Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Adventure, Action
86Kernel Score — Universal Acclaim, 0 reviews
The Kernel take
A Metascore of 86 represents universal critical acclaim for what amounted to a modest $18M bet, one that yielded nearly $390M worldwide and established a franchise template that would define blockbuster cinema for decades.
Director track record: Steven Spielberg
Raiders of the Lost Ark sits well above Steven Spielberg's own 69.6-point average across 26 scored films — a landmark achievement that nonetheless trails E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (92) as his best-reviewed work to date.
Lead track record: Harrison Ford
The film sits well above Harrison Ford's own 61.3-point average across 29 scored films — one of his best-reviewed works to date, though it falls short of Apocalypse Now (94) as his highest-scored outing.
Box office
Budget $18M · Box office $389.9M