Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) directed by Steven Spielberg

AFI Top 100: #66

The Indiana Jones trilogy is my personal favorite of all time. And yes, I said trilogy. Sorry Shia LaBouf. LaBuff? LaBoof? Either way, I do not include the fourth one. Raiders of the Lost Ark is such an astounding film in many aspects. While it is very original for its time, it also incorporates the fantastic skills of Spielberg without resorting to absurd science fiction, which was my main problem with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. This film could be on loop for days on end, and I would be completely okay with it, because every time you watch this fantastic film, you can catch something new.

The story of this film is something very innovative for its time, and it is honestly a surprise that it did so well in the box office. In the midst of the Star Wars and Star Trek hype, Spielberg manages to pull a classic out of his bag and dominate the world. None of the major studios could have ever thought that in 1981, a film about a 1930's adventurer would be successful. They neglected to remember, however, how big of a star Harrison Ford was at the time. Not only that, but this genre was unheard of since the 50's and 60's, and the story was so inviting and attention-grabbing. Mixing elements of the Nazis and Egyptian tomb-raiding worked so well for the film. The plot of this film draws you in and doesn't let you go until the very end, and even then you are begging for more.

In all honesty, I do not have many things to say about this film, positive or negative. Positively, this is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, adventure film ever made. You simply have to see it for yourself in order to get the entire experience. One of my favorite aspects of the film was that it never once objectified women. Marion, played by Karen Allen, was perfect for her role and her character was so independently badass that she might not have even needed Indy's help. Indy never once made a remark about a woman in the film, and he viewed women with the utmost respect. This was awesome writing, especially for a character in this position in the 30's. On the negative side, I have absolutely nothing to say. This might be the shortest review I have ever written, but this is one of those rare films where it is such an instant classic that there is nothing to say that will do it justice, other than seeing it for yourself. I can not stress that enough.

If you have never seen Raiders of the Lost Ark, do yourself a favor and see it. Only then will you truly know how majestic and triumphant the whip-slinging, ass-kicking, and charming character that Indiana Jones is. I would strongly recommend this film to anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

My Rating: ★★★★★