Indiana Jones: 4-Movie Collection box set finally arrives on 4K Ultra HD – review

One of the last great franchise holdouts has finally made its way to 4K Ultra HD. After the recent Star Wars 4K releases, the Indiana Jones 4-movie collection is now available on a set of 4K UHD discs (with a Blu-ray disc of extras), bringing Steven Spielberg’s classic set of action-adventure films to life in a whole new way.

Just in time for the 40th-anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Indiana Jones 4K box set collects the iconic 1981 film that started it all, along with its prequel, 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and 2008’s unfairly maligned Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

All four films in the set feature new 4K scans from the original negatives, and are presented in Dolby Vision and HDR-10 for the ultimate in picture quality. These restorations are a noticeable and welcome upgrade from the Blu-ray set (which already looked pretty great). They look clean and sharp, without tampering with the film grain and changing the original look and feel of the films. On the audio front, each film features a killer new Dolby Atmos track, for an immersive soundscape that puts you right in the middle of the action. Without a doubt, this is the best these films have ever looked and sounded outside of the theatre.

Watching all four films back-to-back, it’s remarkable how well they hold up, even with some of the stranger choices made in Temple of Doom and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Raiders of the Lost Ark remains a flat-out masterpiece, an endlessly rewatchable action-adventure that cemented star Harrison Ford as one of the great screen presences of all time. Every minute of the film is so carefully laid out, and Spielberg keeps the proceedings moving at such a brisk and exciting pace that it still remains an absolutely thrilling and entertaining ride four decades after its initial release.

I’ll admit to having a soft spot for Temple of Doom while acknowledging its tone-deaf portrayal of “Indian” mysticism (not to mention the walking stereotype of Short Round). It’s unbelievably dark and fairly gruesome (a still-beating heart is ripped right out of a man’s chest), but Ford seems to be having more fun this time around, especially in his screwball comedy scenes with Kate Capshaw. It also features an incredible chase scene located within a massive underground mine that might be one of the most exciting sequences in the whole series.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is often cited as a fan-favourite and it’s not hard to see why — the addition of Sean Connery as Indiana’s father is a bit of brilliant casting, and the duo works great as a bickering pair thrust together in search of the fountain of youth. I’ve always found the pacing of the film to be a little off (and the ending pretty ridiculous, even for these films), but as a comedic romp following the dreary Temple of Doom, it definitely has its charms. The opening segment featuring River Phoenix as a young Indiana Jones is such a joy to behold that it still makes you wonder to this day what a whole new trilogy with Phoenix at the helm might have looked like.

Nearly two decades after the “trilogy” had seemingly wrapped up, Ford once again donned the fedora for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I may be one of the film’s very few defenders, but the homage to classic ’50s sci-fi fits perfectly into Indiana Jones’ pulp universe. Throwing Shia LaBeouf into the mix was clearly meant to kickstart a new franchise, but given the intense negative reaction to the film, it’s no wonder that idea never took off.

If you’re reading this, you likely don’t need much of a briefing about these films, which remain some of the most beloved blockbusters of our time. The new remasters look and sound incredible, making them an easy recommendation for those looking to update their old Blu-ray or DVD sets. Unfortunately, there are no new extras included in the 4K set, and even worse, the set doesn’t even include all the extras from previous releases, so completists will want to hang on to those old versions. (The Digital Bits has a comprehensive list of all the extras left off this new set.)

Here is what’s included in the set (all the extras are included on a Blu-ray disc):

On Set with Raiders of the Lost Ark
From Jungle to Desert
From Adventure to Legend
Making the Films
The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981 documentary)
The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Making of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The Making of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
The Making of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (HD)
Behind the Scenes
The Stunts of Indiana Jones
The Sound of Indiana Jones
The Music of Indiana Jones
The Light and Magic of Indiana Jones
Raiders: The Melting Face!
Indiana Jones and the Creepy Crawlies (with optional pop-ups)
Travel with Indiana Jones: Locations (with optional pop-ups)
Indy’s Women: The American Film Institute Tribute
Indy’s Friends and Enemies
Iconic Props (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)
The Effects of Indy (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)
Adventures in Post Production (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)

While the lack of any new extras is unfortunate, the packaging for this set is the real disappointment. The discs are set in a lightweight cardboard case that slides into another lightweight cover, which seems incredibly easy to damage (getting the discs out of the case is also a bit tricky). The Blu-ray collection from nearly a decade ago was housed in a sturdy hard box, so it’s disappointing that the 4K releases are given such flimsy packaging (the set is also available as a steel book box set, which may be a sturdier option).

The demo-worthy audio and video presentations of these films make the Indiana Jones 4K Box Set a must-have for fans of the franchise. The physical presentation could have been stronger and it’s unfortunate that no new extras were produced for this set, but with the fifth Indiana Jones movie currently in production, you can bet we’ll be heading back to the well (of souls) again in no time.