Raiders of the Lost Ark Movie Review

Classic '30s-style adventure reminiscent of early serials spawned two sequels and numerous rip-offs. Made Harrison Ford a household name as dashing hero and intrepid archeologist Indiana Jones. He battles mean Nazis, decodes hieroglyphics, fights his fear of snakes, and even has time for a little romance in his quest for the biblical Ark of the Covenant. Karen Allen is perfectly cast as his feisty ex-flame, more than a little irritated with the smooth talker who dumped her years earlier. Asks viewers to suspend belief as every chase and stunt tops the last. Unrelated opening sequence does a great job of introducing the character. Followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

1981 (PG) 115m/C Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Wolf Kahler, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott, Ronald Lacey, Anthony Higgins, Alfred Molina; D: Steven Spielberg; W: George Lucas, Philip Kaufman; M: John Williams. Hugos ‘82: Dramatic Presentation; Academy Awards ‘81: Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects; People's Choice Awards ‘82: Best Film; Nominations: Academy Awards ‘81: Best Cinematography, Best Director (Spielberg), Best Picture, Best Original Score. VHS, Beta, LV, 8mm PAR