of Sean Patrick Flanery as actually being Indiana Jones. I just couldn't get my mind around it, and that stayed with me throughout the duration of the set. It is neat too see Indiana's relationship with his father fleshed out a little bit more here. And disc three's episode Treasure of the Peac*ck's Eye is in direct reference to the diamond seen at the beginning of Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom. But it is a struggle to get through a lot of the material as it is presented. It feels like high school history class all over again. I initially skipped out on volumes one and two, because I never liked the eight year old Indiana Jones very much. But I thought, with volume three being "The Years Of Change", and it following the adventures of Dr. Jones right before the films took place, it would get me super hyped for the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull feature film. Sadly, it did not. It actually curbed my appetite in that regard. The fact that Lucas only produced this show to perfect the special visual effects for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is also disappointing. There's just not a lot of actual heart on display here.

If there is one reason to purchase this DVD set, it's for the 23 original historical doc*mentaries that were specifically produced for this project. Each one adheres to the expert craftsmanship Lucas always throws behind his DVD doc*mentaries. This makes for one great high school history class in a very compact box. I can envision several hundred teachers utilizing this visual aide in classrooms across the country. Sitting in a hard chair, waiting for the bell to ring is where I would enjoy it the most. Sitting on my couch, drunk, looking for some dumb entertainment? That's a whole other story in and of itself. If I were a high school history professor, I'd definitely purchase this box set for a rainy day. As a consumer wanting something to watch on my free time? I'd definitely pass.

The show has been digitally remastered and looks spectacular. Its overhaul is one of the best things about it. There is little grain, but it's hard to believe that this was a television show from the 90s. It is very theatrical in scope and content.

The entire DVD set has been reproduced in Dolby Digital. It sounds spectacular if you are watching it on Dolby Sound System.

After watching this entire set, it is the packaging that still gets me the most hyped. It has that iconic Indiana Jones feel to it. Staring at it on the shelf, I've sort of forgotten about the boring content, and I am once again feeling the urge to run out and buy some advanced tickets to the first showing of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Despite how boring a lot of these episodes are, this is a great historical tool for use in teaching children about our past. If you are a fan of Indiana Jones, and you are looking for more of that old excitement, its best to pass on this set, as you will leave its contents more than a little disappointed.