A perfect action/adventure film

Rating: 8/10 (22 September 2003)

The last time I saw this film was about twenty years ago when my Dad and I went to see it about four times in the theater. When it came to the local classic movie theater it was a must-see for a friend and I, and I was completely delighted with how it translated into my relatively `adult' life.
I use the term `adult' loosely for many reasons, but primarily because while sitting in that dark theater watching this movie, I was suddenly 10 years old again. The outrageous action sequences, the wry comments by Indiana Jones that were probably lost on me when I was a child and the interesting comparisons between what I thought was terrifying as a child and the reality of its present impact on me was very fun to experience. (I remember almost losing control of my bowels at the end of the film when I was a kid.)

Another thing I realized after watching this movie was that Spielberg cannot write or direct proper roles for women in his films. Karen Allen was almost (but not quite) as irritating as Kate Capshaw was in the second (and vastly inferior) installment. The only allowance I can give is that the film in itself is so over the top that perhaps the whiny damsel in distress is appropriate, but that's about the most positive spin I can put on that element.
I'm definitely looking forward to the Indiana Jones trilogy being released on DVD so that I can hopefully gain a little more insight into the production of the films, although perhaps the reality is that it's best to leave the films alone and let them stand on their own merit as fun, action packed films.
--Shelly