Executive Producer/Creator George Lucas, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment follow up the impressive, successful epic of Volume One with a nine-disc chronicle of THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES Volume Two: The War Years collection now on DVD.

As labeled, our fedora-capped hero in the form of Sean Patrick Flanery matures amid the adventure and danger of World War I Europe, fighting in the trenches as a Belgian Army volunteer while experiencing noble aspirations and terrible destruction as the conflict expands across France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Africa and the Middle East.  This Volume Two set contains eight feature-length adventures coupled with episode-specific bonus features, plus a ninth interactive disc including an action timeline, bonus material previews and an interactive game.

Produced by Rick McCallum and guest starring Friedrich von Thun, Anthony Daniels, Christopher Lee, Timothy Spall, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Daniel Craig just to name a few, this sweeping wartime epic really puts late-teens Indy into perilous action as the young adventurer grows more emotionally seasoned and battle-hardened as a fearless yet fallible character.  The dramatic content also grows a bit more mature in Volume Two, but war themes are realistically tempered and balanced with moments of humor to keep it entertaining for all appropriate-aged members of family audiences.

YOUNG INDIANA JONES' War Years begin with The Trenches of Hell, pitting Indy and his Belgian Army cohorts against the Germans in the furious Battle of the Somme.  He learns first hand the horrors and brutality of trench warfare, as artillery and machine gun fire rain down on Belgian and French forces, exposed to the scourge of gas warfare.  Once again Indy resumes his travels through history as well, meeting a young Charles De Gaulle, the future leader of France, in a German POW camp.  These fictionalized encounters are balanced with historical documentaries which again illustrate how Indy's dramatic adventures are inspired by actual participants and events of the war.

Disc Two's feature, Demons of Deception, continues Indy's trench-view of war before shifting the story to Paris, where he and best friend Remy finally get leave from the violent action near Verdun.  Indy quickly rediscovers the bloom of love as he meets Mata Hari, the infamously bold and deceptive dancer and reputed double agent wartime spy.  Here too, Indy's romantic encounters also show more complexity and maturity in the character, as he must wrestle with the moral and political conflicts which arise amid his personal entanglements.  This excellent episode also introduces the theme of espionage, which Indy pursues often throughout the remaining War Years.  Four solid documentaries help sort out the romanticized fiction of this tale from the actual realities (and ambiguities) of Mata Hari, and entertainingly explain how World War I gave birth to professional espionage and spying in both war and peace time forever afterward.

Disc Three finds Indy hunting down the Phantom Train of Doom with 'The Old and the Bold' in Africa — a rollicking good installment reminiscent of the second World War tale The Guns of Navarone.  But Disc Four's episode Oganga, The Giver and Taker of Life stands out strongly in Volume Two as one of the best productions in the entire YOUNG INDIANA JONES library.  The war action is dialed down to present Indy with harrowing moral conflicts to face amid the disease-ravaged villages of Africa.  Friedrich von Thun delivers a brilliant, moving performance as Dr. Albert Schweitzer, who has forsaken partisanship in the war to provide badly needed medical care to the impoverished and displaced villagers caught up in the war. Immensely entertaining and educational, this chapter in the saga is a must-see for Indy fans and is a high watermark which made production of the entire YOUNG INDIANA JONES series worthwhile and welcome on television!

Disc Five offers another high-flying escapade with Attack of the Hawkmen, in which Indy's espionage missions place him in the gunsights of none other than the Red Baron himself, German ace pilot Manfred von Richthofen.  As Indy delivers a French offer tempting aircraft designer Anthony Fokker away from German service, our hero foils the Hun's attempt to launch a new secret weapon against Allied territories.  Four more highly informative documentaries examine how the burgeoning theories of air power quickly transformed warfare into a third dimension of danger and death.

Indy soon finds himself entangled in revolution and romance in Russia in Adventures in the Secret Service, as his spying duties may hold the key to tipping the balance of power away from Germany and ending World War I quickly.  Alas, both exploits teach Indy valuable lessons about political disillusionment and coping with his own naivety about world affairs which remain beyond his control.

Volume Two's tales conclude with another epic installment of military engagement in the Middle East with Daredevils of the Desert.  Indy is reunited with his childhood acquaintance, T.E. Lawrence, as he's assigned to help British commanders launch a crucial offensive against a Turkish stronghold. Co-starring Catherine Zeta-Jones as a mysterious agent posing as belly dancer, and Daniel Craig as a headstrong German officer, this episode presents another epic example of the series' amazing production value which could easily rival the look and experience of many feature films, thanks to show runner Rick McCallum and the early digital effects efforts of Industrial Light and Magic which expand the vistas and budget of these 16mm-shot episodes.  If there is one possible shortcoming of these Young Indy adventures, it's that their smaller-frame format doesn't allow for a widescreen video presentation of these otherwise dazzling films.

The War Years concludes with Disc Nine's interactive timeline of Indy's adventures, plus an interactive Special Delivery game which add some clarity and more fun to the events and years covered in Volume Two.  Another engaging history discussion with Professor H.W. Brands, summarizes the global themes of War and Revolution of which Indiana Jones plays his own small, fictional part interwoven with actual historic change.  Don't be fooled by the supposed 'lecture' format of Brands' segments, as his personal style and enthusiasm for the subject matter make his presentations feel more like energetic chats about real history and people.

After the youthful travels and discoveries of Volume One, the action and drama of Volume Two fully live up to the title THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES: The War Years in all that implies.  Fans and families will enjoy watching Indy grow out of boyhood, through the terror and travails of battle, and advance into maturity.  Sean Patrick Flanery really explores and deepens Indy's character, earning shades of the rough-and-tumble reputation and worldly wisdom which Indy eventually displays in his feature film adventures.  Enjoy Volume Two this winter and look forward to the exciting release of Volume Three in Spring 2008.

READ OUR VOLUME ONE REVIEW HERE

READ OUR VOLUME THREE REVIEW HERE