Post by Pulpmariachi on May 10, 2006 13:07:32 GMT -5
All right, this may be the most pointless review in the history of the movies, but "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is hands-down, the greatest action/adventure film ever made. There's nothing really to compare it to. James Bond, "Mission: Impossible", they really don't hold a candle to this classic piece of filmmaking brilliance. It's easily Spielberg's best non-serious picture and the film that proves George Lucas makes a better producer than director.
We all know the story of Indy so far, the globe-trotting archeologist professor who always seems to get foiled by his French competition, Belloq. After class one day, the United States military comes to him telling him they've gotten intelligence that Hitler is after the sacred Ark of the Covenant, where Moses stored the Ten Commandments. Hitler sees it as the ultimate weapon, a telephone to God so that he'll be able to take over the world quicker. Apparently around the time of this movie, Hitler has become very interested in religious artifcats.
So off goes Dr. Jones on one of the greatest adventures in film history. He reunites with old fling Marion Ravenwood, battles Nazis, outsmarts Nazis, chases evil Egyptians through the streets of Cairo, discovers the Ark, battles more Nazis, battles more Nazis, and battles more Nazis before avoiding the wrath of God.
The film was based off the cliffhanger serials that George Lucas grew up with as a child, which is exactly what this film is: a series of awesome cliffhangers. Indiana Jones isn't particularly the most muscular hero of all time. He's not like the Terminator or anything. He's a college professor who happens to think faster than anyone else around him, thus making the suspense even greater. The first time you watch this movie all you can think is, "How is Indy going to get out of THIS situation?" It's all a very out of the frying pan and into the fire sort of situations. For example, after Indiana Jones escape the Well of Souls he is confronted with a beefed up Nazi scumbag while Marion has locked herself in an airplane, setting fire to a pool of gasoline. After Indy gets out of that predicament, he finds out the Ark has been stored on a truck, so he grabs a horse and gives chase (leading to one of the best horse to truck chases of all time).
Once the movie really starts going, it really doesn't relinquish its grip. You're constantly in danger of falling out of your seat for the entire ride, no matter how many times you've seen the movie already.
The film effectivley balances out the character and plot development that we need with all of its action sequences. You don't really see that in action movies any longer. There are also plenty of locations all across the globe, beginning in South America and ending up on the middle of an island (actually, it ends in Washington D.C.).
Everything pretty much works for this movie. The editing has a great rhythm that creates the excitement we so desperatley need. John Williams's score rouses up the adventurer in us all. Douglas Slocomb's cinematography is top-notch, perfectly capturing that adventure style. On top of all this, it's a film based off stunts more than elaborate special effects. In fact, until the climactic opening of the Ark, there are no special effects. It's all real, which adds to the excitement.
Really, there is hardly anything wrong with this picture. And it moves so fast that you don't notice it. It's a movie that works when you watch it as a whole, or just for individual action sequences. Nothing compares to it.
Go, Dr. Jones, go!
A+
We all know the story of Indy so far, the globe-trotting archeologist professor who always seems to get foiled by his French competition, Belloq. After class one day, the United States military comes to him telling him they've gotten intelligence that Hitler is after the sacred Ark of the Covenant, where Moses stored the Ten Commandments. Hitler sees it as the ultimate weapon, a telephone to God so that he'll be able to take over the world quicker. Apparently around the time of this movie, Hitler has become very interested in religious artifcats.
So off goes Dr. Jones on one of the greatest adventures in film history. He reunites with old fling Marion Ravenwood, battles Nazis, outsmarts Nazis, chases evil Egyptians through the streets of Cairo, discovers the Ark, battles more Nazis, battles more Nazis, and battles more Nazis before avoiding the wrath of God.
The film was based off the cliffhanger serials that George Lucas grew up with as a child, which is exactly what this film is: a series of awesome cliffhangers. Indiana Jones isn't particularly the most muscular hero of all time. He's not like the Terminator or anything. He's a college professor who happens to think faster than anyone else around him, thus making the suspense even greater. The first time you watch this movie all you can think is, "How is Indy going to get out of THIS situation?" It's all a very out of the frying pan and into the fire sort of situations. For example, after Indiana Jones escape the Well of Souls he is confronted with a beefed up Nazi scumbag while Marion has locked herself in an airplane, setting fire to a pool of gasoline. After Indy gets out of that predicament, he finds out the Ark has been stored on a truck, so he grabs a horse and gives chase (leading to one of the best horse to truck chases of all time).
Once the movie really starts going, it really doesn't relinquish its grip. You're constantly in danger of falling out of your seat for the entire ride, no matter how many times you've seen the movie already.
The film effectivley balances out the character and plot development that we need with all of its action sequences. You don't really see that in action movies any longer. There are also plenty of locations all across the globe, beginning in South America and ending up on the middle of an island (actually, it ends in Washington D.C.).
Everything pretty much works for this movie. The editing has a great rhythm that creates the excitement we so desperatley need. John Williams's score rouses up the adventurer in us all. Douglas Slocomb's cinematography is top-notch, perfectly capturing that adventure style. On top of all this, it's a film based off stunts more than elaborate special effects. In fact, until the climactic opening of the Ark, there are no special effects. It's all real, which adds to the excitement.
Really, there is hardly anything wrong with this picture. And it moves so fast that you don't notice it. It's a movie that works when you watch it as a whole, or just for individual action sequences. Nothing compares to it.
Go, Dr. Jones, go!
A+
