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Fan Favourite Sci-Fi Story Is Officially Getting The Adaptation It Deserves
Summary
- Collider’s Steve Weintraub talks with writer-director Duncan Jones for Rogue Trooper which is an adaptation of 2000 AD’s 1981 comic strip.
- At the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Jones celebrated the world premiere of his comic strip adaptation film, over a decade in the making.
- He discusses using Unreal Engine 5, maintaining the source’s political edge, working with an ensemble of comedians, and more.
Filmmaker Duncan Jones (Moon) has four feature films under his belt, but for well over a decade, he’s been chasing his directorial white whale: an adaptation of 2000 AD’s 1981 comic strip Rogue Trooper. While talking with Collider’s Steve Weintraub at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where his longtime dream finally celebrated its world premiere, Jones explains that despite his affinity for Hollywood’s greatest World War II epics, it was the core group of buddies at the heart of the UK comic that inspired him most.
Rogue Trooper is a gritty sci-fi behemoth that Jones deftly adapted for screen from Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons’s original story, opting for Unreal Engine 5-powered animation to capture the futuristic war between the Norts and Southers. The movie follows Rogue (Aneurin Barnard) as he traverses enemy territory during a secret military operation, accompanied only by the biochips of his former pals, Gunnar (Jack Lowden), Helm (Daryl McCormack), and Bagman (Reece Shearsmith). The movie also enlists the talents of comedians like Jemaine Clement, Matt Berry, Diane Morgan, Al Murray, and Henning Wehn, plus stars like Game of Thrones icon Sean Bean and MCU favorite Hayley Atwell as the treacherous Venus Bluegenes.
“There’s a couple of little Easter eggs in there for the fans of the comic book,” Jones teases, but for the uninitiated, he adds, “Really, for an audience who doesn’t know about the biochips, it’s really making sure that they understand that the chips are in people’s heads, that their personalities, the people that they are, are recorded on those chips when they die.”
In their recent conversation, which you can read below, Jones further explains the lore and the themes he wanted to capture in his long-gestating adaptation. He discusses the full animation process and why their team had to shift from fully animating with Unreal Engine, tackling a massive world build through independent animation, without Disney-sized finances, and what about 2000 AD’s comic sources inspired him over the box office-busting Marvel or DC. Jones also addresses Rogue Trooper’s distinctly British aesthetic, how the “amazing comedians” in the cast helped shape the final film, adhering to 2000 AD’s political edge, the inspiration of WWII classics like A Bridge Too Far and more, working with Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica, The Walking Dead) on the score, and paying tribute to the creatives behind the original comic.
How ‘Rogue Trooper’ Was Made Using Unreal Engine 5 (Sort of)
“We didn’t know how the film was going to get made when we started.”
COLLIDER: How did you make this movie using only Unreal Engine 5?
DUNCAN JONES: [Laughs] We didn’t. We started that way. We thought we were going to be able to do that, and about two and a half years in, we realized that it’s not ready yet. So we actually took it out of Unreal 5 and ended up using Maya and some other software, and then we reimported it back at the end to basically do our rendering through path tracing.
Pipeline-wise, we didn’t know how the film was going to get made when we started. We thought we had a plan, but it didn’t quite work out, and that’s one of the reasons the film took four years. We were kind of working it out as we went along. It was maybe a little crazy of us to go ahead when we didn’t really know how we were going to do it, and we didn’t know what the film was going to look like by the end of it.
We knew what we wanted. There was this amazing comic that Dave Gibbons did with Will Simpson called War Machine, and we knew we wanted it to look something like that. Lots of beautiful rendered fog and a watercolor kind of feel to it. I mean, you would attest that that’s kind of how it looks?
100%.
JONES: That’s what we were going for, but we didn’t know how we were going to get there, and that’s why it took so long. One of the reasons.
For people who want to do something like this in the future, what’s the big lesson you learned?
JONES: Well, first of all, that it’s possible and that you can make big-world movies in independent cinema now, I believe. You need to get the expertise around you. The technology is moving so fast, and I’m sure you’ve heard me say this before, but there is no AI in this movie. We didn’t want AI. You can still do this without using AI. You can make an independent movie that looks like this without AI. It’s really just a matter of finding the combination of technologies to get you that.
I don’t want you to tell me, and I have no business knowing, but a lot of people are wondering, like, what did this actually cost? Is this something that a real indie can do? I’m sure a lot of people are wondering, “Can I actually do this?”
JONES: I’ll just put it this way, I don’t know any theatrical animated films that have been made at this budget.
‘Rogue Trooper’ Isn’t Working With a Disney-Sized Budget
“It’s a very British film, as well.”
When we talk about Pixar or Disney, those people are spending over $100 million.
JONES: We’re not talking about that. Even independent films, animated films that have gone to theaters, I’m sure there are others, but it really hits over its cost.
Absolutely. You world premiered here at Annecy, which is amazing, but how many times have you screened for studios and people? Was it like, “Let’s show here and see how it goes?” Because it’s a big decision to world premiere somewhere.
JONES: We did some test screenings, but it was a while ago, and that was still while we were in the editing room. But no, this was a proper first time in front of a real audience. We were proud of the film. We felt confident. I’ve been working with the guys at 2000 AD, and we’ve been working for such a long time refining it the best way we could, and we just wanted to put it in front of an audience. We felt confident. We felt like we had something.
Sometimes, the distribution plan can be a big question mark.
JONES: It is a big question. Look, it’s a very British film, as well. One of the reasons we wanted to come to Annecy in particular is that we feel confident that it is going to work with a British audience, but is it a British film that only British people will get, or is it like Shaun of the Dead, where audiences beyond that will appreciate it? That’s what we wanted to see. That’s why we wanted to come here.
This is a 2000 AD property with a very specific British sci-fi attitude. What was the most important piece of that 2000 AD DNA to preserve?
JONES: Not being afraid of being a little bit political. 2008 AD comic book has always worn its politics and its cynical humor on its shoulder, and that’s one of the things, to me at least, that differentiates it a little bit from DC and Marvel. I mean, they have those things, but I think 2000 AD does it in a very British way. It’s very Python-esque in some ways. There’s a cynicism in 2000 AD, which is maybe not as… You know what? I’m talking out of my knowledge because I don’t know DC and Marvel as well as I know 2000 AD, but I know what I wanted to capture in 2000 AD again, and it’s that it’s being funny, being acerbic, and being a little bit political at the same time.
As someone who’s watched all the Marvel and DC movies, they are not doing what this movie is doing and what they’re addressing. I will say that Thunderbolts*, which is a recent film, really addressed mental health in a way that I’ve never seen a comic book movie do, and it really impressed me what they pulled off, but that is a rarity, and it’s not about politics.
JONES: I understand, and those are big studio films. Again, one of the other benefits of being indie is that you can kind of just say what you want to say and do what you want to do.
Rogue is on a revenge mission, but the story also has a lot to say about soldiers being manufactured, used, and discarded. How political did you want the movie to feel?
