Escapism at its best

Rating: 9/10 (16 July 2004)

Even though it's way over twenty years old, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is still one of the best action adventures ever created. This movie has all the things that make an action movie great: - A wonderful story about lost cities, ancient artifacts, and great mysteries. Even though everybody knows that most of these stories are nonsense, it's great to fantasize about them. - Main characters that are actually still human, instead of the superheroes Hollywood throws at you these days (both in "real" superhero movies like X-Men and Hulk, and in movies where the main characters are normal humans but somehow completely invulnerable ("Tomb Raider", "Mission Impossible 2")). Of course everybody knows that the good guys are going to win, but in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", the heroes have weaknesses, are vulnerable, don't do completely idiotic things, and abide by the normal laws of physics.

The movie doesn't take itself too seriously. Sure, it mostly plays it straight, but it isn't afraid to be a bit tongue-in-cheek from time to time. I take this kind of approach over the super-serious approach any time.

All of the above things make "Raiders of the Lost Ark" excellent. It's a fun mix of story, action, and humour, without any kind of pretenses, that does exactly what it's supposed to do: entertain you for a couple of hours. Escapism at its best.
***1/2 out of **** stars