Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

I honestly did not understand the amount of hype a sequel to such a rarely talked about film franchise could get. Everyone was talking about Indiana Jones 4, and being on the outside of the Speilberg loop, I was left in the dark. I didn't understand, what makes Indiana Jones so damn cool? Is Harrison Ford such a great actor? Could these films really be as good as everyone says they are?

My mother got caught up in the hype too. She really wanted to see fourth Indy film, and I figured I'd see what all the fuss was about. To my surprise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was both ridicules and awesome at the same time. Spielberg crammed so many perks into almost every single scene for film freaks like me to just sit in wonder why he doesn't do more action and less movies based strictly on historicical events. By the end, looking back on the many moments that reference past events from the other Indy films, I was inspired to watch the movie that (apparently) started it all.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is full of great action with an insensitive layer of humor. The elaborate set-designs and wide camera angles definitely signify the talent of an aspiring director in his prime. The story is paced perfectly, and though some events seem illogical at times (for example, how can a middle-aged Caucasian man go unnoticed in a Nazi excavation site dressed like an Iranian woman?) it still delivers a nearly perfect film. Indy isn't a typical sort of hero, as he's a young and intelligent college professor, who takes it upon himself to explore dangerous caves and temples, where infinite dangers lie. A simple concept, but with Spielberg directing and George Lucas' involvement, it's surely a fit that just works. There are hardly any insignificant roles, a good share of humor, like Indy's fear of snakes (which is also referenced in the fouth movie), and there is tons of good quality action. This is film that can appeal to any kind of audience, and shows us direction and writing at its best.