JONES: The timing of everything was unplanned. I’ve been working on it for a long time, and it synced up that we started production roughly the same time as the SMO in Ukraine began. So we’ve been making the movie while watching the horrors of what’s been going on out there. I don’t know if you know much about what I do online, but I’ve been keeping in contact with a lot of people out there and trying to understand what’s been going on and how they’re getting through it in Ukraine. In my own small way, I’ve been trying to say, “Okay, what can I learn from your experiences that you feel would be helpful to communicating what we’ve done?”
I am so pro-Ukraine. Also, I’m blown away by the way they have taken drone technology to a level that no military command person on the planet, even with the biggest military, has even fathomed. They are revolutionizing warfare.
JONES: There’s a lot of rethinking that has to go on about what asymmetry has brought to modern superpowers, how they’re going to have to rethink what they do. I think sovereignty of smaller nations is in a different place now than it was four years ago.
Absolutely. There’s a lot of world-building baked into Rogue Trooper — Nu-Earth, the Norts, the Southers, and genetic infantry biochips. What was the hardest thing to explain elegantly without stopping the movie cold?
JONES: I think it was the biochips. We hit it a few times, and hopefully, each time that we do hit it, we add just a little bit more information. The key is to try and keep those moments action and entertaining, as well as you learning something. So, there’s a couple of little Easter eggs in there for the fans of the comic book, but really, for an audience who doesn’t know about the biochips, it’s really making sure that they understand that the chips are in people’s heads, that their personalities, the people that they are, are recorded on those chips when they die, and then obviously that they can be brought out and put in the equipment and stored until they can be put into a real body later on. That becomes the ticking clock for us with the chips, which are traveling in Gunnar and Helm and Bagman.
WW2 Classics Like ‘The Dirty Dozen’ Were a Major Influence on ‘Rogue Trooper’
Duncan Jones also praises Bear McCreary’s original score.
I love Bear McCreary’s soundtrack.
JONES: Oh, me too! That was so much fun.
What did his music unlock in the movie that you weren’t expecting?
JONES: Well, I knew that it was going to be great. Because of the weight of what we had talked about, we really wanted to tap into those old World War II movies that I’m kind of nostalgic about, whether it’s A Bridge Too Far, The Dirty Dozen, or Where Eagles Dare. Those were the things we were listening to. I had a few of those as a temp score in the film, and Bear immediately got it. He’s fantastic, and it was amazing to work with him. As soon as we started talking about having a march and using bagpipes and writing lyrics that were as in character with the movie as the story itself, we just had the best time.
The movie’s about two hours. With the process that you did, how exponential is every extra minute in terms of cost, or once you’ve refined this process, was it like, “If we want to do 100 minutes or 120, it’s not that different?”
JONES: For finished film, you’re using more resources than the rough cut, the animatic. Those things, you can have a two and half-hour movie or a 90-minute movie. At the animatic stage, it’s not that much of a problem. We actually ended up taking about nine months to make our animatic, but that wasn’t really because of resource hogging. It was really just working out the story as we went along. I guess it’s a little bit like what Pixar and those people do, is you keep refining and doing new versions of it as you see the finished movie in front of you, and you start realizing where it’s a little bit heavy or where it doesn’t quite work, and you’re able to keep iterating on it.
But isn’t that also because once you start animating, if you will, that’s where the cost is? When you’re doing animatics for those nine months, isn’t the cost minimal, or is it still expensive?
JONES: No, it is minimal. It is minimal, but the interesting thing is, because we use a lot of mocap, there’s a lot of hand animation, as well, but you can do rough hand animation. It only really becomes time-intensive in this experience when you start refining the animation. So, it’s those last passes of iteration where you’re getting it to finished quality. That takes up a lot of time and resources. But you can iterate and have characters moving and get the basic movements down, and that doesn’t really eat up resources in the same way as the finishing off of the film. You just want to know that you’ve done, and then you do your refining.
You’ve wanted to make this for a very long time, and you’ve talked about it for almost 10 years.
JONES: [Laughs] I think we’ve talked about.
It’s possible. What was it about this material that has kept you so passionate for so long?
JONES: Well, the crazy thing is, it wasn’t even the fact that it was a war movie, or that it was even necessarily 2000 AD. I always loved the group of buddies traveling together part of it, between Rogue, Bagman, Helm, and Gunnar. I loved it. It was a road trip movie in some respects. I always thought that the banter and the reliance that these three guys had on Rogue to get them home was just a wonderful setup for a story.
One of the things that really impressed me about the film is that you used actual comic panels at the beginning and at the end. It’s a love letter to the comic, and I don’t think I’ve seen another comic book movie that really embraces comic book frames in the movie. Is it hard to get permission to put the panels on the screen, and why was that so important to you?
JONES: We were lucky enough to show Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons the movie a couple of weeks ago, and they immediately appreciated the fact that we start our movie with the panels they started the comic book with. We didn’t know exactly what we were going to do at the start of the movie, but as soon as that idea came to me, it just felt so right.
We literally start with the first three panels of the comic book. That’s how we start our movie. Then, when we did that, we started thinking about how we’d like to end the movie, and obviously, this very iconic, massive tank that we start the film with is also at the end of the movie, so the opportunity to do that as a comic panel — that’s not from the comic. That’s one that we had one of the artists who does work in 2000 AD and has done Rogue work, he came in and did this bespoke ending comic panel for us to end the movie.
That’s fantastic. Something else I want to commend you on is that in the credits, you mentioned all the people who worked on the comic. No disrespect to Marvel and DC, but it’s almost like they’ve been forced to mention Bob Kane, or they’ve been forced to mention some of these creators.
JONES: Why wouldn’t you want to mention them?
It’s because of money, attrition, or residuals. Who knows? But all of this stems from these people. It’s their ideas.
JONES: Yeah. We’ve got Gerry and Dave’s credit right up front, the beginning of the movie. That’s how we start.
Edgar Wright’s ‘The Running Man’ Played a Surprising Role in Duncan Jones’ Acclaimed Sci-Fi Feature
“I stole that.”
I give you credit because you have all the people. There’s a huge number of people thanked in the credits. Again, why was that important?
JONES: Well, it was important because they made the damn thing! [Laughs] And secondly, I love the graphic design of the end credits, the end roller. I stole that. I stole that idea. I had seen Edgar [Wright]’s most recent movie, The Running Man, and The Running Man credits were beautiful. The end credits, the end roller on Running Man, were beautiful, and I just said, “Who did that? Who did that?” And I worked with the same artist to do ours, and he was amazing. So, the people who made Rogue Trooper deserve to have their credit, and then we had beautiful credits, so I was like, “Put everyone in there!”
You start the movie with a little bit of what’s going on, and then you’re thrown into the action with Genetic Infantryman. How did you decide where to start the beginning of the movie, and did you ever have a version that explained the differences between the sides more?
JONES: It’s always such a balancing act with science fiction conceits, as to how much do you have to explain? How much time do you want to spend explaining it? We went through all sorts of different permutations early on. So yeah, there were some scenes that we played around with. It was just too clunky. I went even more [Paul] Verhoeven at the beginning. It was much more setting up the war, setting up the grunts on the ground, and doing all that kind of stuff. I was like, “This is a lot of starts before we actually start the movie. I don’t think we need to explain all of this.” I think the way we’ve structured how the G.I.s find out where they are, we can learn all the stuff that we need the audience to learn. So, we trimmed off a lot of that, and I think it was the right move.
