Raiders of the Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise. It sets Indiana Jones against a group of Nazis who are searching for the Ark that Hitler believes will make his army invincible. The film originated with Lucas' desire to create a modern version of the serials of the 1930s and 1940s. It became the year's top-grossing film of 1981 and remains one of the highest-grossing films ever made. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards in 1982, including Best Picture, and won four (Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects).

The film's critical and popular success led to three additional films - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). There was also a television series, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992–1996), and over 15 video games. Critic Bruce Williamson said: "There's more excitement in the first ten minutes of Raiders than any movie I have seen all year." The New York Times' Vincent Canby praised the film, calling it, "one of the most [amazingly] funny, ingenious and stylish American adventure movies ever made." "Entertainment Weekly" said Indiana Jones was its third favourite action hero ever.