Doc Ock Vs. Doc Indy

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2010)

Not only is Raiders of the Lost Ark my favorite adventure of all time – almost 20 years later, nothing has come remotely close, it is a masterpiece in film-making. That is NOT a word I use regularly, and for those who know me, know how critical I am with films. Suffice to say, I mean it when I say MASTERPIECE.
Everything worked in this movie. Sound, score, acting, believability – for its subject matter, humor, suspense, cinematography, twists. Simply stated: this is a must see for all ages, all creeds, all humans.
Did they even know what they had when they made the first Indiana Jones adventure? Did audiences know what once in a lifetime experience they were watching back in 1981 or take this for granted? I know I probably would have – if I had seen it in theatres at that time. (Side Note: I can't say for certain that I did or did not see this in first run theatres, I was only seven and my family barely went to one or two movies a year – if we were lucky.) The movie starts off with a bang – Dr. Indiana Jones is attempting to obtain an ancient artifact for a museum, but must first pass a series of tests, including who to trust, in 1936 South America. It's a famous opening segment accompany the famous Indy Vs. the Boulder scene and it sets the tone quickly on the adventure you're about to partake on.
Only thing is, unlike many, many imitations to follow in the next couple of decades, Writer George Lucas and Director Steven Spielberg decided action and the set-pieces weren't enough. In addition to the great action/adventure and thrill rides that will take you through the climax, they focused mainly on character depth and story. Both flourished. Namely with, of course, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford.) Though Ford didn't start his career in 1977's Star Wars, he certainly began stretching his legs and made himself into an icon. An movie star people cared about. Then came 1980's The Empire Strikes Back where he flourished and added the much needed depth to his Han Solo character in the sequel. There's no question: Indiana Jones is Harrison Ford. Or is it vice versa? Ford didn't just make the cardboard adventurer based on the old movie serials one note, he breathed life into the role, beyond just having the audience care for him. They wanted to be him. I would want to be him. And as super-human as he is, Ford made sure he was still just plain human, flaws and all. Of course, he always has to come out on top, despite the odds.
Beyond him, no one else, from Allen's love interest Marion to the monkey, was just one note. Sure they didn't steal the spotlight as Indy/Ford dominated, but each was just as believable and needed in their roles.
After the great opening that is sure to hook even the skeptical viewer, the mystery begins involving the race to find the "lost ark," the ark that supposedly contains the original Ten Commandments that Moses stored, before those pesky Nazis get their hands on it. Classic good vs. evil.
Along the way you'll be in store with romance, comedy, more adventure and action sequences and one of the greatest scores orchestrated by the great John Williams. Just as he previously breathed life into Superman in Superman: The Movie with his fantastic music, he gives the well-written Indiana Jones a soul.
I understand I'm not giving this movie the proper justice with all that I could say about it, but suffice to say, this absolute classic is worth a viewing for all, including those who've already seen it. It was refreshing to see "real" movie making again for my, I don't know, 24th time, with NO CGI. Aside from the (today's) comical face melting in the finale, everything else not only works, but makes you apart of the rideof a lifetime. See it!