I believe that this is your first time co-writing a song.
JONES: I guess technically, yeah.
You co-wrote the Rogue Trooper march, and it’s a good song.
JONES: I’m not taking credit for that. I wrote a few lyrics just because I wanted to make sure it felt like 2000 AD, but that’s not writing a song. Not in my mind. I wrote a few couplets. [Laughs]
I did just want to mention that you did co-write a song, and it’s good. It’s really selling the troops.
JONES: I love it. I love what they did, and it’s freaking contagious.
I can hear the song in my head.
JONES: I’ll tell you what I did, and you’ll probably recognize this: I gave very specific notes on what I wanted “I Am the One and Only” to sound like at the end of the movie. The Flash Gordon ending music, the big Queen ending there, I was like, “We’ve got to do that, or we’ve got to use ‘I Am the One and Only.’ I need a big guitar solo. I need a screaming performance of the song at the end, and we’ve got to start with the chorus, not the way the song originally begins.” So that one, I feel like, I had more notes on that than what I did on the march.
This movie feels like a movie without studio notes. It really feels like you’re getting your brain on screen. Did you have a lot of notes to deal with, or did you have incredible creative freedom?
JONES: I did have incredible creative freedom. I did work very, very closely with Jason and Chris [Kingsley] at 2008 AD, at Rebellion, to basically make sure that they were happy both with what I wanted to do and also all of the improv that came into the film. Obviously, we were working with these amazing comedians, so there’s no point having amazing comedians come in and think that they’re going to deliver your lines, and that’s going to be the best option.
So they came in, they watched the animatic, they read the lines, they said, “Okay, I see what you want to do. I see what you need to get out of this scene,” and then they ran with it. So, Matt Berry, Jermaine Clement, they come in, they do their own version of what they want to do, we’re laughing our asses off, and adding bits into the project that weren’t even planned on being there just because they’re making us laugh. I mean, how much fun is that? I had them coming in, I had Diane Morgan coming in, I had Al Murray and Henning Wehn coming in. All of these comedians. Like every two days, there were new comedians coming in. It was amazing. It was like being at a comedy festival was what the shoot was like.
Rogue Trooper does not have an official release date yet. Keep an eye on Collider for more updates!
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As an avid traveler, I’ve been to Greek, Italian and Spanish beaches, but this year I’m venturing to the British coast — specifically Cornwall. My packing list looks a bit different from my previous European summer vacations. Rather than party-ready ensembles, I’m folding breezy linen sets, elegant dresses and even some lightweight sweaters into my suitcase, similarly to how I’d pack for Cape Cod.
Every beach destination has a different uniform, so if you’re also heading to the laidback shores of the UK — or just want to look like you are — you’ll want to shop this curated list of everything I’ll be wearing. With these picks, you’ll be confused for a local in one of Britain’s greatest treasures, and have everyone complimenting your easy-chic summer style.
21 Pieces to Nail British Coastal Style for Summer 2026
Dresses
1. A Bit of Blue: The water in Cornwall is crystal clear and disappears into a blue horizon. I plan on matching the ocean with a flowing maxi dress. The contrast detailing reminds me of the waves.
2. Keep It Simple: Every coastal trip requires a pristine white dress (I don’t make the rules!). This casual pick, with its tiered skirt, is perfect for waterside strolls.
3. Polka Dot Dreams: Navy and white are classic maritime colors, but instead of opting for nautical stripes, the hues get a trendy upgrade with Beach Riot’s linen and cotton polka dot maxi.
4. Pretty Pattern: Leaning into the seaside vibes, this striped dress embellished with beachy motifs — like beach chairs, lobsters and clams — is simply too cute not to pack.
5. One of Each: This 100% linen dress is so flattering and simple, I admittedly bought it in four colors, including navy, moonstone blue, gingham and olive.
6. Coverup and More: I originally bought Quince’s button-up linen shirt dress to wear as a coverup, but I find myself using it for more. It even comes in handy when I don’t know what to throw on after showering.
The official start of summer is just a few days away, but we’d think it’s already here with how hot it’s been on the East Coast. So of course, we’re in the throes of piecing together an epic summer wardrobe filled with beach babe finds that are perfect for vacationing in the Hamptons, Nantucket or […]
Matching Sets
7. Easy Breezy: Since Europe is in the middle of a heatwave, this linen pants set will keep me cool, and I love that I can get more wear out of it by pairing the top and bottoms with different pieces.
8. Coastal Chic: Any trip to the seaside calls for a striped set. This tank and shorts combo takes the nautical vibe to new levels with the rope-drawstring bottoms.
9. The Trendy Pick: Gingham prints are unavoidable this summer. PrettyGarden’s green gingham pant set feels calmer than the traditional red hue and will blend right in with the soft color scheme of coastal England.
10. Dress It Up: For special nights out, I’m pulling out all the stops — while still evoking an effortless vibe — with this vest halter top and palazzo pants set. The orange hue will look amazing against the sunset.
11. Feelin’ Blue: When I’m wandering around the coast, I’ll be wearing this embroidered blue and cream shorts set. The detail is impeccable for the price.
Linen Bottoms
12. Out of Office: Trousers aren’t just for the office anymore. This linen pair exudes a beachy aura that feels more relaxed than similar tailored styles.
13. Whimsical Vibes: One thing’s for sure — I can’t wait to frolic in the sand as this billowing linen and cotton skirt flows behind me like in the movies.
14. In Transit: My favorite thing about the 100% European Linen Pants from Quince? They’re the ultimate travel bottoms. Soft, stretchy and oh-so-comfy, I wear them on the plane and once I reach my destination.
15. Low Rise: Embrace the low-rise trend with some relaxed linen pants that won’t pinch or pull on your midsection.
16. Little Secret: Skorts are the ultimate bottoms to pack while traveling. The undershorts are hidden in Open Edit’s asymmetrical style, making it easier to dress up.
Lightweight Sweaters
17. Cutest Coverup: I love how this crocheted sweater doubles as a beach coverup for the chillier days I still want to spend beside the water.
18. Double Trouble: Be ready for any weather — warm or cold — with this convenient two-in-one cable knit sweater. It comes with a spaghetti strap tank and a cardigan embroidered with roses.
19. Fight the Breeze: Boat rides are always windy. Instead of bearing through the chill, I’m packing a batwing cardigan for instant warmth.
20. Casually Cool: Forget what your grandma told you, this slightly slouchy sweater doesn’t look frumpy. It’s actually the key to looking effortlessly chic, especially while on the Cornish coast.
21. Sneaky Hack: I’ve always struggled to pull off a sweater draped over my shoulder. This handy shawl helps me master the preppy coastal look.
After spending the most blissful first week of summer in Cape Cod, one thing’s for sure: Sundresses are part of the summer uniform here. However, the go-to styles are much different from what city influencers swear by. Cape Cod locals prefer breezy linen or cotton options with romantic necklines and pretty seaside patterns. Hill House […]
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Show of hands, who cheated while playing Battleship? If your hand is down, you’re lying. Cheating your friends playing Battleship is a rite of passage which is why, somehow, Hasbro thought it would be the perfect property to cash in on the rise of Transformers back in 2012. 14 years later and it’s one of the top streaming movies on Amazon Prime, finally achieving its destiny: guilty pleasure Dad movie.
