Movie Review: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Raiders of the Lost Ark may very well be the greatest action movie ever made. It’s got a wonderful script by Lawrence Kasdan that creates plenty of memorable setpieces that are perfectly executed by director Steven Spielberg.

Several action scenes in this are some of my favorites. There’s that fight with the big shirtless guy by the plane.

And almost right after that, there’s an extended car chase scene that features some outstanding stunt work.

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is as appealing and iconic a film hero as there ever has been, and this is the best movie in the series. It has so many memorable moments. Even the comedic moments are memorable.

The music, too, is outstanding, of course — some of John Williams’s best stuff. The movie is an old fashioned adventure in the best possible sense, relying more on stuntwork and choreography than special effects. It’s basically a perfect movie for what it’s trying to do.

Rating: 10/10