#22- Raiders of the Lost Ark- Steven Speilberg- 1981

This one is for you, Glow Girl.

So recently at my Alma Mater, I had a film history course. And in this course with the illustrious Bill Wine, we studied the blockbuster which was born in the late 70s. For this section, we viewed this very film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. And after viewing it (I had to miss the actual viewing due to a fucking speeding ticket,) Wine said that he shouldn't have showed it because it isn't really a good movie. He would rather show Close En-Mutha Fuckin-counters of a Third (and thankfully, final) Time! I immediately went on a blitzkrieg of "what the hell are you talking about" to this man who I had admired. How can one say Raiders isn't a good movie to show for the blockbuster section of the course! So, here is why Raiders (and originally, I had lumped all three together, but Stev was all pissy about that) is a perfect movie and my favorite blockbuster series of all time.

Pretty much, Indiana Jones is the perfect hero. He's an anti-hero just doing his job (which as Henry Jones states in Last Crusade really isn't what archeaologists do.) He hates snakes (esp. on planes... in Raiders, thats when we first see his fear of snakes... on a mutha feuckin plane... any connection?), gets

the girls, uses a revolver and a whip, and is a smart mouthed bad-ass with an intelligence. When people say Bond is the man, I say shut up and look at Indy. Anyway, beyond the character alone being one of the most likeable on screen "heroes", the action sequences get better as the years go by. I know some people say thats a stretch, but I say this movie, like Blade Runner (Harrison Ford connection) proves that CGI sucks. In new movies, you wouldn't see elaborate sets like the opening scene where a giant ball is chasing Indy. You don't see awesome fights like the fight scene set around the plane with the giant nazi dude. The explosions look real because they are (more or less) and it is much more authentic.

Thats basically what makes it a great movie. You get captivated by the stunts, the acting of Harrison Ford and the amazing journey all over the world with this flick. It's not the deepest, film you'll ever see, but it has a lot going for it. I used to only love big picture blockbusters. Hell, I saw Jurassic Park on the big screen like 17 times when I was a kid (most of those times were for a $1.50.) Without this movie, those big-budget flicks wouldn't be as epic. Raiders set the bar so high that movies like Pirates of the Carribean or Mission Impossible:III have to live up to how it all started. I would say humble beginnings, but Raiders doesn't shy away from the action. It throws it right in your face with the classic hollywood feel of the old action serials.

It is in my humble opinion, however, that Raiders would not be a good movie without Harrison Ford. He makes my list with a lot of movies (although I'll tell you right now that Star Wars will not be making the cut) and I say it because he picks great roles and can do a ton of different characters. That being said, he is the king of the blockbuster and is best playing characeters like Dr. Richard Kimmbel, Han Solo and especially Indiana Jones.