Top Gun By Sea
You can tell Battleship is from the early 2010’s because it stars Taylor Kitsch back when Hollywood was trying to make him the next big action star. If John Carter received the support it needed, it could have worked, but instead he starred in one box office bomb after another through no fault of his own. As Naval Officer Alex Hopper, Kitsch does a great job channeling Tom Cruise’s Maverick in Battleship, right down to trying to impress the Admiral’s daughter.
Where Battleship gets weird is when the alien spaceships land and isolate Hawaii from the rest of the world under an impenetrable force field. That and the alien weapons look a lot like the pegs from the game Battleship. Outgunned, outmanned, and with no one coming to save them, it’s up to Alex to lead the survivors of the American and Japanese Pacific Fleets against the alien invasion. And by now you’re wondering how this corny sounding sci-fi movie is a massive streaming hit, well, it’s because of what comes next.
The Greatest Final Act In Movie History
For the entire first two-thirds of Battleship it’s an incredibly corny movie where everyone, from Liam Neeson as the Admiral to Jesse Plemons and Rami Malek as sailors, understood the assignment and is chewing up every bit of scenery. Then, with no ship left, Alex says “we have a battleship,” and the camera pans to the U.S.S. Missouri docked at Pearl Harbor. In case you’re wondering what makes this a modern classic Dad movie, it’s this scene. Get your parents, get your grandparents, have them watch the movie, and wait until they reach the Missouri.
Onboard the ship-turned-historical museum, the survivors have no idea how to run an analog, old-school ship. That’s when the veterans appear, one by one. Played by the real veterans of the Missouri and other ships of the era (there’s a U.S.S. Carolina cap in there too!), the veterans get to work teaching the kids how the ship works, all set to the sounds of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” This is catnip for boomers, and if you know any old seaman who haven’t watched this, you owe it to them to share it.
Battleship Is A Streaming Success Wherever It Sails
Battleship may be one of the biggest box office flops in history, losing both Hasbro and Universal roughly $150 million each after earning only $300 million at the box office, which after theatrical cuts and marketing, wasn’t enough for anything resembling a profit. It’s also one of the greatest streaming success stories in history. Every time Battleship arrives on a streaming service, it’s in the top 10 for weeks. No one wants to admit they love this movie, but it’s okay, you can admit that once “Thunderstruck” hits you are locked in.
When the final battle hits, if you aren’t having the time of your life with Battleship, you don’t love movies. Find a boomer, sit down, stream it on Amazon Prime, and remember how much fun you can have when a movie doesn’t take itself seriously.
Over the course of 50 years, 25 movies, and seven different actors, the adventures of James Bond have been a constant on the silver screen. But Bond’s also seen plenty of competition in the action world, whether it’s the brutal beat downs of the John Wick franchise or the cold, calculated carnage of The Equalizer trilogy. Luckily, Netflix has the perfect movie for fans of both approaches, as it not only features enough bloodshed to rival Wick’s exploits but also stars a Bond alum. It’s also a breezy 90 minutes, making it the perfect pick for a weekend watch.
What movie might this be? Fast Charlie. Based on the novel Gun Monkeys by Victor Gischler, Fast Charlie stars Pierce Brosnan as highly skilled mob fixer Charlie Swift. A job gone wrong brings him into the orbit of Marcie Kramer (Morena Baccarin), who also happens to be the ex-wife of his target, Rollo. While sparks fly between the two, they find themselves on the run when up-and-coming crime boss Beggar (Gbenga Akinnagbe) starts murdering all of Charlie’s old acquaintances. What follows is a white-knuckle game of cat and mouse as Charlie and Marcie try to stay one step ahead of Beggar’s forces while finding out why he wanted Rollo dead.
‘Fast Charlie’ Is Crafted By Filmmakers Who Have History With the Crime Genre
To bring Charlie Swift’s tale to life, Fast Charlie couldn’t just rely on a star-studded cast but also on a crew experienced in delivering the kind of blood-soaked, mile-a-minute storytelling that comes with the crime genre. It lucked out with both its director and writer, as Phillip Noyce helmed the movie while Richard Wenk penned the screenplay. Both men are experts in crafting action-packed stories, as Noyce directed the iconic Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, both starring Harrison Ford and adapting Tom Clancy‘s titular novels. Wenk is best known for penning every installment of the Equalizer trilogy, as well as the Jason Statham action vehicle The Mechanic and Antoine Fuqua‘s remake of The Magnificent Seven.
Together, Noyce and Wenk craft a movie that’s one part mystery, one part action thriller, and one part love story. Most of Fast Charlie is dedicated to Charlie avenging his fallen comrades, while also trying to figure out why Beggar wanted him dead. He also starts to connect more with Marcie, and the two both realize they could have a life together rather than just trying to survive alone. Noyce and Wenk also know when to time their action sequences for maximum impact, including a moment where Charlie gets the drop on two assassins sent to take him out. They also don’t shy away from the bloodshed; bullets pierce through brain matter and nearly everything gets turned into a weapon, with gruesome results.
Pierce Brosnan Shows He Hasn’t Lost His Bond-Era Charm with ‘Fast Charlie’
The best reason to watch Fast Charlie, other than the carefully crafted story or the action sequences, is Pierce Brosnan’s performance as the titular character. Brosnan brings plenty of the charm and calculating menace that defined his role as James Bond, especially when facing off against people he wants to kill or who want to kill him. A great example comes early in the movie, when Charlie meets Beggar; from the start, you can tell there’s no love lost between them, thanks to the thinly veiled disgust that crosses Brosnan’s face. Brosnan also has electric chemistry with Baccarin, and some warmer moments with James Caan, who plays Charlie’s old boss Stan. Given that this was Caan’s final movie role before he passed away in 2022, the moments between Charlie and Stan hit harder than expected.
Netflix viewers also seem to be taking to Fast Charlie, as it made its way onto Netflix’s Top 10 list earlier this month. Whether you’re a fan of Brosnan’s turn as Bond or like a breezy, bloody crime thriller, Fast Charlie should definitely be on your watchlist. It’s proof that even though he’s hung up Bond’s tuxedo, Brosnan can still play a charming yet dangerous antihero.
- Release Date
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December 8, 2023
- Runtime
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90 Minutes
The 1980s gave horror fans slashers, splatter, video-store trash, punk energy, monster suits, synth dread, practical-effects miracles, and the kind of cheap weirdness that can make a terrible movie lovable. So when an ’80s horror movie actually turned out bad, it had committed a special crime.
It had the easiest decade in horror history to be entertainingly stupid and still found a way to be dead air. The movies on this list, therefore, are not the fun-bad legends you defend at 2 a.m. with pizza and friends. These are the ones that test your soul, your patience, your eyesight, your hearing, and occasionally your belief in editing as a human invention.
