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Movies / On DVD / Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark

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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

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Reviews Counted:6

Fresh:4

Rotten:2

Average Rating:7.1/10

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.

Rated: PG

Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

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... 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]

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott, Alfred Molina

Director: Steven Spielberg

Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenwriter: Lawrence Kasdan
Story: George Lucas, Philip Kaufman
Producer: Frank Marshall
Composer: John Williams
Studio: Paramount Pictures

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Release:

May 20, 2008

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Reviews for Raiders of the Lost Ark

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1 - 6 (sorted by date)
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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.

Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment 22 Comments
05/27/08
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael
New Yorker
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...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.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/28/07
Stephen Klain
Stephen Klain
Variety
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One would think that a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and George Lucas would produce something better than this giggly pastiche of a Republic serial...

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment 37 Comments
06/28/07
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
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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.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
11/06/03
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
New York Times
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The movie is just plain fun.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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