Raiders of the Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

  • 95% of critics liked it
    (59 reviews)

  • 93% of users liked it
    (808,555 ratings)

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is no ordinary archeologist. When we first see him, he is somewhere in the Peruvian jungle in 1936, running a booby-trapped gauntlet (complete with an over-sized rolling boulder) to fetch a solid-gold idol. He loses this artifact to his chief rival, a French… More

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PG,
Directed By
Written By
Lawrence Kasdan
Genres
Action & Adventure
In Theaters
Sep 7, 2012 Limited
Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

    Raiders of the Lost Ark has it all -- or, anyway, more than enough to transport moviegoers back to the dazzling, thrill-sated matinee idyls of old.

  • Pauline Kael, New Yorker

    The thrills are fully consumed while you're seeing this movie, and it's totally over when it's over. It's a workout. You feel as if you'd been to the desert digs: at the end your mind is blank, yet you're parched, you're puffing hard -- you want relief.

  • Stephen Klain, Variety

    ...a crackerjack fantasy-adventure that shapes its pulp sensibilities and cliff-hanging serial origins into an exhilarating escapist entertainment that will have broad-cased summer audiences in the palm of its hand.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    One would think that a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and George Lucas would produce something better than this giggly pastiche of a Republic serial...

  • Geoff Andrew, Time Out

    Whether you swallow it or not, see it for a handful of totally unexpected visual jokes, worth the price of admission alone.

Read all 23 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • E.J. B


    I loved this movie. Loved it loved it loved it loved it loved it. Loved its sense of adventure. Loved the chemistry between Harrison Ford's artifact obsessed Indiana Jones and Karen Allen's headstrong, alcohol tolerant Marion. Loved the clever banter and witty dialogue.… More

  • KJ P


    Raiders of the Lost Ark is pure cinematic entertainment at it's finest. Harrison Ford works wonders here as a fight for the possession of the wonderous ark is on the rise. The first half of the film is mostly buildup to the finale, but the second half of the film is where it… More

  • Daniel M


    Trying to analyse Indiana Jones is every bit at tricky as analysing Star Wars. Both have become such indelible parts of our popular culture that it often seems fatuous to question their legacy, with every year throwing up new examples of films which either directly imitate Lucas and… More

  • c0up  


    'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. Harrison Ford's mischievous, charming smile sums up this whole film. A landmark action adventure that's fun and exciting the whole way through. The Swordsman v Gun, ominous coat hanger, boulder escape, that brilliant car chase recovery.… More

  • Samuel R


    The original and best of Indiana Jones's adventures. Filled with so many recognized characters, lines and scenes, such as the infamous boulder escape. This is a major highlight for Harrison Ford as the legendary adventurer, whom is still praised as one of the greatest… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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