Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

It is 1936. Hitler rules Nazi Germany; obsessed with the supernatural, he sends teams of archaeologists across the world to discover religious artifacts said to possess incredible powers. And they just discovered the location of the Biblical Ark of the Covenant. The only one who stands in their way is Indiana Jones, the professor/archaeologist/adventurer who has also traveled the world in search of relics, but for their historical value (and worth to the museum). Can Indy stop the Nazis?

This 1981 classic film, made by some of the same people involved in Star Wars, was a hit and is considered one of the top movies of all time. Having seen (and enjoyed) it decades ago, I re-watched it with my children. As an adult, and watching in 2023, the movie was okay. Some of the iconic scenes have held up surprisingly well, but in other places, the plot, dialogue, action, and effects were underwhelming and cheesy. The movie was at once rushed (some plot elements were entirely undeveloped and presented without explanation) and boring (towards the end, we were all looking at the clock and hoping for a swift conclusion). It was okay overall, but didn't hold up as well as it did in my mind.

Rating: B-