Indiana Jones & the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Review Date: February 24th, 2023

Hi everyone. This is my Review on the very 1st Indiana Jones movie. The 1 that started it all! However, the franchise itself has so many references to Star Wars. Before the film was released, it was titled as… “Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)”. Here’s the trailers:

So without further ado, let’s get down to the review.

CAST:

Harrison Ford - Indiana Jones

Karen Allen - Marion Ravenwood

Paul Freeman - René Belloq

Ronald Lacey - Major Arnold Toht

John Rhys-Davies - Sallah

Denholm Elliott - Marcus Brody

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!

In 1936, Indiana Jones, an American Archaeologist, recovers a golden idol from a booby-trapped Peruvian temple. Then, the Rival archaeologist, René Belloq corners him, & steals the idol. But Jones escapes in a waiting seaplane.

After returning to the USA, Jones is briefed by 2 Army Intelligence agents that Nazi German forces are excavating at Tanis, Egypt, & 1 of their telegrams mentions Jones' old mentor Abner Ravenwood. Jones deduces that the Nazis seek the Ark of the Covenant, which Adolf Hitler believes will make their army invincible. The agents recruit Jones to recover the Ark 1st.

At a bar in Nepal, Jones reunites with Ravenwood's daughter Marion, & learns that Ravenwood is dead. The bar is set ablaze during a scuffle with Gestapo agent, Arnold Toht, who arrives to take a medallion from Marion. Toht attempts to recover the medallion from the flames. But only burns its image into his hand. Then, Jones & Marion take the medallion and escape.

Traveling to Cairo, Egypt. The duo meet Jones's friend, Sallah. Sallah reveals that Belloq is assisting the Nazis, who have fashioned an incomplete replica medallion from the burns on Toht's hand. Shortly after, Nazi soldiers & mercenaries attack Jones, & Marion is kidnapped, leaving Jones discouraged.

Then, an imam deciphers the medallion for Jones, revealing that 1 side bears a warning against disturbing the Ark, & the other bears the correct measurements for the Staff of Ra, an item that’s used to find the Ark. Jones & Sallah realize that the Nazis are digging in the wrong location, infiltrate the Nazi dig site, & use the medallion & the correctly-sized staff of Ra to locate the Well of Souls, the Ark's resting place.

They recover the Ark. But Belloq and the Nazis discover them, & seize it. Jones & Marion are sealed inside the well. But the pair escape & Jones captures a truck that’s carrying the Ark. Alongside Marion, Jones arranges to transport the Ark to London aboard a tramp steamer. Then, a German U-boat intercepts the steamer, & seizes both the Ark & Marion, & Jones covertly boards the U-boat.

The vessel travels to an island in the Aegean Sea, where Belloq plans to test the power of the Ark before presenting it to Hitler himself.

On the island, Jones ambushes the Nazi group, & threatens to destroy the Ark. but surrenders after Belloq deduces that Jones would never destroy something so historically significant, also suspecting that Jones wants to know if the Ark's power is real or not. Then, the Nazis restrain Jones & Marion at the testing site as Belloq ceremonially opens the Ark. But finds only sand inside.

At Jones' instruction, he and Marion close their eyes to avoid looking at the opened Ark, as it releases spirits, flames, & bolts of energy that kill Belloq, Toht, & the assembled Nazis before sealing itself shut. After their gruesome Pre-1984 & Pre-PG-13 Deaths, Jones & Marion open their eyes to find the area cleared of bodies and their bindings removed.

Back in Washington, D.C., the USA government rewards Jones for securing the Ark. Despite Jones' insistence, the agents state only that the Ark has been moved to an undisclosed location for top men to study. In a large warehouse, the Ark is crated up & stored among countless other crates.

ADVENTURE #1 CONCLUDED!

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) is a great Indiana Jones movie. But this was before PG-13, & before the Summer of 1984. Back in 1984, Temple of Doom & Gremlins are responsible for starting the PG-13 Rating. But more details will be revealed in the next review. However, the gruesome death scenes definitely grossed out my Grandmother (Dad’s mother) though. Also, my favorite scene of the movie has to be the Boulder Scene.

OVERALL: 9.5/10 | End of Review

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