With the arrival on US Disney Plus of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Lucasfilm take a look back at the groundbreaking series and how the adventures of Henry Jones Jr. as a child and a teenager entering the Great War gave him not only the opportunity to meet an incredible array of historical characters but develop the skills and nerve to become the worlds greatest archaeologist.
The Young Indy series comprises 22 feature-length episodes that span Indy’s life between roughly 1908 and 1920. The early episodes depict Indy around the age of 10 (played by Corey Carrier) when he joins his parents and tutor on a world lecture tour, visiting locations as varied as the Egyptian pyramids, the streets of Paris, and the Great Wall of China.
The majority of episodes follow Indy as a teenager into his early adulthood (played by Sean Patrick Flanery). Running away from home, he gets caught up in the Mexican Revolution before joining the Belgian army in World War I. These adventures take Indy to innumerable locales from the Congolese jungles to the islands of the southern Pacific Ocean. As the series ends, Indy is back in the United States studying archaeology, on the cusp of becoming the hero we know from Harrison Ford’s portrayal on the big screen.
For Indy fans, the series adds layers of background to this alluring character. What inspired him to become an archaeologist? How did he learn to make things up as he goes? When did he first fall in love? There are important insights into Indy’s relationship with his father, which is often tragic but ultimately redeemed. Entirely absent from the movies is Indy’s mother Anna. Young Indy viewers discover how she taught her son compassion and sensitivity. There are other original characters who help shape the man, including his teacher Helen Seymour, his friend Remy Baudouin, as well as the many historical figures. In short, this series can change the way you watch the Indy movies.
For those less familiar with Indy’s big screen adventures, Young Indy is of equal interest. Each episode is unique in its subject matter and storytelling style. It’s full of close-up looks at diverse lands and peoples. To embrace the cliché, there’s truly something for everyone in Young Indy. Although George Lucas primarily aimed to inspire young people to learn more about history, grown-ups are by no means immune to its many wonders and lessons, from the ecological ideas of Theodore Roosevelt to the noble sacrifices of the English Suffragettes to the Black pioneers of jazz in 1920s Chicago.
- Hardcover Book
- Blake, Olivie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 592 Pages - 08/29/2023 (Publication Date) - Random House Worlds (Publisher)