6
‘Monster Dog’ (1984)
Monster Dog is basically Vince Raven (Alice Cooper) starring in a werewolf-adjacent horror and that should be impossible to fully waste. Give him fog, dogs, a cursed family past, a creepy mansion, and a music-video mood, and even a weak movie should at least stumble into cult pleasure. But Monster Dog, oh boy. It somehow takes all of that and makes it feel like someone left a haunted-house attraction running after the staff went home.
The strangest thing is how little danger seems to live inside the frame. Cooper has presence, obviously, but the movie keeps trapping him in scenes that move like wet cardboard. The dubbing gives everyone that disconnected dream-mouth quality where emotions seem to be happening three rooms away from the actors. The dog attacks rarely have bite. The mystery feels like it was assembled from leftover Gothic scraps. Even the rock-star angle barely gives the movie juice, which feels insane considering the man at the center literally built a career out of theatrical horror. The movie is sleepy, murky, and weirdly allergic to its own best selling point.
5
‘Don’t Go in the Woods’ (1981)
This movie feels like a slasher made by people who heard about suspense from a guy at a gas station. Don’t Go in the Woods follows a group of campers wandering through the wilderness while a wild killer picks off random people, and that sounds like perfectly usable early-’80s forest-horror material. Woods, screams, isolation, bad decisions, cheap gore, lost hikers, dirtbag survival panic; the genre practically builds itself.
Then the movie starts moving, and the whole thing becomes a punishment hike. Characters appear with the personality of disposable paper plates. Victims seem dropped into the film just so the body count can keep coughing. The killer has none of the creepy backwoods presence that makes this kind of thing work. The editing feels allergic to geography, so the forest never becomes a place, just a pile of trees the movie keeps pointing at. There is a strange anti-rhythm to it, like every scare happens half a thought after it should. Even the title starts to feel less like a warning and more like a review: don’t go in the woods, and maybe don’t press play either.
4
‘Blood Lake’ (1987)
Some movies are amateur in a charming way. Blood Lake is amateur in the way a family vacation tape becomes unbearable after the fourth minute and then somehow keeps going. The setup promises lake-house slasher trash, the kind of thing where teens drink, flirt, water-ski, ignore obvious danger, and eventually learn that cheap summer freedom comes with a body count. That is a perfectly fine formula. Horror fans have forgiven much worse when the vibe has a pulse.
The problem is that Blood Lake has the dramatic urgency of people waiting for someone’s uncle to fix the boat motor. Scenes sag. Conversations stretch into nothing. The characters talk like the script was discovered under a cooler. The lake barely feels threatening, the killer barely feels present, and the horror barely feels like a priority. It is one of those movies where the dead space becomes the main character. You keep waiting for the grimy home-video texture to become part of the charm, but charm requires at least a little rhythm, a little madness, a little accidental poetry.
3
‘Zombie Nightmare’ (1987)
A zombie revenge movie with Adam West (Adam West), Tia Carrere (Tia Carrere), a heavy-metal soundtrack, and a dead man rising to punish the punks who killed him should be gloriously dumb. That combination should deliver at least one perfect video-store fever dream. Instead, Zombie Nightmare has the energy of a movie that keeps forgetting revenge is supposed to feel satisfying.
Tony (Jon Mikl Thor) is a good-hearted muscle guy whose death leads to voodoo resurrection and shambling payback. On paper, beautiful nonsense. On screen, the zombie lumbering is so stiff, so slow, so weirdly unthreatening that every kill feels less like supernatural justice and more like someone missed their bus and decided to murder time. West wanders through the police material with the glazed confidence of a man who knows nobody can hurt his legacy now. The soundtrack keeps trying to pump blood into a corpse the movie itself has already abandoned. It has metal. It has zombies. It has revenge. It has almost no pleasure in any of those things. That is unforgivable.
2
‘Things’ (1989)
Things is the kind of movie that makes you question whether cinema was a mistake. Calling it badly made almost feels too polite, because “badly made” suggests recognizable pieces failing to connect. This thing feels transmitted from a cursed basement through damaged cables into the softest part of your brain.
There is a plot somewhere involving an experimental fertility procedure, disgusting little creatures, and people trapped in a house, but plot becomes irrelevant once the movie starts attacking basic human comprehension. The sound is legendary for all the wrong reasons. People speak like their dialogue was recorded inside a shoebox during a power outage. No dig intended at technological limitations of that time (think about The Godfather that came 17 years before it). Scenes drag past the point of awkwardness into a new emotional climate. The creatures look absurd, but the real horror is the dead time between them. Then there is the random newswoman material, the endless wandering, the feeling that every cut is a cry for help. Most bad horror movies fail to scare. Things feels like it was made by fear itself, specifically the fear of being trapped forever in a conversation you cannot hear properly.
1
‘Hobgoblins’ (1988)
Hobgoblins is the grand champion on this list because it manages to be cheap, ugly, irritating, unfunny, lifeless, and smug about its own nonsense at the same time. Little alien creatures escape from a film studio vault and mess with people by making their fantasies come true in dangerous ways. That concept could have been nasty fun: fake glamour, sleazy dreams, puppet chaos, ’80s trash culture eating itself. Give that premise to the right maniacs and you get a filthy little cult gem.
Hobgoblins gives you puppets that look like carpet samples with eyes, characters who make every room worse by entering it, and comedy that lands with the force of a damp sock. The nightclub scenes feel like time has been legally frozen. The phone-sex subplot is painful in a way that bypasses laughter and goes directly into spiritual fatigue. The creatures barely function as monsters, yet the humans are so unbearable that rooting for anyone becomes work. Plenty of bad horror movies are incompetent. This one feels like it is actively wasting the viewer’s night while grinning from behind a pile of lint. A true 0/10. No scare. No fun. No mercy.
Millennials showed up to theaters for a dose of nostalgia this week with Jackass: Best and Last debuting to solid reviews. However, the numbers simply weren’t there for the slapstick, stunt-based comedy sequel. The new movie grossed less than one-fifth of the franchise’s high-water mark, set by the third installment over a decade ago. The Jackass franchise, which began as an MTV series in the early aughts and branched off to the big screen not long afterward, has relied on nostalgia since the third installment’s release in 2012. You’d have to wonder how many times audiences can be courted with the promise of one last ride. The new movie makes this assertion in the title and brings back franchise veterans Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O, although a key member of the group, Bam Margera, is missing for the second time in a row.
Jackass: Best and Last holds a stellar 88% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, which is currently the highest for any installment of the franchise. By comparison, Jackass Forever holds an 86% score, while Jackass 3 is sitting at a 67% score and Jackass Number Two has a 66% score. Jackass: The Movie is the only installment not rated “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. The fifth movie also earned an A- grade from CinemaScore audiences — the best since the original film, which was released nearly 25 years ago.
