It's only a matter of time before Indiana Jones delves into mysteries a little closer to home.

I did go to see the new Indiana Jones movie and frankly, I was a little disappointed. Dr. Jones continues to solve mysteries, but the big difference is that we're no longer allowed to participate in the puzzle solving process. The clues are no longer shared with us, just the answers. The end result is that where we used to go along for the ride, now we are just passive observers. The result left me feeling a little empty.

However, you may enjoy seeing some other Indiana Jones stories that have not been seen for many years. In the early 90's there was a short lived television series called the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Produced by Geroge Lucas, these episodes showed Indiana Jones brushing shoulders with all manner of historical figures from Teddy Roosevelt and T.E. Lawrence to Pablo Picasso and Norman Rockwell. The stories are, of course, fictionalized, but in addition to the fun we expect from Indiana Jones, the episodes present some brilliantly recreated glimpses into world history. The only downside is that the DVD series no longer contain the "bumper" segments with "old" Indiana Jones that preceeded and ended each episode in the original broadcast. The episodes are now presented in chronological order according to Indy's age instead of in the order in which they were broadcast. The result of this is that the change in age of the actor portraying the 10-year old Indy is very noticiable. Still, the stories are still entertaining and if you're a fan of Indiana Jones or twentieth century history, you should check these out.

Labels: Indiana Jones