MovieChat Forums > Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Discussion > How good is this movie really?

How good is this movie really?

posted 11 years ago by uyfire
64 replies | jump to latest

I wanna start by saying I'm not here to badmouth this film or anything. However, I just want to pose a question to everyone. Is it really worth the 8.6 it has now? When you see Ender's Game (a film which I admittedly haven't seen), or a lot of old action stars new films, they're always given relatively poor reviews- 6.8 on here for example. It stands to reason that the scripts Harrison Ford took an interest in and accepted thirty years ago would be similar to the ones he chooses now, so why the huge disparity between ratings? Is it because he's slipping in his ability to discern between a good and a bad script? Or is it because of the age of Raiders, and of Star Wars, the- because of how much people enjoyed them when they were younger- that they are still regarded as such great movies?
This isn't a case of De Niro going over to comedy, so that argument doesn't work.

Just interested to see what people think

[–] Nobodyinnit 8 years ago

Dude, this film deserves a 10/10.

[–] grybop 8 years ago

Yes, it's mostly because many people enjoyed this when they were younger indeed. A friend who's a fan of the franchise merely calls Indiana Jones a cultural phenomenon and ends all discussion there.
I say it's trash.

[–] Blueghost 8 years ago

It's a movie. It's meant to entertain with some heroics, good lines, large production numbers and value.

It's got science and mysticism and supernatural all in one.

I often think people think that movies can change people. Eh, sorta-kinda. Raiders was a reminder of what movies used to be like before all the "realism" and introspection took place in commercial film making.

Raiders is the kind of movie I wanted to make, and the kind of films I like.

Today people have a lot of what I think are unreasonable expectations of movies. If you go back 50 years and look at some of the musicals, some of them are pretty corny, but some of them are fun. Raiders falls into that mold, and, in my book, only gets better with age.

[–] Karl Aksel 8 years ago

I gave this movie an 8 myself. I'm not going to lie: it's mostly due to nostalgia. Maybe it is because I was young when I saw this movie, but I hold Raiders to a lower standard than I do movies in general. Had I seen Raiders for the first time today I might still have been a bit forgiving because of the age of the film, but had I seen it for the first time today and it was a new film, I might not have liked it at all.

[–] daultimatefan 8 years ago

One of the best movies ever made.

Engaging characters, intense action, memorable dialog, pacing that is deliberate but not dull, a timeless score by John Williams, a childlike spirit of adventure cloaked in a maturity of storytelling topped by one of the most shocking moments in a film not rated R.

Slocombe's photography captures a garish Technicolor quality that evokes high-contrast black and white films.

My only gripe is that Marion can occasionally be grating, but she's nothing in comparison to Willie's constant screaming.

9/10

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bwhitten 8 years ago

Only one the best ever made.
EOD.

Don't you realize that its a vast conspiracy? Or have they gotten to you too...

[–] overseas7 (5071) 5 years ago

A really good one! 8,6 at least...

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 5 years ago

10/10
My favorite movie of all time. I consider it perfect other than that the sub Indy rides never submerges.

[–] TreeShaman (806) 5 years ago

This film is as dull as dishwater. The other two films in the series that followed were quite a bit better.