Still to be beaten.

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2018)

In the action/ adventure genre I believe Raiders of the Lost Ark is the yardstick by which all other films should be measured.
There simply was not an action/ adventure film made before this which is as good, and there has not been one since (although the sequels came close).
Everything here works, there is nothing wasted. Nothing to bloat the film and make it boring, nothing to slow down the pace and nothing unnecessary. RotLA cracks along at a good pace, but occasionally gives the viewer time to breathe before we are off again on another leg of the adventure.
This is action movie making at it's very best, the cast, direction, cinematography, score, locations, story, everything is just perfect. Everyone involved in making RotLA brought their "A-game" to the table, and it shows.
RotLA is such an evocative film, from the opening jungle scene, to the Cairo markets, to the outline of Indy against the sunset as they dig for the Well of Souls, to the final "storage room" scene. The images Spielberg created here are masterful, the score by John williams complementing them perfectly. The action is pure edge-of-your-seat stuff, and there are a good few laughs thrown in too.
I was around 6 or so when I first ever saw it and I was blown away. I am still blown away every time when I watch it now (I am now 41).
A modern classic in every sense of the word, one that is far superior to the mindless cookie-cutter tripe that is churned out pretty much every week in cinemas 37 years later.
It really fascinates me how people can say that Raiders is for "kids with no brain" and give it a poor rating. These are probably the same people who turn up at the multiplex each month to see the next Marvel film, which is just the same as the last Marvel film, but with a slightly different character.
Nothing else to say really, if you haven't seen Raiders then see it.
You can thank me later!