Spielberg and Lucas Make a Modern Movie Serial with Something
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D4 Weekend/Friday, June 12, 1981 1 rl 17 ,~==============, l~~ ~ ~==================- Harrison Ford plays Indiana Jones, an archeol091st who barely escapes with his life several limes in "Raiders of the Spielberg and Lucas make a modern movie serial itching to once again be Superman. The opportunity soon comes. In one of those dull, now-it's-time-to-slt-on.your. with something for everyone - but is that enough? hands expository sequences, we dis- cover, during a top-secret American Steven Spielberg, have said in inter- Intelligence briefing, that the Nazis RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, directed by Steven ences reared Onone-damn-thing-after- are carrying on a mysterious excava- Spielberg, produ"Ced by frank Marshall, executive views that "Raiders" is their tribute to another TV heroics, that lack of producers, George lucaa, Howard Kazanjian, movie serials, but neither of them is script by lawrence Kssdan, dialributed by inspiration may be reassuring. Lucas 'Raiders'/O-5, Col. 1 Pararnount Pictures. Rated PG. old enough to have been formed by and Spielberg's approach carries no Indiana Jones .,. Harrison Ford those serials, which were mostly awe - neither for the wondrous Marion. Karen Allen popular In the '308 and '408. What treasures of antiquity at the heart of Diefrich Wolf Kahler really appears to have formed them Beucq , . Paul Freeman their movie, nor for the magic of are the serial hand-me-downs on TV. movies. They've scaled down their Godard once characterized the people imaginations in tribute to trash. By Peter Rainer in his movie "Masculin-Feminin" as At the beginning of the movie, set Herald Examiner film critic "the children of Marx and Coca-Cola." in 1936,Indiana Jones <Harrison Ford) "Raiders" looks like it was made by - professor of archeology, collector or many people, "Raiders of the children of "Sky King" and "Kool- of antiquities, daredevil - plows the Lost Ark" does everything Aid," through a Peruvian jungle and enters a movie should do: It has a "Pure entertainment" has become a forbidden cave In search of a gold Fthrill-a-minute, a dashing hero the latest juggernaut in the movie idol. The cobwebby cave Is boohy- and feisty heroine, hidden tombs, business: Knock it and you're a trapped with spears and darts; when Nazis, 6,000snakes, a traitorous mon- spoilsport. But there's a big differ- Indiana finally plunders the relic, a key and a submarine. It's one long ence, I think, between an escapist massive rolling ball sweeps him out. cliffhanger - a traffic jam of Satur- movie like "Flash Gordon," which is side. There, he meets his archeological day-afternoon serials. Its producer, full of camp wonderment and Wit,and arch-rival, Belloq (Paul Freeman), a George Lucas, who conceived the "Raiders," which is all escapade and project for his company, Lucasfilms, Frenchman who enlists the local almost no spirit. And yet, "Raiders" natives to wrest the treasure from has a thumpingly simple approach to will no doubt turn out to be a much Indiana. Indiana escapes with his life drama; as in his "Star Wars" movies, bigger hit than the rather comrner- - barely. he just keeps pinging his 'B- and Z. cially dismal "Flash Gordon" was. Back at college, lecturing before movie escapades at us like spitballs. "Raiders" is entertaining, but it's his adoring students, Indiana seems a Both Lucas, and his director here, fundamentally uninspired; for audi- bit stiff - he's a Clark Kent who's Director Steven Spielberg.