Raiders of the Lost Ark

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Raiders of the Lost Ark

PG

1981

1h 55m

Adventure

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

157 Reviews

96%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Dr. Indiana Jones, a renowned archeologist and expert in the occult, is hired by the U.S. Government to find the ark of the covenant, which is believed to still hold the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, Hitler's agents are also after the ark. Indy and his ex-flame Marion escape from various close scrapes in a quest that takes them from Nepal to Cairo.

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Critics Consensus

Featuring bravura set pieces, sly humor, and white-knuckle action, Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most consummately entertaining adventure pictures of all time.

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Tom Huddleston

Time Out

12/12/2024

5/5

More spectacular and intricate action sequences may have been devised since, but it’s rare to find one with this level of bone-crunching realism and intensity.

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Vincent Canby

New York Times

05/04/2023

To get to the point immediately, Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most deliriously funny, ingenious and stylish American adventure movies ever made.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

05/04/2023

4/4

[Raiders of the Lost Ark] grabs you in the first shot, hurtles you through a series of incredible adventures, and deposits you back in reality two hours later -- breathless, dizzy, wrung-out, and with a silly grin on your face.

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Matt Neal

ABC Radio (Australia)

Dec 13

5/5

Before I understood what "cinema" was as an artform, before I understood film as something to study and devour and drown in, I understood that Raiders Of The Lost Ark was the greatest movie of all time.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Jul 6

3.5/4

Harrison Ford’s skill as an actor has often been mischaracterized thanks to his myriad blockbuster roles like Star Wars but he brings a certain effortless charm to this role, one that’s both brave and vulnerable.

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M.V. Moorhead

Phoenix Magazine

05/01/2025

Crisp and funny and filled with one unforgettable action set piece after another, yet also somehow unassuming. It truly feels like a vintage cliffhanger serial of the 1940s, directed by William Witney or some other master of the form.

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Jake

Jan 30

Greatest film ever made!

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Mike

Jan 30

Still the best and great to see back on the big screen.

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Jake P

Jun 21

This movie is instant classic due to memorable characters awesome action sequences, iconic score, amazing story, and excellent casting.

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Sol F

Jun 19

This isn't a nostalgia-based review, although I have seen this film a hundred times. But what strikes me as amazing, still, is the pace of the film (never a dull moment) and the dialogue. It's well filmed, well written, and well acted, although Karen Allen is a little raw, generally speaking. The practical effects and stunts still look good, with few exceptions, and the iconic moments have piled up over the years, obviously. It's still awesome to see it on the big screen any time I can, like I am age 10 again and again and again.

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David C

Jun 19

One of the greatest films ever made. Hands down.

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Bryan D

Jun 18

This movie is a classic and I wanted to see it in the theater where it was supposed to be seen. Highly recommend, thanks.

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Steven Spielberg

Director

Harrison Ford

Dr. Henry 'Indiana' Jones, Jr.

Karen Allen

Marion Ravenwood

Paul Freeman

Rene Belloq

Wolf Kahler

Dietrich

Ronald Lacey

Toht

Movieclips: Indiana Jones' Most Iconic Scenes

25:49

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Official Clip - It Not the Years, It's the Mileage

2:13

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Official Clip - Truck Chase

2:13

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Official Clip - The Boulder Chase

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Raiders of the Lost Ark: Official Clip - Nazi Mechanic Fight

2:13

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Official Clip - Taking the Ark

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Raiders of the Lost Ark: Official Clip - Sword vs. Gun

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Raiders of the Lost Ark: Official Clip - Face Melting Power

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Raiders of the Lost Ark: Official Clip - The Well of Souls

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Raiders of the Lost Ark: Official Clip - Top Secret

1:38

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Raiders of the Lost Ark: Trailer 1

2:13

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Synopsis

Dr. Indiana Jones, a renowned archeologist and expert in the occult, is hired by the U.S. Government to find the ark of the covenant, which is believed to still hold the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, Hitler's agents are also after the ark. Indy and his ex-flame Marion escape from various close scrapes in a quest that takes them from Nepal to Cairo.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Producer: Frank Marshall
Screenwriter: Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Philip Kaufman
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Lucasfilm Ltd.
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 12, 1981, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Sep 14, 2012
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 28, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $248.2M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Dolby Stereo, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)