Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies

Director: Steve Spielberg

Screenplay: Lawrence Kasdan

Running time: 1 hr 58 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure


CRITIQUE:


One pathetic confession from a self-confessed, so-called ‘movie buff’: not one Indiana Jones film ever filtered through my viewing corneas. Not one – until now. As writing this critique, the pathos of self-loathing runs through my veins like live wire, punishing my existence ever since the first time I ever watched a piece of celluloid when I was still God-knows-what. Only until now, two decades and seven years later after its making, it has finally reached through my retinas and into my stinkhole of a wankhead. That INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is the Holy Grail of the modern day actioners, the sacred template of high-octane adventures, the granddaddy of swashbuckling heart-stoppers – and that’s just the first of the franchise.


What makes it even more of a wonder is that arguably the elements of RAIDERS belong to the B-movie category, but it took the genius of Spielberg to bolster those elements into the A-territory. Its outer carapace is a marauding archaeologist who globe-trots the world for artefacts, throw in a sidekick, a bickering love interest, plenty of action, and brouhaha between the protagonist and a camp of enemies mostly made out of hired extras. And oh, the actor then suddenly acquires a powerful invisible shield that dodges out any bullet. However, if the audience lay more attention to the abovementioned elements, then they are missing the real cajones of the film because at the very core of INDIANA JONES is a pure, unadulterated form of entertainment that is as magnificent as it is a classic. Knowing that this piece of actioner was crafted during the time when cardboard cutouts stand in for CGI magic, when Michael Bay was still learning how to hold his first video camera or the stunt-master for the BOURNE trilogy was still discovering the blast of action through punch-ups in schoolyards. We’ve all got to learn from the thrill supremo himself, Spielberg, who laid this film as one of the finest made, if not the finest, action-slash-adventure film in filmmaking history.


It’s the sort of a summation of all popcorn flicks, the very quintessence of what summer movies are made of, and thanks to George Lucas’s concept, one the world’s biggest franchise was born. There’s just so much to like in this film, the mysticism of the plot, the sensibilities of humour and visual slapstick, the fast-paced, oftentimes seat-gripping action, the blend of romance and the sprawl of luxurious production Hollywood could provide. But what really shines in the film is Harrison Ford’s superb performance as the titular professor-cum-archaeologist-cum-bad-guy-whipper, who hands down the fedora into iconography status.


VERDICT:


This reminds us how action-adventure films should be made – not loaded with Buckheimer-esque explosions that blinds our eyes, but a smart script, great one-liners, a fascinating plot, and unforgettable main character that drives a rapid-fire action that makes us grip our seats and clench our bums – all in the joy of entertainment. After all, this is the spirit of cinema.



RATING: A+