Lego Indiana Jones
Lego Indiana Jones (stylized as LEGO Indiana Jones) is a Lego theme based on the Indiana Jones film franchise created by George Lucas, licensed from Lucasfilm. The exclusive franchise (for the 'Construction Category Rights') was first announced in June 2007,[1] and followed the successful Lego Star Wars franchise, also with Lucasfilm. The first set of products were launched in 2008, based upon two of the three earlier films (Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade). Sets featuring scenes from the fourth film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, were released alongside the film, later in 2008. The Temple of Doom film was not featured until 2009, in a large set which re-created the mine-cart chase using new narrow-gauge Lego train track.
 | |
| Sub‑themes | Raiders of the Lost Ark The Temple of Doom The Last Crusade The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull |
|---|---|
| Subject | Indiana Jones |
| Licensed from | Lucasfilm (The Walt Disney Company) |
| Availability | 2008–2009, 2023 |
| Total sets | 22 |
| Characters | Colonel Dovchenko, Cairo Bandit, Cemetery Warriors, Indiana Jones, German Motorcyclist, German Guards, German Mechanic, German Pilot, Henry Jones Sr., Jock, Kazim, Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword guard, Marion Ravenwood, Pilot, Rene Belloq, Russian Guards, Satipo, Short Round, Swordsman, Willie Scott, Elsa Schneider, Lao Che, Kao Kan, Thuggee, Chief Thugee, Mola Ram, Mutt Williams, Irina Spalko, Ugha Warriors, Crystal Skull Skeletons, Conquistador Skeleton, |
| Official website | |
The theme also features in a video game series. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures was released on June 3, 2008, based on the original trilogy. A sequel, called Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues, was released in November 2009, including scenes from the new Kingdom of the Crystal Skull film, along with a level editor feature.
The theme was relaunched in 2023 with three sets based on Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade.[2]
Overview
editLego Indiana Jones is based on the Indiana Jones film franchise. The product line focuses on Indiana Jones (Ford), a globe-trotting archaeologist, vying with Nazi forces in 1936, to recover the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, a relic said to make an army invincible. Teaming up with his tough former lover Marion Ravenwood (Allen), Jones races to stop rival archaeologist Dr. René Belloq (Freeman) from guiding the Nazis to the Ark and its power.
Development
editThe development of the Indiana Jones Lego theme followed a similar process to other Lego themes, with sets being designed by Lego's team of designers in Billund, in consultation with franchise owner Lucasfilm. The inclusion of guns within the sets (including machine guns) was a cause of some internal controversy.[3]
Characters
edit- Indiana Jones: An archaeology professor and adventurer.[4]
- Marion Ravenwood: A spirited, tough bar owner and Jones' former lover.[4]
- René Belloq: A rival archaeologist to Jones, in the employ of the Nazis.[4]
- Willie Scott: An American nightclub singer working in Shanghai. In a nod to the Star Wars franchise, the nightclub is called Club Obi Wan. Willie is unprepared for her adventure with Indy and Short Round, and appears to be a damsel in distress. She also forms a romantic relationship with Indy.
- Mola Ram: A Thuggee priest who performs rites of human sacrifices. The character is named after a 17th-century Indian painter.
- Short Round: Indy's 11-year-old Chinese sidekick, who drives the 1936 Auburn Boat Tail Speedster which allows Indy to escape during the opening sequence.
- Henry Jones, Sr.: Indiana's father, a professor of Medieval literature who cared more about looking for the Grail than raising his son.[4]
- Elsa Schneider: An Austrian art professor who is in league with the Nazis. She seduces the Joneses to trick them but seems to be in love with Indy.
- Irina Spalko: A villainous Soviet agent.[4]
- Mutt Williams: a young, motorcycle-riding greaser and Indiana's sidekick and son.[4]
Construction sets
editAccording to BrickLink, The Lego Group released a total of 22 Lego sets and promotional polybags as part of Lego Indiana Jones theme.[5] The product line was eventually discontinued by the end of 2009.[6][7]
The initial wave of sets was released in 2008, Temple Escape (set number: 7623) was one of the biggest, and features the famous boulder chase scene from the opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Measuring 53 cm long, the set included numerous 'booby traps' from the film, including shooting spears and tumbling rocks. As well as Indiana Jones himself, the set included minifigs of René Belloq and Satipo. Pilot Jock and his seaplane were also included as a late addition, with the Lego designer and Lucasfilm agreeing that they were an important addition to complete the scene (allowing Indy to escape).[8]
Two other medium-size sets released at the same time also featured scenes from the Lost Ark film. The Lost Tomb (set number: 7621) depicted a snake-filled tomb, which Indy must escape from, and Race for the Stolen Treasure (set number: 7622) depicted the chase scene from the film, with Indy riding a horse in pursuit of a truck.
