Raiders Of The Lost Ark (DVD) Review by Britt Gillette

Nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, and winner of four Oscars, Raiders Of The Lost Ark is one of those rare commercial smash hits that also manages to win widespread critical acclaim from even the most hardened of reviewers. After all, any film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by George Lucas has to be an ingenious creation, right? In this case, absolutely. Not only is Raiders Of The Lost Ark one of the more memorable films in history, but its lead character Indiana Jones will go down in history as one of, if not the, most beloved hero in movie history…

Renowned archeologist and college history professor Indiana Jones (expert in recovering ancient objects) is approached by the United States government in regard to retrieving one of the greatest treasures in human history - the Ark of the Covenant. The government fears the Ark will fall into the wrong hands seeing as how Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich are feverishly searching for the Ark themselves…

With a hefty knowledge of the history involving the Ark, Jones sets out to borrow an amulet instrumental in the Ark's discovery from family friend and ex-lover Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). But the Nazis also seek the amulet, and Jones arrives just in the nick of time. Now Marion and Indiana will have to work together if they have any hope of saving the Ark from the evil clutches of the Nazi regime. In doing so, they encounter countless Nazis, booby traps, double-crossers, and the worst element of all - snakes…!

With an original score by John Williams (Jaws, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, etc.), the theme song from Raiders Of The Lost Ark may well be one of the most recognizable in the history of cinema. Williams's genius is present throughout every scene of the film (which is one of Spielberg's greatest triumphs - getting Hollywood to place greater emphasis on sound and music, i.e. emotion, the same as it does for dialogue, character, plot, etc.) Raiders Of The Lost Ark also features the underrated actress Karen Allen (Animal House, Scrooged, The Perfect Storm, etc.) whose career has spanned parts of four decades. In this film, she shines as the headstrong love interest of Indiana Jones…

Home to Harrison Ford's breakout role, Raiders Of The Lost Ark features the up-and-coming Hollywood talent at his best. Although Star Wars placed Ford in the limelight, Raiders Of The Lost Ark puts Ford in the lead role - where he belongs. A likeable man, exhibiting unrivaled onscreen charisma, Harrison Ford adds the final touches of genius to a film that is as close to perfect as any movie can come. Don't miss out on this first glimpse of Indiana Jones. A brilliant tale of heroism and adventure, Raiders Of The Lost Ark is a definite must-see movie.