the Mind’s Chew Toy

With the long-awaited Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull (2008) hitting theaters this coming weekend, it seemed a good time to look back on the movie that started it all nearly 27 years ago - Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

Harrison Ford has come to be known as much for portraying Indiana Jones as for his role as Han Solo in the Star Wars films - and Raiders of the Lost Ark shows why.

Whether he’s jumping into adventure or kicking back with his hat brim pulled down, he fits this role perfectly. He brings just the right mix of adventure-hero and comic wit to the screen, making both the jokes funnier and the action more exciting.

Whether he’s deadpanning a classic line (”Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes?”) or bringing a gun to a swordfight, he’s just plain fun to watch on the screen. He makes Indiana Jones engaging and fun - something fans have been eating up for 27 years.

Karen Allen, as love interest Marian, also has earned a place in Indiana Jones’ lore with her role - although it’s not as easy to see why - at least at first. Her acting is a bit sub-par, and her dialogue in her first few scenes seems somewhat forced.

As the film continues, however, the audience begins to notice the quirky grin, and she begans to grow on the audience. Sure, she’s still not acting up to Ford’s level, but the two do work well together on screen…thus earning her a place in Indy lore - and, apparently, in the new film.

Raiders of the Lost Ark also featured the first team-up of two powerhouses in the movie industry: George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Steven Spielberg directs a script written by George Lucas - and the two icons in the movie biz definitely don’t let the audience down.

Raiders of the Lost Ark takes viewers on a trip to exotic locales, including South America, Nepal and Egypt, as the globe-spanning adventurer continues on to the next step of unlocking the puzzle (think National Treasure (2004) borrowed from this idea at all?).

Tossed in along the way are some ancient artifacts, a fight scene that looks more like a dance number, and loads of humor, making this film enjoyable from start to finish.

Unfortunately, the special effects are showing their age, and some of them look downright hokey to the moviegoers of today. That being said, Indy is the reason to stick around, not the special effects. No matter how dated the effects look, Indiana Jones the adventurer is the soul of this movie, and that’s what viewers have been returning to time and again.

A good introduction to the Indiana Jones character - and a decent film in it’s own right, Raiders of the Lost Ark kicked off the Indiana Jones phenomenon 27 years ago - and is a must for any adventure-loving DVD collector.