Later in 2008, four sets were released featuring scenes from the new film. The biggest of these was Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (7627), which focused on the final scene of the movie, and included a rotating circle of 'crystal skeletons', as well as the falling obelisk tower. The characters Mutt Williams, Irina Spalko and two Ugha Warriors were all included in minifig form, as well as Indy and an unnamed Russian soldier.
In 2009, the 'gap' of having no sets from The Temple of Doom was filled with two new sets featuring scenes from the film. The biggest of the two, The Temple of Doom (set number: 7199), included new narrower gauge (4-studs wide rather than the usual 6 studs) Lego train tracks in order to re-create the mine cart chase scene from the second half of the film. Six track piece were included in two shapes, four as curves and two as slopes. Straight track pieces for this new type of train track have not yet been released in any set.
The second-biggest set released in 2009 was Venice Canal Chase (set number: 7197), which depicts the boat chase scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The set includes two boats, one driven by Indy and Elsa Schneider, and the other driven by two Grail Guardians. The boats appear largely identical bar a few colour differences, but contain different button-activated actions - one boats splits in two when a button is pressed, the other one features an 'exploding' motor. The two Grail Guardian minifigs are notable for their dark red Fez hats, which is a new Lego element. The set also features a Venetian style bridge and an exploding pier.[9]
In March 2023, three sets were announced to be released on 1 April 2023. The three sets are Fighter Plane Chase (set number: 77012), Escape from the Lost Tomb (set number: 77013) and Temple of the Golden Idol (set number: 77015).[2][10][11][12] A fourth set, The Temple of Doom (set number: 77014) has been cancelled.[13][14]
Products
edit| Name | Number | Minifigures | Released | Film | Pieces |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle Chase | 7620 | Indiana Jones, Henry Jones, Sr., German Motorcyclist | 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 79 |
| The Lost Tomb | 7621 | Indiana Jones, Marion Ravenwood, Skeleton | 2008 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 277 |
| Race for the Stolen Treasure | 7622 | Indiana Jones, German Guards x2, Horse | 2008 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 272 |
| Temple Escape | 7623 | Indiana Jones, Rene Belloq, Satipo, Jock, Skeleton x2 | 2008 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 552 |
| Jungle Duel | 7624 | Indiana Jones, Irina Spalko, Mutt Williams | 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 90 |
| River Chase | 7625 | Indiana Jones, Russian Guards x2, Marion Ravenwood | 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 234 |
| Jungle Cutter | 7626 | Indiana Jones, Colonel Dovchenko, Russian Guards x2 | 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 511 |
| Temple of the Crystal Skull | 7627 | Indiana Jones, Mutt Williams, Irina Spalko, Russian Guard, Ugha Warriors x2, Crystal Skull Skeletons x3, Conquistador Skeleton | 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 929 |
| Peril in Peru | 7628 | Indiana Jones, Mutt Williams, Irina Spalko, Russian Guard, Pilot, Colonel Dovchenko | 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 625 |
| Jungle Cruiser | 20004 | Indiana Jones (no bag) | 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 83 |
| SDCC 08 Exclusive | comcon002 | Ugha Warriors x2 | 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 117 |
| Shanghai Chase | 7682 | Indiana Jones (tuxedo), Willie Scott, Short Round, Lao Che, Kao Kan | 2009 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | 244 |
| Fight on the Flying Wing | 7683 | Indiana Jones, Marion Ravenwood, German Mechanic, German Pilot | 2009 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 376 |
| Ambush in Cairo | 7195 | Indiana Jones (Cairo), Swordsman, Cairo Bandit, Marion Ravenwood | 2009 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 79 |
| Chauchilla Cemetery Battle | 7196 | Indiana Jones (new face), Mutt Williams, Cemetery Warriors x2, Conquistador Skeleton | 2009 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 189 |
| Venice Canal Chase | 7197 | Indiana Jones (professor), Elsa Schneider, Kazim, Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword guard | 2009 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 420 |
| Fighter Plane Attack | 7198 | Indiana Jones (no bag), Henry Jones Sr., German Pilot | 2009 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 339 |
| The Temple of Doom | 7199 | Indiana Jones (Kali), Willie Scott (Kali), Short Round, Thuggee, Chief Thugee, Mola Ram | 2009 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | 654 |
| Fighter Plane Chase | 77012 | Indiana Jones, Professor Henry Jones Sr, Fighter Pilot | 2023 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 387 |
| Escape from the Lost Tomb | 77013 | Indiana Jones, Marion Ravenwood, Sallah, Mummy | 2023 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 600 |
| The Temple of Doom | 77014 | Indiana Jones, Willie Scott, Short Round, Mola Ram, The Maharajah, Thugee Guard | Cancelled | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | 801 |
| Temple of the Golden Idol | 77015 | Indiana Jones, Satipo, Belloq, Hovitos Warrior | 2023 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 1545 |
Video games
editIn common with some of the other movie franchise Lego themes, Lego Indiana Jones also features spin-off video games. These combine scenes from the films with the graphic style of the Lego pieces and minifigures.