Here’s How Much ‘Jackass: Best and Last’ Grossed in Its Box-Office Debut
Jackass: Best and Last grossed a little more than $8 million in its domestic debut, which is the worst bow in the franchise’s history. It’s also far lower than the franchise-record haul of $50 million set by Jackass 3. That film ended up grossing more than $170 million worldwide, also a franchise record. Jackass Forever grossed $23 million in its opening weekend, Jackass Number Two grossed $29 million in its first three days, and Jackass: The Movie earned $22 million in its domestic debut. Even the spin-off, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, grossed more than $100 million domestically and more than $160 million worldwide. Every installment of the franchise has been directed by Jeff Tremaine, with Oscar-winner Spike Jonze serving as a writer and producer. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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June 26, 2026
- Director
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Jeff Tremaine
- Writers
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Jason ‘Wee Man’ Acuña, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey, Preston Lacy, Trip Taylor, Eric Manaka, Zach Holmes, Rachel Wolfson, Jasper Dolphin, Tory Belleci, J.P. Blackmon, Sean Cliver, Dimitry Elyashkevich, Johnny Knoxville, Knate Lee, Sean McInerney, Chris Pontius, Steve-O, Jeff Tremaine, Davon Wilson
-
-
Steve-O
Self (as ‘Danger Efren’ McGhehey)
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Chris Pontius
Self (archive footage)
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Jason ‘Wee Man’ Acuña
Self (as Sean ‘Poopies’ McInerney)
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Summer outfit ruts are real. After months of reaching for the same tees and tanks, it’s easy to start craving something that feels a little more special without sacrificing comfort. A pretty, boutique-looking blouse provides that perfect happy medium, completely refreshing your wardrobe with minimal effort.
That’s the reason why the Sampeel 3/4 Length Sleeve Lace Eyelet Blouse keeps landing in carts. With more than 1,300 five-star ratings on Amazon, it’s the kind of high-end-looking piece that doesn’t carry a boutique price tag. Right now it’s marked down by 45% for Prime Day, which makes grabbing a couple of colors feel like a small indulgence rather than a splurge.
Get the Sampeel 3/4 Length Sleeve Lace Eyelet Blouse for $14 (Was $26) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
Katie Holmes has a knack for making the most practical wardrobe staples feel unexpectedly chic. The secret? Her accessories, which always seem to pull her entire look together, whether she’s using them to spice up baggy jeans, enhance breezy dresses or make separates seem extra polished. That’s exactly why her latest go-with-everything tote bag caught […]
The eyelet-lace floral design is what sets it apart from your standard summer top, and the 3/4-sleeve length hits a flattering spot on the arm. It’s made from a cotton blend that breathes well in warm weather, and its crew neck pairs well under blazers or on its own with jeans. Sizes run from S to XXL, and the color range is generous: crisp white, soft light blue, magenta pink and several more.
The details aren’t the only thing shoppers love. One reviewer praised the flattering fit, adding that “the fabric feels luxurious and high-quality.” Another shopper called it a versatile closet staple, writing, “It can be worn everywhere. Daytime to work, evening out to dinner,” and even admitted they were “thinking of buying in more colors.”
That kind of versatility is rare at this price point. Pair it with white denim and sandals for brunch, tuck it into a pencil skirt for the office or layer it under a cardigan once the weather turns. The eyelet detail does the styling work for you, so you don’t have to pile on accessories to feel pulled together.
A final reviewer summed up the appeal best: “This is so cute and so comfortable.” According to the shopper, they’ve worn it twice already and “got a lot of compliments” each time.
At just $15 during Prime Day, it’s hard to argue with picking up two. Whether you’re tired of basic tees or simply looking for an easy way to make everyday outfits feel a little prettier, this bestselling blouse delivers the boutique look without the boutique price tag.
Get the Sampeel 3/4 Length Sleeve Lace Eyelet Blouse for $14 (Was $26) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more from Sampeel here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
Katie Holmes has a knack for turning practical pieces into must-have fashion moments. One of her most memorable warm-weather looks featured chunky ‘dad sandals’ paired with a flowy white skirt, soft V-neck sweater and black shoulder bag. The outfit struck the perfect balance of comfort and style, proving that sensible footwear can still look incredibly […]
Roomies, A$AP Rocky has the internet talking again after a recent tour stop sparked a wave of reactions online—and this time, he used the moment to directly respond to the ongoing chatter surrounding him. The Harlem rapper paused during his ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ tour performance to address several rumors and narratives that have followed him throughout his rollout, making it clear he was ready to set the record straight.
RELATED: Fans Are Mentioning Rihanna After A$AP Rocky Drops SPICY Comment About Pretty Women At Recent Concert (WATCH)
A$AP Rocky Ain’t Letting ANYTHING Slide
During the show, Rocky called out critics over a string of viral topics that have circulated online in recent weeks. He pushed back on claims about his wardrobe, ticket sales, and personal life, telling the crowd he feels frustrated with the constant speculation surrounding him. “Fuck the internet,” Rocky told the audience. “First they was saying n***a was wearing thongs, then they was saying n***as show wasn’t selling out, nobody wasn’t coming, then they saying I’m disrespectful to my wife. Suck my d**k, n***a.“
A$AP Rocky goes off on the internet 👀
“F*ck the internet. First they was saying I was wearing thongs, then they was saying the show wasn’t selling out, nobody wasn’t coming, then they saying I’m disrespectful to my wife… suck my d*ck.” pic.twitter.com/ZZFK8TGL0F
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) June 27, 2026
Wait… Who Brought Up A Thong?
Now, A$AP Rocky had the internet in a frenzy after a viral clip from his tour sparked wild speculation about what fans thought they saw on stage. The conversation quickly spiraled online, but Rocky and his creative agency AWGE wasted no time flipping the narrative right back on everyone.
After the footage began circulating, showing what some users believed was a fashion choice involving thong underwear, AWGE stepped in with a sharp response and turned the moment into a marketing play instead. The label teased its own branded line of thongs while shutting down the rumors, writing, “Don’t be dumb you played yaself,” and adding that what people saw was simply a mic pack. In true Rocky fashion, he and his team flip the situation back onto the internet, spark debate among fans, and reject claims of confusion.
Why Do Folks Think He Disrespected Rihanna?
During a recent show in Arizona, A$AP Rocky was caught on fan-recorded video making a bold comment to the crowd, saying he would’ve “f****d the s**t” out of fans if he were still single. The remark quickly spread online, with some social media users calling it unnecessary and disrespectful, while others brushed it off as typical Rocky humor. Still, many came to Rihanna’s defense, with fans pointing out that the rapper has been in a committed relationship with the global superstar for years.
RELATED: Spicy Date Night! Footage of Rihanna Dippin’ It Low For A$AP Rocky During Night At Magic City Is Turnin’ Heads (WATCH)
What Do You Think Roomies?
The momentum that Apple TV has accumulated with a series of hit shows in the last few months isn’t slowing down, with another sure-fire winner around the corner. Apple’s streak began with the comedy-drama Margo’s Got Money Problems, and continued with the sci-fi series Star City, the humorous crime thriller Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, and the horror comedy Widow’s Bay. Each of these titles is “Certified Fresh” on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with Widow’s Bay emerging as a bona fide cultural phenomenon. Even Cape Fear, arguably Apple’s biggest bet this summer, received positive reviews despite not hitting the viewership benchmarks it was projected to. This streak will continue when one of the most acclaimed sci-fi shows on Apple returns with a new season this week.
