The thrills are fully consumed while you’re seeing this movie, and it’s totally over when it’s over. It’s a workout. You feel as if you’d been to the desert digs: at the end your mind is blank, yet you’re parched, you’re puffing hard -- you want relief.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Theatrical Release: Jun 12, 1981 Wide
Synopsis: Action-packed and adventure-filled, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is director Steven Spielberg's loving homage to the Saturday matinee cliffhanger serials of his childhood. When the Allies discover the Nazis are planning to use the Lost Ark of the Covenant as a weapon, the U.S. government... Action-packed and adventure-filled, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is director Steven Spielberg's loving homage to the Saturday matinee cliffhanger serials of his childhood. When the Allies discover the Nazis are planning to use the Lost Ark of the Covenant as a weapon, the U.S. government enlists archaeologist-adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) to locate the biblical treasure chest where the remains of the broken tablets of the Ten Commandments were placed. En route, Jones and his feisty ex-girlfriend, Marion (Karen Allen), must escape the clutches of evil Nazis, duplicitous "natives," and a nest of venomous snakes--not to mention the wrath of God. The groundbreaking special effects and furious, never-ending pace make for a stylish whirlwind of a movie, topped off with a fabulous sense of humor. This bare-knuckled, barnstorming, pot-boiling, eye-popping bucket of Technicolor popcorn became Paramount Pictures' highest-grossing film, and deservedly so--RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is quite simple one of the most enjoyable movies ever made. [More]
Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies
Screenwriter: Lawrence Kasdan
Story: George Lucas, Philip Kaufman
Producer: Frank Marshall
Composer: John Williams
DVD Info
Release:
May 20, 2008
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio:
- Dolby Digital Stereo - Spanish
- Subtitles - English
Reviews
Justifiably one of the most indelible adventure films in cinematic history...
It's the perfect vacation-time movie: not a serious moment in its whole two hours but so crammed with laughter, thrills and cinematic sleight of hand that audiences will be sorry when it's over.
Lost Ark holds up for many reasons, not least of which is because of Spielberg's consummate skill as a visual storyteller and his ability to draw charged performances from his actors.
The postmodern heir to North By Northwest...Like any deathless classic, Raiders is a perfect marriage of star and material.
...despite the fast pace, the movie is never frenetic or tiring, just pure, unadulterated fun throughout.
...lets us indulge in childish thrills without feeling silly about it.
Vastly entertaining, Spielberg's adventure herladed a new breed of Hollywood blockbuster (and event film), a tale that combines classic Hollywood story-telling, playful postmodern sensibility and spectacular stunts presented in rapid-fire pacing.
...a crackerjack fantasy-adventure that shapes its pulp sensibilities and cliff-hanging serial origins into an exhilarating escapist entertainment that will have broad-cased summer audiences in the palm of its hand.
One would think that a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and George Lucas would produce something better than this giggly pastiche of a Republic serial...
New Hollywood moguls Spielberg and Lucas teamed up to create the first -- and best -- of their extremely popular plunderings of old adventure serials ... In retrospect, it also appears as a precise pop-culture inauguration of Reagan-era retro Americanism.
Whether you swallow it or not, see it for a handful of totally unexpected visual jokes, worth the price of admission alone.
Classic action set pieces, Harrison Ford at his swashbuckling best, Old Testament spirituality, and a satiric jab at Nazi anti-Semitism.
This is the kind of movie that, even today, audiences immediately fall in love with. It has all the right ingredients: a smart script, a likable hero, a dash of romance, more than a touch of comedy, and a lot of fast-paced action.
Throughout the film, Spielberg evokes the kind of armchair-clutching action sequences that remind us why they're called motion pictures.
You'd have to be a heathen to argue with the fact that Raiders of the Lost Ark stands as the best action-adventure movie ever made.
Related Forums
by: Aapox 4/15/07
Pictures
News
posted by Will Lawrence July 28, 2008
George Lucas is bringing Clone Wars to a theater near you, getting down to work on the Tuskegee Airmen-inspired Red...
posted by Joe Utichi July 16, 2008
The artists behind this year's freshest film share their story with RT, with exclusive contributions from Andrew...
posted by Jen Yamato May 21, 2008
Everyone has their favorite Indiana Jones movie -- and their own thoughts on if Raiders of the Ark is better than Last...
posted by Jen Yamato May 12, 2008
Spaced, the UK cult hit series, is finally headed to the States this summer - but guess what's here now? A 3-disc Indiana...

Top Critic
