Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins
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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 4/21/2008 7:44:00 AM
The Return of an Icon
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (not yet rated), directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by George Lucas, opens in theaters on May 22, 2008. Presented by Paramount Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd, and once again starring Harrison Ford in the title role, this long-awaited sequel follows up a blockbuster trio: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).
It’s 1957 (19 years have passed in both the real and fictional worlds since the adventurer’s last feature film escapade) and an older, more introspective Indy leaves the quiet of the classroom to head back into action, traveling to the jungles of South America in search of the mysterious Crystal Skull. Karen Allen reprises her role as Indy’s former love interest, Marion Ravenwood; Shia LaBeouf stars as Mutt Williams, a motorcycle-riding greaser; and Cate Blanchett plays Soviet agent Irina Spalko. The movie’s details have been shrouded in secrecy, building excitement and anticipation for the premiere. Go to the official site to watch previews, consult the countdown clock, and listen to John Williams’s rousing theme music.
Modeled after the stoic heroes of 1930s film serials and pulp magazines, this charismatic character has also made appearances in other media, such as role-playing video games, novels for adults and children, and comic books. Between 1992 and 1996, Lucas produced The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, a TV series for children and teenagers with an educational bent. The episodes explore important moments in Indy’s youth, revealing life-shaping events while simultaneously highlighting historical happenings and famous figures. The History Channel is currently airing the series, which is also available on three DVD volumes.
Movie Tie-ins
Fans of the big-screen series as well as those unfamiliar with these swashbuckling soirees can gear up for the big event with junior novelizations published by Scholastic (Gr 4–7). Set in 1936, Raiders of the Lost Ark retells the plot of the first movie, as Indy hastens from the Himalayan Mountains to the Egyptian desert to recover the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do. In Temple of Doom, a prequel placed in 1935, the protagonist and his 11-year-old protégé travel to India where they encounter the evil members of an ancient cult. Beginning with a flashback to the fedora-wearing hero’s youth, Last Crusade takes up the tale in 1938, as Indy searches for his father who has disappeared while questing for the Holy Grail.
Striking just the right tone for young readers, these novels capture the spirit of the movies, balancing breathless action and suspense with touches of humor. The plots are solidly developed, with enough detail to make the stories satisfying. As per the films, fight scenes, gruesome images, and dead bodies abound. Each book has a cover featuring movie poster art and contains eight pages of full-color film photos. To thwart spoilers, the novelization for Crystal Skull is being kept under wraps until after the movie’s release.
Exploring Indy’s World
Are your readers hungry for more about this intrepid explorer? Jam-packed with full-color movie stills, comic book images, maps, and artistic schematics of temples and other sites, DK Publishing’s Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide (Gr 4 Up) covers the Indy cosmos with detail and flair. With a foreword by Shia LaBeouf, the oversize book introduces Indiana and his accoutrement, presents an in-depth time line of his life, and encapsulates high points of each movie (including enticing tidbits about Crystal Skull). The final section discusses the team behind the scenes as well as merchandise, publishing, and more. Brief, chatty text paragraphs and profuse visuals make for fun browsing.
Designed as a rucksack-size manual, The Indiana Jones Handbook (Quirk) provides would-be adventurers with advice on planning expeditions (including how to use a whip), modes of transportation (mostly for making getaways), people skills (from cultivating friends to fist fighting), in-the-field necessities (“How to Escape if You Are Accidentally Entombed”), and more. Illustrated with movie photos and diagram-style artwork, the tongue-in-cheek text incorporates humorous step-by-step instructions as well as numerous references to Indy exploits (Gr 4 Up).
Finally, die-hard devotees may enjoy Indiana Jones: Off the Beaten Path (Hampton Roads). The breezy first-person narrative presents summations of the movies and television episodes; examines story elements (separating fact from fiction); discusses theme-related amusement park attractions; and offers musings about real-life archaeology. Since this book has not been authorized by Lucasfilm Ltd, there are no vivid movie stills; most of the visuals consist of washed-out black-and-white photos of prop models and scenes from Walt Disney World’s Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. Fans will appreciate the appended resource roundup of books, Web sites, and more (YA).
Pub Info
Movie Tie-Ins
LUCENO, James. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. June 2008. ISBN 978-0-545-00701-6.
WEYN, Suzanne. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. 2008. ISBN 978-0-545-04255-0.
WINDHAM, Ryder. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. 2008. ISBN 978-0-545-04256-7.
_____. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. 2008. ISBN 978-0-545-00700-9.
ea vol: Scholastic. pap. $6.99.
Guidebooks
BEAHM, George. Indiana Jones: Off the Beaten Path: An Unofficial Expedition. illus. by Tim Kirk. Hampton Roads. April 2008. pap. $15.95. ISBN 978-1-57174-558-3.
KIERNAN, Denise and Joseph D’Agnese. The Indiana Jones Handbook. illus. byRoger Petersen. Quirk. May 2008. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-1-59474-221-7.
LUCENO, James. Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide. DK. May 2008. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-7566-3500-8.
