DVDs: Keeping up with the JONES; THE ADVENTURES OF INDIANA JONES - THE COMPLETE DVD MOVIE COLLECTION (PG, pounds 44.99).

Byline: JESSICA MELLOR on a classic trilogy...

Between them, the three Indiana Jones movies have grossed an incredible pounds 772m at the box office, but it's strange to think they might never have been made at all.

In the late '70s, Star Wars producer George Lucas teamed up with hot director Steven Spielberg to make a film about an archaeologist adventurer. Lucas pitched the idea for Raiders Of The Lost Ark to the money men and was turned down all over Hollywood.

Eventually, Paramount took a chance, coughed up the cash and the rest is movie history. Here, the three Harrison Ford epics are gathered together on DVD for the first time, with a fourth disc which is packed with mouthwatering extras.

Set just before the Second World War, Raiders (1981) sees Indy trying to rescue the Ark of the Covenant from the clutches of the Nazis, with Karen Allen as the leading lady.

Each film has an accompanying Making Of documentary which were specially produced for the DVD. The Raiders film uses great original footage shot on set, mixed in with recent interviews from the filmmakers and cast. One interesting snippet is that Ford had misgivings about signing up for all three. But he soon realised it would be one of the wisest decisions of his career.

We also get a lesson from Harrison in how to wield a whip and discover that in real life he actually likes snakes.

The Temple Of Doom, which followed in 1984, was not as well received as Raiders, but was still a big hit. Teaming Indy up with Kate Capshaw's girlie and very annoying heroine was probably not a great idea, but then she did go on to become Mrs Spielberg.

The tone is altogether darker in this action-packed sequel, but Ke Huy Quan - the little boy lost who adopts Indy as a father figure - provides some light relief.

In the second Making Of documentary, we learn more about the workings of the producer, the director and their devoted crew who managed to create such impressive special effects and stunts without the aid of

computers.

Lucas and Spielberg felt that The Last Crusade, which came five years later, was a welcome return to their original fun, joke-laden form, and the inclusion of Sean Connery as Indy's dad was a stroke of genius. Alison Doody plays the nasty Nazi in disguise, and River Pheonix puts in an energetic performance as the young Indiana.

In the final Making Of feature, Ford calls Crusade "the most sophisticated and the most fun" of the trilogy and this spirit certainly shows on screen.

We get a great glimpse at what makes movie sets tick with stories such as Spielberg having to find 10,000 rats, how they managed to safely set fire to the sets and just why Harrison and Connery shot one scene without any trousers.

Seeing the cast being put through their paces is always interesting, but for me the real beauty of these sorts of stories is the wonder of the mechanics that go into making these adventures, and the men and women behind them.

Also included on the bonus disc are special reports on the sound, stunts, light, magic and music of the Indiana Jones films. They give a real insight into fascinating facts such as the reasons they used the sound of chickens for rats, just how you get a belly punch to appear real and what went into John Williams' Oscar-nominated film scores.

If all that wasn't enough, there's the original film trailers plus a glimpse of the video game Indiana Jones And The Emperor's Tomb, plus web links.

With more than three hours of bonus footage - making up ten hours-plus in all - this lovingly produced collection really is a fan's dream. As Indiana Jones 4 is currently in the making, now is the time to relive the magic of the previous genre-defining films.

CAPTION(S):

ACTION MAN: Harrison Ford in Temple Of Doom; TAKE THAT: The Last Crusade; THE ORIGINAL: Raiders Of The Lost Ark