The show in question debuted in 2023 and returned with a second season in 2024. Over that period, Apple has cemented itself as the go-to hub for sci-fi content, thanks to shows such as Severance, Foundation, and more recently, Pluribus. Don’t forget, the streamer’s longest-running series is the sci-fi hit For All Mankind, which will conclude its six-season run next year. The 2023 series, created by Graham Yost, has already been renewed for a fourth and final season, which will be released in 2027. The show stars Rebecca Ferguson in the lead role, with Tim Robbins, Steve Zahn, and Jessica Henwick in supporting roles.
Here’s When Apple’s Hit Sci-Fi Series Returns
We’re talking, of course, about Silo. The show holds an overall 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with both previous seasons being “Certified Fresh” on the aggregator. The show’s third season is set to premiere on July 3. A new episode will be released weekly, with the 10-episode season coming to an end on September 4. The show is based on a series of dystopian novels by Hugh Howey, which take place in a future where humankind lives in underground silos with their own social hierarchies. Ferguson plays an engineer who becomes entangled in the many conspiracies surrounding the survival and subjugation of humanity. Think of it as a combination of Snowpiercer and Apple’s own Severance. You can watch the show on Apple TV, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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May 5, 2023
- Network
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Apple TV
- Showrunner
-
Graham Yost
- Directors
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Morten Tyldum, David Semel, Michael Dinner, Aric Avelino
- Writers
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Graham Yost, Hugh Howey, Jeffery Wang, Lekethia Dalcoe
Jennifer Lopez is officially getting ready for an empty nest as she took to social media to share a series of wholesome photos from the high school graduation of her twins, Max and Emme [also known as Oskar].
Last month, the singer was full of pride when she revealed that her twins got into all five colleges they applied for with scholarships.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez’s ex-husband, Marc Anthony, has been MIA, and she didn’t hesitate to throw shades at him on how she raised them “with very little help.”
Lopez is seemingly reminiscing on how things have been on the home front as she took to her Instagram account to share several photos that include some from her children’s graduation.
Beginning with photos of herself posing on a couch and another close to a bathtub, the post also featured one where she’s seen tightly embracing Max while closing her eyes and resting her hand on his cheeks.
Another photo sees her child, Oskar, sit in front of a sign that reads, “Class of 2026.”
One other slide captured a close-up photo of Oskar’s graduation cap, which read, “Not my first rodeo,” while another had several graduation-themed cupcakes.
“They say I got lucky… and I don’t disagree… Just this feeling,” Lopez captioned the post.
Fans Congratulate The Singer On The Twins’ Graduation Post After Emme Revealed Their New Identity And Pronouns
In the comment section of Lopez’s new post, fans were full of praise for the singer while congratulating her twins.
A person wrote, “I love you all!! Congratulations to the coconuts! So happy for them. You are a wonderful mother at all times.”
Another fan noted, “Congratulations to Emme and Max!!! So proud of them & their hard-earned work and future success!!”
The celebrations mark a phase of major transitions for the family, as it comes after a social media post revealed that Lopez’s child, Emme, is now going by the name “Oskar Muñiz.”
The now-deleted post, which announced that the student in question was going to study theater and visual arts at Sarah Lawrence College, tagged Oskar’s Instagram account, which has a profile picture of Lopez’s child.
In the post, Emme was not only referred to as Oskar but was also described using he/him pronouns.
The Singer Struggled To Stop Her Tears As She Watched Max Graduate
Meanwhile, Max has yet to share his preferred college destination, unlike his twin sibling, who is likely going to Sarah Lawrence College.
Earlier this month, the “Maid In Manhattan” actress attended his graduation and struggled to keep the tears from flowing down her face as she watched him graduate.
Photos obtained by Page Six showed her Lopez emotional as she hugged him tightly in another wholesome shot.
At the event, she was in the company of her parents, Guadalupe Rodríguez and David Lopez, manager Benny Medina, and Oskar.
Jennifer Lopez Has Been Helping Her Children Prepare For College Life
The “Ain’t Your Mama” singer has been beaming with pride on the stellar academic performance of her children so far.
During a May appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” she revealed that she has been a major figure in their transition to college life and has been helping them arrange their stuff.
“I do all the things,” she told Kimmel. “We have sheets at the house. We’re gonna pack up their rooms here, and they’re going to take all the things that they want to take to their dorms.”
Lopez then shared that she was going to miss them and hoped they wouldn’t stay away for too long.
“Then, they’re gonna get there and realize their dorms are too small,” she stated. “They’re going to miss home, I hope and want to come back real soon. That’s my plan.”
The Singer Revealed Both Her Kids Got Scholarships
The road to graduation wasn’t without its own challenges. The singer recently opened up about how proud she is of both of them for overcoming academic hurdles related to ADHD and getting into all 5 universities they applied to with scholarships.
She made the remark in a chat with Extra, saying she’s so proud of them as they’ve seemingly achieved their set goals.
“They all got into all five colleges that they applied to. They both got a scholarship, you know, one scholarship to each. Each one got a scholarship to a school. And I just felt like they work so hard,” she said.
“I watched how hard they worked, from the time they were like… when school gets serious in the fifth grade, and they just worked hard,” she continued. “They have ADHD, and so they need to learn differently, and there were struggles and times, and I’m just so proud of them because they did what they said they were going to do, and they’re good people.”
Jennifer Lopez Takes A Jab At Her Ex-Husband, Marc Anthony
Lopez recently took a subtle dig at her ex-husband, Marc Anthony, who has notably been absent from graduation photos of the twins.
During an appearance on the “SmartLess” podcast, she dished on how she has become increasingly “emotional” as they prepare to leave for college.
“It’s crazy. And now I can really look at my life, appreciate it for what it is and what I’ve created for myself and be really happy,” she told hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett.
She continued, “Both my kids got into all their colleges, and they both got scholarships, and they’re going where they want to go.”
“It’s just … I was like, ‘You did that sh-t all by yourself.’ That’s great. Like, ‘You had very little help,’ you know?” Lopez added.
Can you believe that it’s been 45 years since Raiders of the Lost Ark first graced the silver screen? When George Lucas and Steven Spielberg get together, incredible things happen, and that was certainly the case here with the very first Indiana Jones adventure. Harrison Ford stars as Indy in this pulse-pounding, globe-trotting thrill, and after all this time, it continues to prove itself to be not only the best adventure movie of all time, but perhaps one of the best films ever made.
Raiders is a masterclass in action, character work, suspense, and pulp-inspired storytelling that helped shape pop culture more than we dared believe it could. Spawning several sequels, a television show, video games, and even comic books, Indiana Jones revived the B-picture genre as an A-list form of entertainment. So, what makes Raiders the best adventure movie ever made? Here are some of the reasons we consider the first theatrical Indy outing to be superior to all others.
It’s Harrison Ford At His Best as Indiana Jones
In his career, Harrison Ford has played Indiana Jones in live-action on six separate occasions (yes, including that one episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles), but when you put them all together, he’s still at his best here in Raiders. His cowboy-like swagger commands every moment he’s on the screen, from that initial introduction with the whip to the moment he shows up with a rocket launcher threatening to blow up the Ark of the Covenant. Ford perfectly embodies Indiana Jones in the same way he does Han Solo, with natural charisma.