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (2008)
editThis was the first videogame released in the series, produced by Traveller's Tales and published by LucasArts in 2008.[15] It features scenes from the first three of the original Indiana Jones films, which can be played in any order.[16][17][18][19][20]
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (2009)
editThis game was produced as a sequel to The Original Adventures, and includes scenes from the fourth film in the franchise (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), as well as all-new scenes from the three original films. The game also added a new level editor.[21][22][23][24][25]
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (handheld)
editA separate version of the game, developed by TT Fusion and released for Nintendo DS and PSP, with different gameplay and story.
Lego Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick
editA computer-animated short film, Lego Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick, directed by Peder Pedersen, was also released on the official Lego site. It combines details from the first four Indiana Jones films in one adventure.[26][27]
Other media
editLego Ideas
editA project based on Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark – 40th Anniversary was uploaded to the Lego Ideas site on January 11, 2021, and it was created by Simon Scott reached 10,000 votes on LEGO Ideas in order for Lego to consider to make it into an official set. The project is based on Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark – 40th Anniversary from the Raiders of the Lost Ark film.[28][29]
Reception
editThe Indiana Jones sets proved to be one of the most popular Lego themes, and by the end of 2008 were credited, along with Lego Star Wars, of boosting the Lego Group's profits within a stagnant toy market. The product line was said to have "sold extremely well - especially on the North American market."[30] The sets were occasionally compared to those of the discontinued Lego Adventurers label (which was strongly influenced in its own right by the Indiana Jones franchise), which ran from 1998 to 2003.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "LEGO Group Secures Exclusive Construction Category Rights to Indiana Jones Property" (Press release). Lego Group. 18 June 2007. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
- ^ a b Lego Group (13 March 2023). "The LEGO Group Reveals Three New Sets Inspired by Indiana Jones™". Lego.com. Lego. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ Schwartz, Nelson D. (5 September 2009). "Turning to Hollywood tie-ins, Lego thinks beyond the brick". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Farshtey, Gregory; Lipkowitz, Daniel; Hugo, Simon (2020-10-01). LEGO Minifigure A Visual History New Edition. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-241-50202-0.
- ^ "BrickLink Reference Catalog - Sets - Category Lego Indiana Jones". www.bricklink.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-24. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "Indiana Jones LEGO Sets". BrickEconomy. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ "Six licensed LEGO themes that ended way too soon". Brick Fanatics. 8 October 2021.
- ^ Lipkowitz, Daniel (2009). The Lego Book. Dorling Kindersley. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-4053-4169-1.
- ^ "LEGO Indiana Jones | Brickset: LEGO set guide and database". Brickset. Archived from the original on 2021-06-26. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
- ^ "LEGO Indiana Jones sets keep the balance between play and display". Brick Fanatics. 13 March 2023.
- ^ "From 2008 to 2023: Comparing new and old LEGO Indiana Jones sets". Brick Fanatics. 17 March 2023.
- ^ "Can the new Indiana Jones line compare to the original?". Brickset. 29 March 2023.
- ^ "Why has 77014 The Temple of Doom been (presumably) cancelled?". Brickset. 13 March 2023.
- ^ "Five LEGO sets that were cancelled before making it to shelves". Brick Fanatics. 13 March 2023.
- ^ "Indiana Jones video game release dates". Brickset. 15 March 2008. Archived from the original on 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ "Lego Indy: First concrete details". 7 February 2008. Archived from the original on 10 February 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ^ "Games". www.feralinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
- ^ "SDCC 07: LEGO Indiana Jones: The Video Game". IGN.com. 27 July 2007. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
- ^ Video confirming Indiana Jones Archived 2009-05-10 at the Wayback Machine at GameTrailers
- ^ Jensen, Jeff (August 8, 2008). "Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ "LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (Available Fall 2009)". toysnbricks.com. 29 May 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "New LEGO Games". Brickset. June 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-06-26. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
- ^ "LEGO Indiana Jones 2 Arriving This Fall". 27 October 2009. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
- ^ "LucasArts Press Release". 29 May 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
- ^ "Feral Support | LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues". support.feralinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
- ^ LEGO Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick. March 4, 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Latest Lego mini-movie bows on Cartoon Network". Archived from the original on 2021-05-03. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
- ^ "INDIANA JONES, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK - 40TH ANNIVERSARY". Ideas.lego.com. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ^ "Indiana Jones and the belated anniversary LEGO Ideas project". Brick Fanatics. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ^ Espinoza, Javier (12 August 2008). "Lego Builds On Earnings". Forbes. Archived from the original on 10 June 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.