Raiders of the Lost Ark

3/4

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, Ronald Lacey

Rated PG for Action Violence (I guess)

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" is one of the most beloved and famous adventure movies of all time, appearing on many respectable "Best of" lists.  Such high regard befuddles me.  While this is undeniably a fun wind-up toy of a serial and displays Steven Spielberg's true craftsmanship, the film as a whole isn't nearly worth the praise it has received.  It's not even the best in the Indiana Jones series (I found the second installment, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" to be a lot more inventive and exciting).

This is the first adventure of famed archaeologist/adventurer Indiana Jones (Ford).  He's asked by the government to track down the Ark of the Covenant, a powerful chest that contains the broken tablets on which God inscribed the Ten Commandments.  The US government wants Jones to find it before the Nazis do.  To that end, he has to track down an old flame, Marion Ravenwood (Allen) and race against Rene Belloq (Freeman), his rival.

With one exception (Tim Robbins in "War of the Worlds"), Steven Spielberg has always gotten terrific performances from actors who star in his movies.  Harrison Ford makes his iconic character into a tough and determined but vulnerable hero.  He's smart and good in a fight, but his geeky nature comes out when he starts talking about history, and he has a fear of snakes.  His female counterpart is not like most damsels.  She's probably tougher than Indiana is (although, true to formula, she does have a tendency to get kidnapped).  She's also a drinker...a big one.  British character actor Paul Freeman makes Rene Belloq into an interesting villain.  He respects Indiana Jones and falls for Marion, although that doesn't tone down the intense rivalry between them.  But the creepiest villain in the film is actually Toht (Lacey), who's a demented cross between Peter Lorre and Cold War bad guy stereotype (complete with a black hat and trenchcoat).  With his shuffling gait and panting voice, Lacey is positively chilling.

Spielberg's film always engages and has a lot of energy.  The stunts and action sequences are impressive and well-done.  And yet the film didn't get my heart soaring with an adventurous spirit like some other movies ("Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" for instance).  That's what's missing from this movie.  It's breathless, but not very filling.

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