DVD set shows us this is Indiana our Indiana

Trust me: you should drop this Weekend right now and get to the nearest store to buy the absolutely outstanding "The Adventures of Indiana Jones" DVD set. Lucasfilm and Steven Spielberg have produced an absolutely outstanding disc package set that provides everything a fan of the movies could hope for in a release including all three movies digitally re-mastered in THX, which means the films look and sound better than ever before. \nThis doesn't mean these are a "Special Edition," a la the re-release of the Star Wars movies; absolutely NOTHING has been changed in the films themselves. With the exception of the much improved sound and video, these are the same films we know and love.\nEach film comes on its own DVD with cover art and DVD menus featuring famous scenes or characters from each film. The menus are animated and somewhat stylized, featuring a montage from each film along with appropriate background music. The one major quibble I have with this DVD set is the stylized menu backgrounds. They look okay, but why not just show scenes from the film without these effects?\nWhen you realize that Raiders of the Lost Ark was originally released in mono (as opposed to stereo or surround) sound, and Temple of Doom and Crusade were released only in stereo, the DVD's Dolby 5.1 surround is an amazing improvement. However, since these films were not originally mixed in surround sound, you're not going to get an auditory experience like Saving Private Ryan, but you probably won't mind; just being able to finally hear these films in crisp surround is a pleasure in and of itself. \nWhile all three films are included on their own DVDs, this is actually a four-disc set. The fourth "Bonus Materials" disc contains all of the extras, featurettes and behind the scenes info on the Jones trilogy. \nFirst up is "Indiana Jones: Making the Trilogy," a two-hour-and-10-minute documentary with a segment devoted to each of the films with behind the scenes footage, on-set interviews and screen tests with several actors who tried out for the role of Indiana Jones. The DVD also includes featurettes on the special effects, stunts, music and sound effects for the series, all of which go into astounding detail. Rounding out the bonus disc are the original theatrical trailers and some lame ads for Indy video games, but sadly there are no director commentaries, something Spielberg steadfastly refuses to do.