Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

From one Lucasfilm franchise to another, today we look at Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The Movie:

Raiders of the Lost Ark is the first movie in the Indiana Jones franchise.  The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg with a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman.  Harrison Ford starred as Indiana Jones, and other stars included Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, and John Rhys-Davies.  Raiders of the Lost Ark led to three sequels, a television show, and multiple video games featuring the character of Indiana Jones.  It was the top grossing movie of 1981, and it was nominated for nine Oscars, winning four (Art Direction, Film Editing, Sound, Visual Effects) and earning a special award for Sound Effects Editing.  Raiders of the Lost Ark still garners acclaim, consistently ranking among the best films of all time.

Raiders of the Lost Ark begins in 1936 with archaeologist Indiana Jones on a quest for a rare artifact.  Avoiding many booby traps, he succeeds in getting the artifact, only for his rival Belloq to steal it.  After returning to his university, Jones is approached by Army Intelligence.  They have information that the Nazis have discovered the lost city of Tanis in Egypt and are looking for Jones's mentor Abner Ravenwood, the expert on the city.  Jones realizes the Nazis are looking for the Ark of the Covenant, and they will need the headpiece of the Staff of Ra, which Ravenwood possessed.  Jones heads to Nepal to find Ravenwood's daughter, and his old flame, Marion, and the adventure begins.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a great movie.  There's no denying that Spielberg knows how to tell a story, and here he creates an adventure that keeps you going along for the ride the whole time.  Harrison Ford owns the role of Indiana Jones, and Karen Allen is wonderful as Marion.  Since most of the effects are practical, they still hold up today.  Sure, some of the shots in the climax look a bit dated, but that's really part of the movie's charm.

Like most Spielberg films, Raiders of the Lost Ark is scored by John Williams.  Just about everyone knows the iconic "Raiders March," and it is the primary theme of the movie, but the other great theme from the movie is "Marion's Theme."  This theme is used as the B section in the full concert setting of the "Raiders March."

Presence in the Parks:

At WDW, Hollywood Studios is the home to Indiana Jones.  The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! opened in 1989 and is currently the oldest attraction in the park.  The show recreates several iconic scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark and gives a demonstration on how some of the effects work.  The show began a trend of live stunt shows at both Disney World and Universal.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! Hollywood Studios, May 2015

One of the fun things about the show is that audience members are chosen to participate, and I was actually chosen once, though I didn't get to do much since the show was cut short because of a storm.

Indiana Jones also used to be found on the Great Movie Ride.

The Great Movie Ride, Hollywood Studios, May 2015

Meanwhile, Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea both have rides based on the Indiana Jones franchise.  Disneyland's is the Temple of the Forbidden Eye and opened in 1995.