Even Spielberg doesn't make 'em like this anymore.

Rating: 10/10 (19 June 2010)

Inspired by the movies and serials enjoyed by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas in their youth, Raiders Of The Lost Ark is a relentless roller-coaster of a film that sees the bearded movie moguls expertly combining action, romance, horror, adventure, fantasy and comedy; as far as pure entertainment value goes, it doesn't get much better than this.
Unlike in their later adventures for Harrison Ford's heroic archaeologist, the pair pitch the level of escapism perfectly, stretching believability to the limits occasionally, but never exceeding them (there's no flying fridges or death defying falls over a cliff in a rubber dinghy in this one). Apart from seriously underestimating the weight of gold (Indy even takes some sand out of the bag he uses to replace a solid gold idol) and expecting the audience to accept that a U-Boat would travel hundreds of miles without submerging, the film is pretty flawless, with classic scene after classic scene brilliantly executed by a Spielberg in his prime.
Not yet in his forties, Harrison Ford is still young enough to give the character his all (mind you, being well into his sixties today doesn't seem to have stopped him trying), and he is given able support by a solid cast that includes John Rhys-Davies as brave Egyptian Sallah, Denholm Elliott as fellow history nut Dr. Marcus Brody, Paul Freeman as reprehensible archaeologist Dr. René Belloq, and Karen Allen as Jones's spunky sidekick Marion Ravenwood. As well as terrific performances, the film also boasts superb old-school stunts (ie., pre-CGI), excellent visual effects from Richard Edlund, and even some delightfully gruesome moments that might prove too much for some little ones: a man is impaled on spears, a German soldier is reduced to a red mist by propeller blades, faces are melted, and there is even an exploding head!!! Now that's what I call quality family entertainment!