Raiders of the Lost Ark

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. It is surely the best two hours of pure entertainment anyone is going to find in the summer of '81. Read full review

Raiders of the Lost Ark is sensational. This awesomely entertaining adventure spectacle, directed by Steven Spielberg from an idea hatched by executive producer George Lucas, succeeds in fusing the most playful and exciting elements of Spielberg's "Jaws" and Lucas' "Star Wars" in a fresh format. It is a transcendent blend of heroic exploits, cliffhangers and chases distilled with nostalgia and wit from the pulp thrillers, comic books and Republic serials of the World War II era. [12 June 1981, p.E1]

Plays like an anthology of the best parts from all the Saturday matinee serials ever made. Read full review

Spielberg can never top this. Period.

One of the most deliriously funny, ingenious and stylish American adventure movies ever made. Read full review

Steven Spielberg turns the pure adventure of Saturday afternoon serials into a solidly entertaining spectacle.

Has all the right ingredients: a smart script, a likable hero, a dash of romance, more than a touch of comedy, and a lot of fast-paced action. Read full review

Ford's performance is an underrated but remarkable achievement; he succeeds in fully embodying a comic-book style hero without ever descending into camp. Read full review

Spielberg has deftly veiled proceedings in a sense of mystical wonder that makes it all the more easy for viewers to suspend disbelief and settle back for the fun. Read full review

Raiders of the Lost Ark is, in fact, about as entertaining as a commercial movie can be. What is it? An adventure film that plays like an old-time 12-part serial that you see all at once, instead of Saturday-to-Saturday. It's a modern "Thief of Baghdad." It's the kind of movie that first got you excited about movies when you were a kid. Read full review

Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first in the series from Hollywood's own golden idols George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, is still the strongest by far and remains a thoroughly rousing and nostalgic delight to return to. Read full review

It's the thrills that keep it moving. Read full review

Finds the right balance between reverence and wit. Read full review

Raiders of the Lost Ark (at the Eglinton) is a cinematic roller-coaster, thrilling and frightening in equal measure, a heart-pounding slide down greased lightning. [12 June 1981]

The movie is so entertaining it hardly seems right to say it's susceptible to holes being picked in it, but it is. Read full review

Seeing “Raiders” is like being put through a Cuisinart—something has been done to us, but not to our benefit. Read full review

Travels fast and straight down a linear plot, and the ceaseless rush quickly becomes monotonous. Read full review