• Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen
  • Summary: You're in for thrills as Indiana Jones (Ford) confronts snakes, Nazis and one astonishing cliffhanger after another -- all topped off by the discovery and opening of the mystical Ark of the Covenant. (Paramount)
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. 100
    Plays like an anthology of the best parts from all the Saturday matinee serials ever made.
  2. 100
    An adventure film that plays like an old-time 12-part serial that you see all at once, instead of Saturday-to-Saturday. It's a modern "Thief of Baghdad." It's the kind of movie that first got you excited about movies when you were a kid. (Translation for today's children: It's better than anything on TV.) [12 June 1981]
  3. 30
    Travels fast and straight down a linear plot, and the ceaseless rush quickly becomes monotonous.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 42
  2. Negative: 4 out of 42
  1. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is a adventurous movie that plays out like a TV series, but one with a powerful script, cast, and story. Its like watching the best moments of TV in one cool movie. Expand
    • 5 of 5 users said yes
  2. I never watched an Indiana Jones movie before and I must say that although the whole concept isn't bad, it sure is long-winded and poorly acted. Perhaps the acting is part of the comedy but it failed to tickle my funny bone. I did admire the stunt-work, particularly the scene with the truck near the end. The music was rather loud, somewhat out-of-place and it sounded a lot like the music I heard in the first Star Wars movie. (Which I had also not seen until recently.) I will, however, watch the rest of the Indiana Jones movies as I do like the concept and because people look at me funny when I tell them I don't know who Indiana Jones is. It is my hope the other movies will feature more skilled actors or at least more realistic fighting and car-chase scenes. Expand
    • 0 of 2 users said yes
  3. adityam
    3
    Are you people really serious with this movie? I cannot believe myself as I watched the movie that this has been directed by Steven Spielberg let alone acclaiming this as one of best movies. You got to be kidding, whoever had praised it so much. Steven Spielberg is a master director, but this is not a movie that has to be taken by him. This must be joke . Really a joke that people are considering it so high. The Novelette The Thirty nine steps was reminded to me when I watched this movie. Even that was hyped but isn't worth it. Expand
    • 0 of 6 users said yes

See all 42 User Reviews

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