86
Metascore
17 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertPlays like an anthology of the best parts from all the Saturday matinee serials ever made.
- 100Dallas ObserverLuke Y. ThompsonDallas ObserverLuke Y. ThompsonSpielberg can never top this. Period.
- 100The New York TimesVincent CanbyThe New York TimesVincent CanbyOne of the most deliriously funny, ingenious and stylish American adventure movies ever made.
- 100PremierePremiereSteven Spielberg turns the pure adventure of Saturday afternoon serials into a solidly entertaining spectacle.
- 100ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliHas all the right ingredients: a smart script, a likable hero, a dash of romance, more than a touch of comedy, and a lot of fast-paced action.
- 100TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineFord's performance is an underrated but remarkable achievement; he succeeds in fully embodying a comic-book style hero without ever descending into camp.
- 100Chicago TribuneGene SiskelChicago TribuneGene SiskelRaiders of the Lost Ark is, in fact, about as entertaining as a commercial movie can be. What is it? An adventure film that plays like an old-time 12-part serial that you see all at once, instead of Saturday-to-Saturday. It's a modern "Thief of Baghdad." It's the kind of movie that first got you excited about movies when you were a kid.
- 90The A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThe A.V. ClubKeith PhippsFinds the right balance between reverence and wit.
- 30Chicago ReaderDave KehrChicago ReaderDave KehrTravels fast and straight down a linear plot, and the ceaseless rush quickly becomes monotonous.