Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wife and daughters. At Collider, he writes features, reviews, recaps, and conducts interviews. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own. His novella, The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain, was released in 2023. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" from the Western Writers of America in 2025. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family.

George Lucas may be best known for Star Wars, but the New Hollywood-era filmmaker contributed to many other memorable feature films over the years. From science fiction and fantasy to historical dramas and action-adventures, Lucas (and Lucasfilm) has become a household name for a reason. Yet, of all his big-budget features, only one was considered the least problematic during the production process. If you guessed Raiders of the Lost Ark, you'd be right. According to Lucas himself, the Steven Spielberg-directed Indiana Jones adventure gave him the fewest number of headaches on set.

George Lucas Had a Blast Making 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'

Even 45 years later, Raiders of the Lost Ark is still as grand as ever. The breathtaking shot compositions, the thrilling performances, Spielberg's clear cinematic vision, and the tight screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan all come together to bring viewers a pulpy adventure flick that dazzles. Nobody plays Indiana Jones quite like Harrison Ford (sorry, Sean Patrick Flanery), and it's clear that while George Lucas was most successful in the Star Wars arena, he arguably cared the most about getting Indy right. Part of the reason that Raiders still rules after all this time isn’t just because Ford is charismatically brilliant or because the story Lucas and Philip Kaufman crafted hits — surely those things are true — but because, according to the filmmaker, it was his least creatively taxing endeavor.

"It was the film I had the least number of problems with," Lucas told Empire when recounting the history of the film years later. "We didn't hear from the studio, we just had fun." That, of course, is the brilliance of a movie like Raiders. Everyone involved was so devoted to the project that it shows in every scene. Paramount had partnered with Lucasfilm to bring Indiana Jones to life, trusting Spielberg (who was coming off the heels of Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and Lucas to make good on their vision for Indy's most popular adventure. "It was the most fun we've ever had," added Kathleen Kennedy, who was Spielberg’s personal assistant on the film. "There's so much at stake today, but when we were making Raiders, we were making movies for around $20 million." As far as film production and creative collaboration go, that sounds like the dream.

'Raiders of the Lost Ark' Is An Adventure Masterpiece

By comparison, Disney's final entry in the franchise, the James Mangold-directed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (which did not involve Lucas and Spielberg), was made for over $400 million. Considering how later entries panned out, there's little doubt that Raiders of the Lost Ark is so highly regarded today due to the creatives, not the studios, headlining the production. It wasn't about making a sequel after the financial success of the original, nor was it about mining cultural IP for more bankable product; it was about telling a story that Lucas and company believed in. A story that would entertain the viewer and come to change pop culture forever. These are the types of movies we need more of, not films that echo the same aesthetics and ideas found in Raiders, but those that take creative risks and are inspired by the greats that formed them rather than copying them directly. Lack of studio interference also helps.

When it comes to action and adventure films, it's difficult to surpass the brilliance of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Spielberg and Lucas were at their creative (and collaborative) peak here with this first Indiana Jones adventure, which runs circles around any blockbuster made today. The fact that Lucas and company were turned loose to make Raiders at their own leisure is just about unheard of these days outside of perhaps low-budget independent productions — and the results speak for themselves. Raiders does everything right. From the clever exposition to character introductions to connecting the mythic Ark of the Covenant to the city of Tanis and the Nazis, as well as the sweeping chemistry between its leads, Ford and Karen Allen, nothing else compares to this stunning cinematic adventure.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is available for streaming on Disney+.