Additionally, Raiders of the Lost Ark also allows Ford to explore his more sensitive side. Apart from being a badass teacher-turned-adventurer (and he’s certainly that), the film allows it’s leading star to occasionally offer glimpses of the man underneath, yet without removing that masculine exterior. We see this in his despair at Marion’s (Karen Allen) apparent death, as well as his several defeats at the hands of René Belloq (Paul Freeman). No matter his emotional state, Indy is still Indy.
All the Incredible Sets and Locations
It’s not uncommon for movies, and especially Hollywood blockbusters, to be filmed on large blue-screen sets these days. While there is a time and place for digital scenery, Raiders is impressive for its attention to detail and masterfully-constructed set pieces that make the whole thing feel larger than life. The snake temple in Tanis, for example, is a brilliant piece of work that is as much a character as those trying desperately to escape the slithering around them (the use of real snakes also perfectly adds to the suspense).
Additionally, the film’s on-location shoots in Tunisia and Hawaii, in particular, perfectly simulates Egypt and Peru is that we instantly believe it. It doesn’t feel like some poor digital recreation that takes us out of the adventure, but rather adds to the mystique and overall production value. While Raiders spent plenty of time in the studio, its use of place elevates the material.
The Perfect Mixture of Science and Religion
It can be quite difficult for modern blockbusters to so effortlessly balance the notions of science and religion in the same way that Raiders of the Lost Ark does. For every Disclosure Day that does the mixture injustice, there is a Project Hail Mary that honors both faith and fact in different ways. But back in 1981, Raiders of the Lost Ark perfected the idea by sending a skeptic archeologist after one of the most enchanting biblical discoveries out there, forcing him to confront the supernatural despite his opposing beliefs.
Raiders of the Lost Ark never shoves religion down one’s throat, but it does highlight this Old Testament object as a source of incredible power desired by the Nazis in their growing schemes to take over the world. Because the Ark is so central to the plot (not unlike the Holy Grail in The Last Crusade), Indy and those in search of the relic are forced to confront it through more secular, scientific methods — at least until they cannot deny its power. Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, Raiders feels like it’s made for everyone.
The Practical Effects Still (Mostly) Hold Up
For years now, audiences have lamented the absence of practical effects in many blockbusters, with many noting the decline in quality of CGI over the years. Wherever you fall in that debate, there’s no doubt that Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s use of practical effects is part of its charm. From the giant boulder that nearly crushes our hero to the sweeping car chases and explosions, everything about the film feels real, tangible, and authentic. Yes, even the infamous face-melting sequence.
Admittedly, not every practical effect used in Raiders holds up to scrutiny. Belloq’s demise, for instance, could have been done better today. That said, there’s a certain charm to terrifying moments like Arnold Toht’s (Ronald Lacey) face melting before our eyes that we cannot deny — the technical aspects alone are so enrapturing as we wonder how Spielberg and company pulled it off.
The Romance Between Indy and Marion
Not all of Indiana Jones’ on-screen romances are particularly engaging, but what made Marion Ravenwood great from the get-go was that she was a woman who could rival Indy’s confidence. When we first meet her in Nepal, she’s drinking her customers under the table, and when Indy arrives looking for her father’s amulet, she is not duped by his pleas, but rather sees right through them. Marion knows Indy better than perhaps anyone, and it’s for this reason that the pair work so well together — and always return to one another.
Raiders of the Lost Ark doesn’t make more of its romantic subplot than it ought, yet Marion remains an important fixture in Indy’s journey that makes it all worth it in the end. The chemistry between Ford and Allen is exceptional, rivaling even the riveting on-screen romance between Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in The Mummy. Without it, Raiders would be without its heart.
It’s Loaded With Meaningful Action
Another thing that sets Raiders of the Lost Ark apart from its contemporaries is the film’s purposeful use of action. There are no over-the-top overly-choreographed fight sequences just for the sake of it, nor does anything come across as ham-fisted or inauthentic. Every action sequence has a clear purpose, and in the moments where Raiders teeters toward redundancy, the picture reins itself in.
One famous behind-the-scenes tidbit from the set of Raiders is that Ford suggested that the initial three-page whip-versus-gun battle between Indy and the Arab swordsman be cut short. Rather than repeat the same “Indy’s whip saves the day” beat as previously expressed earlier in the film, our hero takes the villain down with a single shot — and it works masterfully in the picture. Just another example of how self-restraint can do wonders in moviemaking.
John Williams’ Triumphant and Immersive Score
Although John Williams had already blown audiences away with his scores for Star Wars and Superman, the composer defied the odds by doing so once again with Raiders of the Lost Ark. The famous “Raiders March” is a well-known piece of musical genius that sets a clear tone for the picture, establishing Indy as our leading hero, highlighting each romantic beat, and keeping us on the edge of our seats. It doesn’t just do everything that a good score should do, it excels with each new track.
Part of the reason that the Indiana Jones saga is so thoroughly rewatchable is because of Williams’ score. The rousing tune encourages the viewer to participate in the excitement and every time that familiar trumpet blast is heard, one is instantly transported to 1936 — or, at least 1981.
Visually Speaking, ‘Raiders’ Is Stunning
These days, even big-budget blockbusters feel like they’re shot like commercials and advertisements, but back when Raiders was first released, every shot was constructed like a painting. Part of this was the limited 35mm film stock that forced the filmmakers to be more selective with their time and resources, and part of it was the creative eye of cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, who shot the original trilogy.
In short, Raiders of the Lost Ark still looks great. The shot compositions, character blocking, and expert lighting techniques all combine to craft something that few can emulate today. It’s not just popcorn entertainment (though it is certainly that), it’s truly a work of cinematic art. No wonder it’s considered a crown jewel on the “Mount Rushmore” of Spielberg movies.
The Tight Script Hits All the Right Beats
A great film starts long before the cameras ever roll, and Raiders of the Lost Ark was destined for greatness the moment Lucas and Spielberg cracked the Indiana Jones character. Soon after, Lucas and Philip Kaufman went to work on the story, with Lawrence Kasdan penning the screenplay. Frankly, it’s one of the more perfect screenplays out there, especially when it comes to the adventure genre.
Raiders hits every story beat exactly when required, expertly balancing character work with plot in a 115-minute adventure that gives its heroes room to breath while never letting up on the stakes. There’s no excess fat here, as Raiders is well-trimmed and thoroughly brought to temperature. Not once are we bored, and that’s part of the magic.
‘Raiders’ Is George Lucas and Steven Spielberg At Their Best
Although both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas had their own respective careers and creative visions apart from one another, the two will always be tied together by Indiana Jones. Raiders of the Lost Ark is truly the pair at their collaborative and creative best, as Spielberg’s clear cinematic vision is on full display while Lucas’ role as a creative force magnifies the hero and his journey. Without one or the other, Raiders would not be what it is today.
No matter if you adore Star Wars or think Jaws is the best movie ever, when it comes to the adventure genre, Lucas and Spielberg knew how to evoke all the stories they grew up with and repurpose them into an action-packed thrill worthy of its title. As one of the most recognizable heroes in film history, Indiana Jones was only ever possible because of these two filmmakers. It’s just a shame they weren’t creatively involved in Ford’s final installment as the character.
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