a pit that they must swing over and then more tiny poisonous darts that come out of the wall. All this to protect an ancient gold statue. They recover it. One guy dies and the other barely makes it out of the room before it all falls on him. Then he has to get out of the cave and a giant boulder chases him. Finally he makes it out of the cave only to be surrounded by Hovitos and his arch enemy named Belloq. He takes the gold statue that this guy worked so hard for and then the guy runs and makes it to the plane where he is in the passenger seat and there is big snake in the plane. He hates snakes. This mans name? Indiana Jones!Whhhoooooo!! I'm left breathless just describing that opening. But is there a better beginning of a movie ever? Absolutely not. Does the beginning have anything to do with the rest of the film. No. It is all decoration for what the movie is going to put you through in the 90 minutes to come.Indiana Jones is the best character to ever hit the screens. And he better be. He is created by George, Steven and played by Harrison Ford. That may seem normal now that we have lived with him for 20 years, but can you imagine what that must have been like back in 1981. That would be like Tom Hanks or Will Smith joining forces with James Cameron and Steven Spielberg for a completely original idea in today's terms.Raiders took a simple idea and maybe an idea that the guys had from watching Saturday afternoon movies and made it larger than life. This film never stops for you to take your breath. It is filled with rich characters from Indy himself to Marion to Belloq and even to Marcus Brody. Each has their own personality that shines through in certain scenes. Some of my faves were when we first meet Marion having a shot contest in her bar in Nepal. Then there is her scene with Belloq and they get drunk together and she tries to leave using only a butter knife. And of course who can forget Indy's battle with the swordsman and his unrivaled determination to get the ark. " Indy, there is not time. If you still want the truck it is being loaded on a truck for Cairo. " a battered and bloody Indy " Truck? What truck?" and then later "Get some transport back to England, boat, plane, anything. Meet me at Omar's. I'm going after that truck. "Sola " How? " Indy I don't know I'm making this up as I go."Raiders has more energy than three action films. And that is what makes it the classic that it is. If you like movies, then Raiders is a movie that will not let you down. It is pure entertainment and that is indisputable. It finds the youngster in all of us and bombards us with this silly, whip-cracking, average, incredibly determined archaeologist and only asks us to have fun. And that we do. And to me, the only reason that Chariots of Fire won best picture that year is because it is a serious film. Raiders was heads and shoulders above Chariots and it should have cleaned up at the Oscars in 81. But more politics with the academy.Raiders of the Lost Ark is the epitome of entertainment. What more can be said about it. If you haven't seen this movie in a while or if you haven't seen it at all gasp then do yourself a favour and rent it tonight. It is awesome.TRUST ME

Wars, but I was still curious and began the begging of my father to take me.When I was young, almost all of the films that I had seen, I saw with my Dad. He would take me and my mother would stay at home with my siblings. We saw a number of films that failed to generate a reaction with him as they did with me, but this one was different. This one, my Dad might've enjoyed just as much.Who can forget the scene where Indy faces bandits in the marketplace, fighting swords with his wits and fists, only to be finally challenged by a dark robed adversary brandishing a heavy, dismembering type of sabre as he swings the impressive blade about his head menacingly?Indiana looks his opponent up and down briefly and draws his pistol casually and shoots the villain dead as if his patience had been tested a moment longer than he could tolerate.My father, and the entire audience for that matter, laughed and cheered at this incredible scene. And it was the first time I'd actually been aware of his enjoyment of the film. Usually I'm so transfixed that I wouldn't notice if my legs were on fire. He enjoyed it so much, that he still tends to bring up that scene, even today.My father and I shared a great moment in movie history, and I will never forget it for as long as I live. I will always be grateful for the time we spent together and the films that I otherwise would have been unable to see without him taking me.Just a side note about the scene I've described above. It wasn't meant to go that way at all. As Steven Spielberg explained in a television interview, the scene was meant to have an elaborate fight sequence, but Harrison Ford was suffering from diarrhea and couldn't go through with the elaborate set-up required. Someone said, "the only way we can finish this scene today is if he shoots him". Steven said, "Wait a minute, we might have something there."As for where it ranks with Star Wars, it's hard for me to say, so I won't. Star Wars was the first film I ever saw, and there's a story in that as well. Thanks again, Dad.

did then! So it was with excitement that I opened my presents on my birthday and found the boxset for the Indiana Jones Trilogy, and with even more excitement when I finally watched the first in the trilogy, Raiders of the lost Ark.It was just as I remembered, fun, excitement, wise cracks, a tiny splattering of romance but with a manliness that kids would allow, and lots of stunts and action. It's a superb movie and captures that style of serials, adventure stories and comic books perfectly, how I know that for sure is only through repeats since I wasn't alive during those times.The set pieces are fantastic, and although some of the wilder end sequences are slightly dated now, it hasn't lost the excitement factor. It's a perfectly crafted movie as well, moving from location to location without any distraction or superfluous scenes, it just feels like it's all there for a reason and that it belongs there.Harrison Ford is excellent in the role, and I'm inclined to think he was more Indy than he was Solo, but that's a personal opinion. He has many more facial movements and voice inclinations in this early movie than he does nowadays, now he belongs to the moody, quiet school of acting, then he was dynamic, adventurous, strong and as wisecracking as the best of them.There are some excellent movie making moments in this with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg showing talent galore just oozing out of every pore where did all that go for Star Wars I to III Mr Lucas? , and they end up making an excellently entertaining movie.Some could argue that there could be a bit more depth or seriousness to the story, but come on, it's a ripping adventure yarn, you don't need depth. Saving the Ark from the Nazi's, surely that's enough! An excellent movie and great fun too, without a doubt one of my favourite of all time.

