Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

1981, Lucasfilm/Paramount. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies.

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The Adventures of Indiana Jones (DVD)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (VHS)

From a National Catholic Register review

By Steven D. Greydanus

Still the standard by which cliffhanger action-adventures are measured, Lucas and Spielberg’s hugely entertaining throwback to old matinee serial cliffhangers combines classic action set pieces, Harrison Ford at his swashbuckling best, Old Testament spirituality, and a satiric jab at Nazi anti-Semitism.

Daredevil archaeologist Indiana Jones is pitted against Nazi treasure hunters in a race to find the lost ark of the covenant, which Hitler superstitiously believes will give him the military indomitability of the ancient Israelites — Hitler apparently having missed 1 Samuel 4-6, in which the ark is captured by Philistines, who are subsequently plagued by boils and rats until they return it to the Israelites! Fortunately, the filmmakers know exactly what they’re doing, and — in contrast to Last Crusade, which had no clue what to do with the Holy Grail — the ark itself satisfyingly provides Raiders’ numinous, spectacular finale.

DVD note: The good news: Raiders is finally on DVD, and in widescreen! The bad news: You can’t buy it alone. It comes in a four-pack with the two sequels (the dark, inferior Temple of Doom and the enjoyable but flawed Last Crusade) as well as a fourth disc of extras. It can, of course, be rented alone, and may become available for individual purchase in time.

Buy at Amazon.com

The Adventures of Indiana Jones (DVD)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (VHS)

Stylized action violence, mayhem, and menace; some drunkenness; limited profanity and crass language; some gruesome images.