The Greatest Adventure Movie of All Time

Rating: 10/10 (20 October 2000)

From beginning to end, this rip-roaring action movie is perfect. It was my favorite movie for years until it was topped by another Spielberg film, "Saving Private Ryan" (and only because that movie's subject matter is more important)
It hits perfection on everything associated with adventure films, and nothing in its genre has come close to topping it since, save maybe its first sequel, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom."

It has a great plot, characters, music, exotic locales, villains, stunts, cinematography, and special effects. Thrilling and expertly choreographed and photographed action sequences--the gunfight in the Nepalese bar and the hijacking of the Nazi plane are excellent examples. It deserves its spot on the AFI list of the top 100 greatest movies of all time. It was inspired by the serials of the 1930's, but represents them better than those films do themselves. The stunt work is incredible, with hero Indiana Jones (introduced here for the first time) running from giant boulders, dragged underneath trucks, and punching and whipping his way through dozens of fights with nasty bad guys. Harrison Ford is excellent, and so are all the supporting roles, especially Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, and Ronald Lacey as Toht, who is possibly movie history's most menacing henchman. "Raiders" is also scary and suspensful--many of us who grew up in the eighties remember being frightened by the beautiful spectre released by the Ark, who then morphs into a screaming death's head. Its also quite amazing that the many snakes and spiders in this film were all real.

Whenever you feel down, this is the movie to watch. Pure escapism. It is so uplifting and exciting, what more could you ask for? Grade: A+