| Jack Hunter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Years | 2008–2009 |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Production companies | American Cinema International Oasis Entertainment |
| Official website | |
| Jack Hunter: The Lost Treasure of Ugarit | |
Jack Hunter is a 2008 American archeological adventure film series (in the vein of the Indiana Jones franchise). It consists of three parts: Jack Hunter and the Lost Treasure of Ugarit, Jack Hunter and the Quest for Akhenaten's Tomb and Jack Hunter and the Star of Heaven with Hunter played by Ivan Sergei.
The film begins with Jack stealing a stone tablet from a French museum... Young archaeologist Jack Hunter planned only to take a picture of a cuneiform tablet from once unsurpassed Mesopotamian metropolis Ugarit in present Syria, but is caught and has to steal it from a private museum in France. He refuses to join his mentor, professor Frederic "Freddie" Shaffer, who believes the poem is a coded treasure map, on a relic hunt, until his friend is murdered to steal it. The obvious suspect is Syrian artifact trader Ali, so Jack flies to Damascus. There he must accept working with local, US-educated colleague Nadia and her driver Tariq. Their lives are threatened during the long relic quest, for one by common nemesis Albert Littman, but another secret lurks too.
Akhenaten, a pharaoh who raided Ugarit, stole its treasure and the second piece of the Star of Heaven. If Jack and his team find the tomb, they will find the treasure and the Star. Loads of action and mystery await.
The final piece of the puzzle and final film in the film series. It seems the Romans got to Akhenaten's Tomb first. The race is on to see if Jack and his friends can find the treasure and recover the Iris back from Littmann and the Russians.
| Characters | Films | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lost Treasure of Ugarit | Quest for Akhenaten's Tomb | The Star of Heaven | |
| Jack Hunter | Ivan Sergei | ||
| Nadia Ramadan | Joanne Kelly | ||
| Albert Littmann | Thure Riefenstein | ||
| Lena Halstrom | Alaina Huffman | ||
| Liz | Susan Ward | ||
| Tariq | Mario Naim Bassil | ||
| Doridanov | Mehmet Polat | ||
| Said | Tuncel Kurtiz | ||
| Mustafa | Sinan Tuzcu | ||
| Riyad | Savas Özdemir | ||
| Eyhab | Alper Kul | ||
| Boat captain | Orbay Sayu | ||
| Truck driver | Volga Sorgu | ||
| Egyptian soldier | Emre Cosar | ||
| Egyptian worker | Can Çelebi | ||
| Fuad Antaki | Mert Yavuzcan | ||
| Petrovsky | Teoman Kumbaracibasi | ||
| Inspector Fatih | Fatih Haciosmanoglu | ||
| Armen Antaki | Michael Halphie | ||
| Widow | Esin Eden | ||
| Monk | Tansu Biçer | ||
| Young woman | Silay Ünal | ||
| Nun | Lilie Lossen | ||
The series has been described as a low-budget blatant ripoff of Indiana Jones. Jumping Sharks' review described it as "a completely original miniseries, in no way stealing anything at all from Indiana Jones. Nope. No sireee. Well, maybe just a bit. Okay, maybe a bit more than a bit. Oh, alright – they basically copied Indiana Jones, right down to his trademarked hat." [1]
Jack Hunter generally received mixed reviews from critics. One reviewer from Die Welt , however, did praise the series, saying, "As the successor to Indiana Jones, [Jack Hunter] does the adventurer credit." [2]
Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. is the title character and protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials. The character first appeared in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, to be followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles from 1992 to 1996, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023. The character is also featured in novels, comics, video games, and other media. Jones is also the inspiration for several Disney theme park attractions, including Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, the Indiana Jones Adventure, and Epic Stunt Spectacular! attractions.
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Ugarit was an ancient port city in northern Syria about 10 kilometers north of modern Latakia. At its height it ruled an area roughly equivalent to the modern Latakia Governorate. It was discovered by accident in 1928 with the Ugaritic texts. Its ruins are often called Ras Shamra after the headland where they lie.
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