![]() ![]() ![]() Allen fights a good fight, is quick on her feet and intelligent, playing the Nazis at their own game. Granted, there’s a nine-year age gap between Ford and Allen – and Indy is actually looking for Marion’s father, Adner Ravenwood, at the start of the story – but it’s not an uncomfortable watch. Looking back, the relationship between Indy and Marion isn’t nearly as problematic as others seen on-screen at the time (or as corny as the one between Indy and Kate Capshaw‘s Willie Scott in Temple of Doom). Does it take away from the suspense of the scene? Maybe a little, but only because I took a second to chuckle at how far visual effects have moved on. With Ford standing against a stormy night sky, the fuzzy halo of light outlining him makes it obvious he’s standing against computer-generated clouds, while fake lightning cracks in the background. And it’s the same for certain CGI-heavy scenes, like when Indy and his team uncover the Well of Souls, for example. Yes, the ‘look’ of the film isn’t as shiny and new in comparison to recent blockbusters, but that’s 80s technology for you. ![]() With so much of the film set in foreign lands, and then mostly shot outside (and it’s 1936, remember), it’s difficult to say the film’s ‘aged’. With production based at renowned British TV and film studio Elstree, the story’s exotic locations take Indy on a global tour, shooting in France, Tunisia, California and Hawaii. Visually, it’s very 80s – compared to the supercrisp CGI we now take for granted – but it holds up. Chaos ensues as Indy and Marion become separated, are reunited, then dropped into a snake-filled crypt, before escaping again, blowing up a Berlin-bound plane and finally landing on an island where the Ark is to be opened and its powers revealed. Surviving a bloody fight, the pair then land in Cairo, where the Nazis are digging for ‘the Well of Souls’, where they believe the Ark is hidden. However, the Nazis aren’t far behind, with Major Arnold Toht ( Ronald Lacey) and his cronies interrupting their cosy catch-up. Travelling to Nepal, Jones bumps into former lover and definite badass Marion Ravenwood, played by Karen Allen. Set in 1936, Harrison Ford, Han Solo himself, stars as Jones, an esteemed archaeology professor tasked with discovering the Ark of the Covenant, a precious but lost artefact rumoured to have ancient, mystical powers, before the Nazis find it and use it for world domination. Spielberg, after reading it through, described it as ‘a James Bond film without the hardware’ and signed up to direct.įor those like me who are new to the story, it’s 115 minutes of pure action. Lucas wanted to create a series similar to those released in the 1930s and 40s adventure stories following a brave lead as they travel the world, fighting off enemies and saving civilisations. Lucas, running high off the success of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, approached Spielberg when the two bumped into each other on holiday in Hawaii, suggesting he direct an adaptation of The Adventures of Indiana Smith, penned in 1973. It was adapted from a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Released in 1981, this was the first in Steven Spielberg‘s Indiana Jones series, followed by The Temple of Doom (1984), The Last Crusade (1989) and 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (but apparently we don’t talk about that one). Here goes! January’s pick: Raiders of the Lost ArkĬonsidered to be one of the greatest films ever made, my first choice is Raiders of the Lost Ark. I’m excited to be dipping into the archives, catching up with some of my loved ones’ favourites. Does the film hold up, so many years later? In today’s political climate, do its themes carry over, or does it make for uncomfortable viewing with 2020 vision? Over the next 12 months, I’ll be sitting down to tuck into 12 classics – many being 80s blockbuster hits – and will share my thoughts. I’m embarrassed by the fact I’ve reached my late 20s and haven’t seen some of my friends’ and family’s favourite films – so I’m using this year to right that wrong. My childhood picks, watched on repeat for weeks on end before swapping out for something else, were Jurassic Park, Mary Poppins, The Lion King…and Carry On Screaming! All titles my brother and I loved, wearing our VHS tapes down to nothing as we witnessed Tim and Lex escape from the jaws of a T-Rex, and gasping in disbelief as Julie Andrews pulled a standing lamp from her handbag, over and over again.īut other titles considered ‘true’ classics? Science fiction epics and Christmas action adventures starring Bruce Willis? Nope. ![]() These weren’t films I grew up with, or favourites of my parents’ they went on to share with me. I’ve also never seen the Lord of the Rings series. There, I’ve shared my embarrassment with you. ![]()
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