never is. Spielberg, Lucas and most of all Harrison Ford created a hero that is nowadays iconic. With their attempt to make an homage to adventure comics of the 1930's they created their own legend. It's funny, exiting, thrilling and romantic. What more can you ask for?

so what I have to offer will probably not be anything new. I will however not go the way of the cliché and mention 1930's serials, Tom Selleck or the sword/gun fight.I will, however, ask you one question. Did you know that some of the more iconic, memorable sequences from Raiders owe quite a lot to Duck Tales? What? Surely it's the other way around? Well, no. The globe-trotting adventures of Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Duey, Luey and Donald in Carl Bank's Disney comic-books from the 50s came first. If you can find some of these then you'll surely notice the similarities.The hunt for the Ark of the Covenant is more than just an excuse for action. So many movies these days seem to come up with action first and string them together with some lame plot. Movies like this are quickly forgotten and one of the reasons Raiders holds up so well is because it works the Covenant story so well into the plot.The action comes in a succession of set-pieces. I do enjoy films that have to increasingly better themselves in every scene. Raiders introduced this as a standard that the sequels had to live up to. My fave scene has to be the massive truck chase through Egypt, which is made up of many of its own smaller sequences. One little idiosyncrasy I like about Indy is that even though he's a College Professor and Doctor, he has no beef killing people. So very far from the ubiquitous PC heroes of todays movies.You might think that it's rather geeky to hype up the editing and sound design, but they do stand out from recent action movies. The gunfire and punching seem to have a sort of 'Indy' signature sound to them, that I've not heard in any other films. And obviously, John William's classic score is one of those themes that just everybody in the world knows though I prefer his score to Temple of Doom , truly one of the best movie themes ever. Better than Star Wars! I'm not sure if Spielberg planned on Raiders starting the Indy franchise but there's already enough in here to establish a whole universe of potential stories and character arcs. There's talk of a fourth movie at the moment, but I personally don't think it will happen and I don't want it to. It's perfect existing as a trilogy and a sequel that comes traipsing in 18 years after the last is just not going to feel right. Even if you are hungry for more Indy then there are loads of books and video games out there and then there's the Young Indiana Jones TV show where are the DVDs? , which are official Indy canon and even starred Ford once they bounced around in time .I am giving Raiders 9/10 because I just have a soft spot for Temple of Doom which is obviously a 10/10 movie . Even 25 years after it first came out it still has the power to captivate the audience and provoke sheer excitement every time. And in 25 years it will still be far superior to almost everything.Now there's something you cannot say about The Fast and the Furious! Sigh, where did all the special movies go?

multiple obstacles including fearsome thugs in a busy Cairo bazaar, and hangs underneath a fast-moving truck in an exciting chase through a road… These are only some of the film's incredible set pieces… Steven Spielberg likable hero is not invincible, though, facing impossible odds, capable of getting beaten, struck violently, heart broken, and falling asleep after the first kiss… The villains—especially Indy's suave and cultured French rival wearing a Panama hat and white suits, Rene Belloq Paul Freeman —are not really that much different from him, except in their motivation… The shrill heroine, Marion Karen Allen —is not the girl always in discomfort either, but a resourceful, dynamic and formidable woman who doesn't require the hero at all… "Raiders of the Lost Arc" is a perfect package of unforgettable scenes, countless action, humor, astonishing technical effects, thrilling sequences, and terrific performances… It was followed by three fun sequels…

hundreds of snakes . The movie attempts to go on the path from great classics during the 30-40s and the comic-books narrative along with the special characteristics of the terror cinema of 80 decade.Dr.Indiana executes feats of derring-do in various exotics countries. The action highlights include the opening sequence in a Peruvian jungle temple and the creepy and spooky final, but some scenes aren't for squeamish kids . It's realized in James Bond style and high-adventure and it is driven with enormous , formidable fair-play . This breathtaking movie has a number of scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat, but the action never lets up . The enjoyable screenplay was wonderfully written by George Lucas film's producer , Philip Kauffman and Lawrence Kasdan . In the picture there're several exotic locations , cliff-hangers, tongue-in-cheek , daring escapes , rip-roaring , derring-do , it is a very bemusing cinematic roller-coaster ride . It's a throw-back to old-fashioned Technicolor amusement with hints of serial with thousands of dollars in budget .Harrison Ford interprets masterfully the daredevil and brave archaeologist transformed into an action man . Karen Allen plays his untameable and impulsive couple who'll have a little romance with Indy . The movie has great loads of action , special effects galore and the habitual and excellent , as always , John Williams musical core . Dazzling action set-pieces are stunningly mounted by Steven Spielberg . The film has entered the lists of ten most popular of all time . It is followed by ¨Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom¨ and¨ The last Crusade¨. And by the TV series ,also produced by George Lucas : ¨The young Indiana Jones¨with Sean Patrick Flannery .It's a must see for the adventures fans . Rating : Awesome.

coyote. The female lead in an Indiana Jones movie is sort of an honorary boy, no more sexual than the girls in boys' adventure magazines, although Marian can more than take care of herself and is not helpless in the face of danger. The special effects, astonishing at the time, are still amazing, and Lucas' experience of "Star Wars" is visible. The movie is just plain fun.

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.