BLU-RAY REVIEW

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

Featured In Issue 170, October 2012

Picture5
Sound5
WSR Score5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Paramount Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
1111024236
(MPAA Rating):
PG-13
(Rating Reason):
(Retail Price):
$
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
127
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
Not Indicated
(Theatrical Year):
1989
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
09/18/12
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
Yes
(Director):
Steven Spielberg
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

Indiana Jones" (Ford) goes on The Last Crusade in search of The Holy Grail, only this time his feisty father (Connery) and old pals Dr. Brody (Elliott) and Sallah (Rhys-Davies) are along for the ride. (Gary Reber)

The only special features are two trailers.

The 2.35:1 1080p AVC digital video transfer is flawless on this new Blu-ray Disc™ release. Color fidelity and fleshtones are perfect, as is the color balance from scene to scene with rich, warm, vibrant hues exhibited throughout. Contrast is well balanced with deep blacks and superb visual information revealed in the darker scenes. Resolution is exceptional, with fine detailed evidenced throughout in facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture. The clarity exhibited in The Holly Grail allows it to actually be read. The impressive definition and clarity is as it should be, and is what a quality presentation is all about. This new release is far superior to the previous DVD reviewed in Issue 78 and sets a high bar for remastering an older film on Blu-ray Disc. (Gary Reber)

As with the previous DVD Dolby® Digital 5.1 repurposed soundtrack, once again, the newly repurposed THX®-certified DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack offers an even more superlative listening experience, if only for the very reason that it offers engaging, purely involving surround sound. Fidelity sounds more recent than the first two installments in the Indiana Jones collection. John Williams' orchestral score once again is prominently placed throughout the listening space. Deep bass is characteristically clean and articulate, especially with the music, offering powerful low-end extension in all channels, including the LFE. There is also the presence of some directional on-screen Foley and dialogue. Like the first two installments, atmospheric effects have been impressively placed all around. Nuances can heard throughout, which heightens the experience. The original mix was created with stereo surrounds, and the surround left and right channels for this soundtrack are certainly separated. During the many periods of active, intense activity, the soundtrack dramatically enlivens and really excites the listening experience. This repurposed sound mix serves as a testament to the creators of the original well-created soundtrack. (Gary Reber)