Classic movie with a good story.

Rating: 8/10 (3 August 2014)

I find that the third movie of this series is the best, but the first is certainly done well too. Indy is well played by Harrison Ford, as is Marion by Karen Allen along with the supporting roles of Sallah and Belloq. The action is good for the time it was made, and the storyline is solid with good characters. The only time the effects and acting were really lacking was in the climatic scene with the spirits within the ark making all of the Nazis bleed to death on the spot. The dialogue flows well throughout as does the general plot. I might have spent less time in the streets of Cairo had I made the movie, but apart from that I don't really have any complaints. This film has the classic spirit of a hero that can overcome almost anything with help. That sort of thing appeals to modern audiences less, but isn't necessarily bad, considering that the lack of that type of hero tends to result in a somewhat annoying 'save the world' type of plot that this movie doesn't have. I like this film better than some other Spielberg movies like Jaws and Jurassic Park because the characters and the movie itself have more personality. The theme by John Williams is pretty good, though I think he sometimes tries to make his songs sound good on their own and not fit the scene and consequently not really come out sounding good on their own. It's good about not letting the religiously historical plot turn it into some kind of morality lecturing movie. The graphics on some of the gore and the sound effects are less than perfect, but that's coming from someone who has had movies with Lord of the Rings quality special effects around his whole life. Still, the explosions are much better than in Independence Day which was made 16 years later. As a whole, the movie is a good classic that I give an 8.2, but would probably be rated better had it been made 30 years later.