RAIDER OF THE LOST ARK
dir: Steven Spielberg
"Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?" - Indiana Jones
Brief Synopsis
A brave and famous archeologist known as Indiana Jones travels across the globe to find the legendary Ark of the Covenant before the Nazi's do.
Why It's Here
People may want me burned alive for saying that I didn't love "Raiders" nor is it my favorite of the Indiana Jones films. I feel that films of this nature have to either be seen when your young, something to grow up on, or seen as soon as it comes out, not decades later. I grew up with "The Temple of Doom", and only saw "Raiders" for the first time when I was about 13. The impact was different and the comic action was not the same.
Spielberg and Lucas take their adventure to exciting places, the entire adventure clearly inspired by early film serials, recapturing that sense of fun and exploration. Harrison Ford in his prime is the perfect fit for the role. Jones is a very fun character who is both a daring adventurer who must trust shady natives, run from gunfire, yet come home and be the dull professor. His dual-life is the kind of exciting secretive character that many people dream of, and it's why the character works so damn well. And he hates snakes, which is the funniest part about him.
Raiders is very fun, but also very goofy, the humour works and it sometimes misses, it has a lighthearted feel to it so you can't really hold it against the movie when it doesn't, you just keep going along with it. Karen Allen who stars opposite Ford is one of Spielberg's early damsel in distress's, she is fairly useless, only getting our hero into further complications. The sexism of the 80's is prevelant, but passable due to the times. This is Indy's only true lone adventure, which is probably for the better.
Whether or not you can accept the dated action and humour, it's a film worth seeing because of it's impact on adventure films everywhere. The sense of mystery and reward when finding artifacts has never been captured with such energy since this film. Indy's wide array of locations in his adventure make the film's entertainment value soar, making it easy to come back to, and who can deny the sound of that whip? When Indy cracks it, the music comes in, you can't help but enjoy the ride.
Spielberg and Lucas take their adventure to exciting places, the entire adventure clearly inspired by early film serials, recapturing that sense of fun and exploration. Harrison Ford in his prime is the perfect fit for the role. Jones is a very fun character who is both a daring adventurer who must trust shady natives, run from gunfire, yet come home and be the dull professor. His dual-life is the kind of exciting secretive character that many people dream of, and it's why the character works so damn well. And he hates snakes, which is the funniest part about him.
Raiders is very fun, but also very goofy, the humour works and it sometimes misses, it has a lighthearted feel to it so you can't really hold it against the movie when it doesn't, you just keep going along with it. Karen Allen who stars opposite Ford is one of Spielberg's early damsel in distress's, she is fairly useless, only getting our hero into further complications. The sexism of the 80's is prevelant, but passable due to the times. This is Indy's only true lone adventure, which is probably for the better.
Whether or not you can accept the dated action and humour, it's a film worth seeing because of it's impact on adventure films everywhere. The sense of mystery and reward when finding artifacts has never been captured with such energy since this film. Indy's wide array of locations in his adventure make the film's entertainment value soar, making it easy to come back to, and who can deny the sound of that whip? When Indy cracks it, the music comes in, you can't help but enjoy the ride.