Archeology has never been so cool. Raiders of the Lost Ark revolutionized the action genre by proving that nonstop adventure could indeed thrive around a solid story, with daring heroes and vile villains. Where James Bond dreamed up this idea, Indy solidified it. The first of four Indiana Jones movies, Raiders of the Lost Ark has an absolutely flawless blend of action, suspense, comedy, romance and even bits of science fiction and horror. And then of course, there’s the theme music.

College professor by day, and wild adventuring archeologist by night (and eventually all hours of the day), Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is recruited by the United States government to locate the resting place of the biblical Ark of the Covenant. The diabolical Nazis have also shown interest in the artifact, and its rumored powers must be kept out of their hands. Traveling across the world, Indiana Jones teams up with Marion (Karen Allen), the daughter of the leading expert in Ark lore (and a previous fling), who holds an important piece to the puzzle of discovering the Well of Souls – the hidden chamber that houses the coveted Ark.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was meant to be a fun-filled B-movie, and ended up being an undeniable classic. From the opening scene, in which the courageous Dr. Jones steps out of the shadows to reveal his determined face (an unforgettable introduction that is rarely used anymore), his skills with a bullwhip, and his love of hidden treasures, it is evident that this is an accomplishment well beyond the average action movie. When Indiana braves deadly booby-traps including a giant rolling boulder, some of the most memorable and parodied movie moments are born. And add to that the ingenious creations of Indy’s sidekicks, colleagues, damsels in distress, and especially the villains, who all perfectly compliment every smidgen of his daredeviltry.

The film is famous for countless trademark scenes, and it’s remarkable that so many powerful events exist in a single movie – Indiana brings a gun to a swordfight; he combats his fear of snakes in a pit full of writhing reptiles; a fistfight breaks out under a rotating Nazi airplane; a high speed truck chase through the desert; flights across Asia and Europe being charted by a red line moving over an overlayed map; a simple silhouette of the man and his hat; and the stop-motion animation of melting faces that gaze upon the awesome power of the Ark. Every scene helps build Jones’ legendary character and progresses the story of his pursuit of the occult - and along the way nearly all became classic moments of moviemaking.

Praise must be given to composer John Williams, who scored most of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ projects, and for Raiders of the Lost Ark, created theme music that simply cannot be forgotten. William’s exciting and stirring music accompanies every scene, making each event more dramatic, suspenseful or romantic – the use of music in recent filmmaking has sadly become much more subtle.

Compared to newer films, Raiders of the Lost Ark still holds up, despite the ability for more complex stunts and better special effects. The reason for this is the story – the action and adventure exists not for the sake of suspenseful moments alone, but rather as a device to get from one location to the next and to progress the plot. The comedy and it’s superb dialogue also exists within each scene naturally, without being placed too conveniently or for laughs alone – the humor is derived from the chaos of the scene, or the unexpected spontaneity of the characters.

Utilizing sea, air and land in his quest for the Ark, Indiana Jones gives audiences an unquestionably impeccable blend of nonstop action, physical and verbal comedy, light-hearted romance, and a cast of characters that are permanent additions to the absolute best that the art of filmmaking has to offer.

- Mike Massie

Read the Review for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Read the Review for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Read the Review for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull