Raiders of the Lost Ark vs. The Dark Knight

33 comments

43 comments

Spielberg's Big classic vs. (pseudo) dark and (pseudo) realistic Nolan's blockbuster (good but not great)... RAIDERS definitely!

Raiders of the Lost Ark was a defining experience in my movie watching career. The Dark Knight, though it has its merits, is a bit too bloated and lofty for its own good. Raiders is thrilling without all the excesses.

ear
ear

The Dark Knight wins by a hair but Harrison Ford rules.

Oh man, I don't know. Raiders is my least favourite of the trilogy (yes there are only 3) but is TDK better? Maybe for now.

Put TDK up against Last Crusade. Then we have a battle, far as I'm concerned.

(Er...not that this isn't a battle. Raiders is a fantastic frikkin' film.)

Indy FTW.

Both are great movies, but I have to say that Raiders is the better of the two. Harrison Ford is a fantastic actor and this is a movie I grew up watching. Plus he's killing Nazis! Now can you top that. The Dark Knight is definitly the best of all the Batman movies so far and Heath Ledgers preformance is non-forgetable.

Indy! If TDK is as well remembered in thirty years (it won't be) as Raiders is today, I'll eat my hat. And it's a nice hat. Raiders of the Lost Ark all the way.

I think it will be remembered. Will it be remembered as fondly? Perhaps not. I love Indiana Jones, but TDK still gets my vote.

Confession: Even though I was a kid in the 80s, I didn't see the "Indy" movies until the 90s. "Temple of Doom" is easily my favorite, so I have less trouble picking "The Dark Knight" over "Raiders" here.

I'll defend Dark Knight to the death... but not against Raiders. It's goddamn Raiders!

Indiana Jones beats Batman. Always.

This is a hard one because I love Raiders but Dark Knight was good also. I think I will go with Raiders because I know that Dark Knight is a widely loved movie but I did not think it was as good as everyone says. Raiders is a very good film and I loved the ending with the opening of the Ark.

Lost a lot of love for Indy over the months, particularly Raiders. It brings the fun in parts but it doesn't bring enough of the funny, a point which stands out all the more when contrasted with TDKs intense style of fun. Then there's the whole "Shut your eyes Marion" scene which is just cheesy. Oh and Marion's an annoying loser.

Raiders is the only Indy film the beats TDK for me.

Crazy matchup.

This is why I interpret Flickchart as asking me which is my Favorite, rather than which is the Best. Here, it comes down to this: I'm a much bigger Bat-fan than I ever was an Indy fan. TDK gets the nod.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is fabulous compared to TDK.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a classic. I dont think Dark Knight has reached the status of Spielbergs classic.

Dark Knight. Both had memorable characters but TDK had a more iconic villain. Dark Knight for the win!

Dark Knight PWNS!!

Two of the best action movies ever made.I go for TDK.

Indiana Jones looks almost childish compared to The Dark Knight.

Okay maybe I took it a bit too far. Raiders is awesome and in no way childish. The great action set-pieces, wonderful locations and cool special effects never fail to amaze me. But if we take characterization, narrative, underlying themes and emotional impact into account, The Dark Knight is much better. Raiders is family fun and that's fantastic but TDK offers so much more. They're both highly rewatchable. TDK by a hair.

Both are 5/5 movies on my opinion. But have to say that dark knight is still better.

Both are in my top ten. I'm pleasantly surprised people aren't going crazy on this matchup saying, 'Raider's of the Lost Ark is a masterpiece!!, you people are STUPID!!!'. I wasn't old enough to watch Raiders when it came out. I say this because I believe following The Dark Knight, then waiting, waiting, waiting for it made me enjoy it more. I wasn't that keen on the idea of Heath Ledger as the Joker, or that keen on the film overall, until I saw that first image of the Joker, close up, in the dark. Don't take my comment like I don't like older films, look at my list, I have movies from every decade in my favourites. But I believe it would beneficial for the viewer, with movies like Indy, to have been of the right age to grow up with the film, plus the rest of the trilogy. I think that's why I don't hate the fourth as much as others (although I can see it's faults) So really, it's a good sign for me of a great film that I haven't grown up with it, yet it's still in my top ten. It's just a perfect example of a adventure film. The Dark Knight is such a film. Plus Heath Ledger is so amazing, therefore The Dark Knight wins for me

"If adventure has a name...it's Indiana Jones!"

