Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

A climax that is somewhat anticlimactic. That’s not really a pan; this film is nowhere near the disaster it could have been. But it does come across, ultimately, as something not quite. The action is good, in some sequences great, and the characters live up to the legacy that they’re trying to fulfill. The story is fine, if a bit predictable, while the writing is mid-grade; you get the sense throughout the movie that the dialogue misses some opportunities to be really clever (or, dare I say it, whip-smart). But all in all, this ends up being an acceptable, entertaining, and to a certain extent even surprisingly poignant way to wrap up one of filmdom's greatest adventures. The tale of the man who swashbuckled through history is now history itself. Sounds about right.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

You know what this movie gets wrong? The opening credits. They’re sometimes difficult to read, and not particularly a good fit for the rest of the movie, stylistically or creatively. That’s it. The rest is perfect, a masterpiece of the cinematic art of action and adventure. Beyond that, there is little more to say; the thing speaks for itself. No wonder this is a Best of All inductee and ranks No. 2 on this author's all-time Top Ten list. If you are one of the few people on earth who has not yet seen this flick, then set aside a couple of hours and watch one of the finest works in all of filmdom.