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Now playing: Indiana Jones and the 2-disc edition | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper
Posted on: Friday, October 17, 2008

Now playing: Indiana Jones and the 2-disc edition

By Bob Bloom
(Lafayette, Ind.) Journal & Courier

The long-awaited return of Indiana Jones, a foreign epic and a disturbing documentary highlight the DVD offerings this week.

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: 2-Disc Special Edition"; Paramount Home Entertainment (single-disc edition also available)

  • The lowdown: Harrison Ford returns as Indy, a little older but still as adventuresome. The movie lacks the pacing and magic of the earlier adventures.

    At www.Rottentomatoes.com, critics gave it a decent 77 percent positive rating on the tomatometer.

    Gannett News Service chief film critic Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic tepidly praised the movie, writing that it "plays heavily on the fondness of the audience for the first three films. Without that, it's basically a better-made version of the 'National Treasure' series."

    The film does feature a great digital transfer with a solid audio track.

  • Don't miss: Loads of extras, including a look at the genesis of the project, several behind-the-scenes offerings, pre-visualization sequences and a Lego Indiana Jones Xbox 360 game demo.

  • Rated: PG-13, for action violence and scary images.

    "Mongol"; New Line Home Entertainment

  • The lowdown: The early life of Genghis Khan is covered in this epic in Mongolian with English subtitles. The movie features some sprawling landscapes and lots of action.

    On the tomatometer, the movie garnered a very respectable 88 percent positive rating. Goodykoontz wrote, "The film ... is epic in scope, in scale, in story, in everything. It has as much action as any brain-dead Hollywood blockbuster, but 'Mongol' also has heart and intelligence."

    The visual and audio transfers are very good, but the film is a bit too dark at the outset.

  • Don't miss: Instructions to download a digital copy of the movie to your computer.

  • Rated: R, for graphic violence.

    "Standard Operating Procedure"; Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

  • The lowdown: Filmmaker Errol Morris' distressing documentary about Abu Ghraib prison and the men and women who worked there. At Rottentomatoes, it received a 78 percent positive rating from critics. Claudia Puig of USA Today wrote, "It may be the most disturbing film you'll see in a long time."

    The audio and visual transfers are very good. The subject matter is most unsettling.

  • Don't miss: A commentary with Morris and additional scenes make up the supplemental materials.

  • Rated: R, for disturbing images, nudity, language.

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