Raiders. Period.

Since I did not grow up with Indy I do not have the same nostalgic factor that you comes to many movie goers. DARK KNIGHT IT IS

Batman fanboy mode on.

I dont like Indy as much as most people do The Dark Knight wins this mathcup.

Joker > Nazis.

Genre: flickchart top 5

TDK.

The Dark Knight is great. The action is wonderful, the directing is solid, and, for an action film, it's surprisingly well shot (like, really well shot). Heath Ledger's performance is awesome, and the character he plays is one of my favorite villains of all time (probably second, to the penguin in Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers). The Raiders of the Lost Ark, on the other hand, is just mediocre.

Sorry Indy, but you lose.

Dark Knight but close

Its Raiders all the way.....Better for me in most ways....Love both but Raiders it too classical to lose against an overrated film like TDK

Raiders has this one, but it only just edges out the dark knight here

Lost Ark definitely has more heart, but The Dark Knight is simply better.

The Dark Knight remains my favorite blockbuster

Raiders takes it and honestly, it's not that close.

kill me...

no, dont kill me, Raiders is the clear winner

Tough fucking call man

Raiders is the winner here.

really, really tough call

Raiders all the way, its the greatest action/adventure film ever made! The Dark Knight is awsome but also the most overrated film of all time. Seriously, #6 on IMDb's top 250

Raiders is superior

Dark Knight is so much better

One of the first movies I ever saw, Raiders remains a classic for me to this day. (However, The Dark Knight is also amazing)

Yes, The Dark Knight is very deep and very good for a superhero movie. The problem is that it knows and acts like it's very deep and very good. Raiders doesn't put on airs.

Dark Knight by far

Raiders of the Lost Ark all the way.

The dark knight.

iNDY BY A MILE...ISNT ANYBODY GETTING SICK OF MEN IN COSTUMES YET,,,,ENOUGH OF THE COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS IT'S OUT OF HAND

Raiders, no contest.

Raiders

I have recently had a bit of a falling out with Raiders. I no longer LOVE it quite as much as I once did, but I would still give it to Raiders here.

The Dark Knight is my favorite action film but Raiders is also Top 15.

Indy wins pretty easy for me. The Dark Knight is an all time favorite of mine, and that being said is not even close to how exciting Raiders is. Indy for the win.

I'm the Joker.

Unrealistically difficult, but the slight edge goes to Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT is a far better movie

Dark Knight.

Raiders is vastly better. Not even close.

Dark Knight is just better it mostly gets an decent sensational story it basically couldn't lose this matchup but somehow it is the half of it's franchise could be perfect except Rises but somehow Dark Knight wouldn't be in a lose here overall Indy will not get to surpass this matchup here.

Dark Knight is very complex with fantastic performances, a real world setting and a brilliant script. But Raiders, to me, is as perfect as an action movie could be. Likeable main character, great locations, an engaging story and some of the greatest practical filmmaking you’ll ever see! Just too good to lose.

Dark Knight without a second thought...

The Dark Knight most barley destroys here and every direction.

The Dark Knight most barley destroys here and every direction.

Never been evolved anything Indiana Jones which was unpleasant overrated franchise, in the other hand the dark knight is the best film of the series, the dark knight destroys Indiana Jones.

Again in my opinion Indiana Jones didn’t make something good special but as the dark knight is far too good to win here.

Again in my opinion Indiana Jones didn’t make something good special but as the dark knight is far too good to win here.

Two of my favorite films of all time,over all raiders is a tighter film.

The dark knight gets the slightly edge while raiders never has any much that special conclusion.

The dark knight is far the the best source film in history.

Raiders is obviously the most overrated movie ever and no idea why anybody gets into it of courage love, the dark knight is obviously a real classic film ever and this isn’t every close.

In my opinion the dark knight is much better no hesitation.

The Dark Knight is much better. It's a masterpiece with the greatest CBM performance of all time.

The dark knight is simply much better.

both are masterpieces but TDK is one of the best

I loved The Dark Knight it had amazing action sequences, great cinematography, great editing and an amazing performance from Ledger as The Joker. But Indiana Jones wins because of the music, Spielberg's direction, the effects and the visual style.

Raiders is just excellent, but TDK for me personally

Probably Raiders. Better hero.