memento_mori's Movie Review of Raiders of the Lost Ark

Rating of
4/4

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Awesome over the top adventure.
memento_mori - wrote on 07/20/13

Spoilers

Who doesn't know Indiana Jones?
More importantly: who doesn't love Indiana Jones?
He's a pretty likable guy. He's charismatic, knows how to throw a punch and has a good heart, but he also has flaws like his vulnerability, ego and fear of snakes. That's my kind of hero; a person who isn't perfect, but can still conquer the hearts of millions.
The acting is flawless, it feels genuine. Every scene between Indy and Marion feels like it's ad-libbed. Screenwriting at its best.
The direction is fantastic as always. A genre should be named after Spielberg, to make it easier when looking for a fun movie.
Everything is filmed from such distinguished lengths and angles, that you wouldn't know how to perfect another shot. The use of focus, zoom and lighting to emphasize eyes and faces is simply grand.

I must say though, it isn't a perfect movie. Yes, I grew up with it and I prefer it to the other movies in the series, but during a recent watch, I noticed some flaws. Mainly, the climax and the ending. The tone that movie has, is based mainly on action, character and story. These elements are emphasized so much, that we barely see any of the real abnormal ungodly stuff, like the Ark and its contents during the climax. The first half (and majority of the movie for that matter) is so based on our world, that I didn't feel completely ready for ghosts and the power of God coming out of a box. That could have been set up a little better, in my opinion. It just seemed like a little too over the top all of a sudden.

Speaking of over the top, that's what I love about the film. It has so much that could have gone wrong with another director, but this was just pure solid fun. I applaud the effort put into this gem and want to cheer whenever I hear that brilliant title music.

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