"The African Queen" (1951) - RE-WATCH

Rank on the AFI List: #65

Synopsis (according to imdb.com)
In Africa during WW1, a gin-swilling riverboat owner/captain is persuaded by a strait-laced missionary to use his boat to attack an enemy warship.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
This was actually the last movie on the AFI List that I watched before I decided to start this blog.  I remember thinking it was a pretty good adventure movie the first time I saw it, so I wondered what - if anything - might change in my opinion after a second viewing.

Unfortunately, I ended up not really liking it as much the second time.  For being a movie featuring two Hollywood legends - albeit aging ones - the acting wasn't all that memorable.  Plus, their whole relationship is a bit cooky: Bogart's flirting with the hippos, and his use of "old girl" as some sort of endearing nickname for his brand new beau, are two examples.  There's also a real lack of backstory for any of the characters.  Giving them more depth would have helped me care more, and I like to care.  Awwww.

On the positive side, there were some exciting scenes of the boat going through river rapids.  Additionally, the plot is intriguing.  Whenever I started to lose interest in the movie (due to the issues mentioned above), remembering the plot helped bring me back each time...even if the ending isn't really THAT exciting.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Thanks to the Special Features on the DVD, I can pretty much confirm the reason this is on the AFI List: it was one of the first-ever Hollywood movies filmed "on location" (virtually all movies up to that point were shot in film studios).  On top of that, they didn't just go to some nearby city or lake to shoot; they traveled to Africa and shot in the middle of the wild.  All that to say, "The African Queen" was groundbreaking for filming on location in the jungle.  It was also nominated for 4 Academy Awards, with Humphrey Bogart winning the lone statue for this film, for Best Actor.

Complaints:
I already mentioned them, but the lack of backstory for the main characters made this film a bit shallow.  The cooky-ness of the relationship between Bogart and Hepburn was also strange, and a bit embarrassing to watch at times.  And come on, you two just became a couple, so quit pretending like it's a rock-solid, years-old relationship you're both in that's sustaining you through the tough trip down river.  You're barely into the honeymoon phase...

LET ME SUM UP...
For being a combination of an action adventure/romantic comedy/war movie, this is a bit shallow for me to fully appreciate.  Bogart's character in particular was a little embarrassing to watch, though apparently it was good enough to win the Oscar for Best Actor.  The simple plot of a dangerous trek into hostile territory, however, kept me interested enough to not completely dislike "The African Queen".

MY RATING: 5.5/10 (1.5 lower from my previous rating)

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) - RE-WATCH

Rank on the AFI List: #66

Synopsis (according to imdb.com)
Archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
At the risk of being lambasted for this, I don't get the love affair everyone seems to have with this movie.  I watched it a number of times growing up, and it's enjoyable enough, but it's never been anywhere near the top of my favorites list.  I was further mystified when a fellow AFI blogger watched this movie for the very first time just recently (you can read her post here).  That right there goes against my thought that people love this because it's one of those classics they grew up with.  Apparently not!

Having said all that, I feel the need to state again that I don't dislike this movie.  I like it.  It's a fun adventure, and Indiana Jones is arguably the most iconic character in movie history (he was also perfectly cast by Harrison Ford...makes me wonder how successful this franchise would have been if George Lucas's first choice - Tom Selleck - had accepted the part instead).

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Not really sure.  I'm probably not the best person to answer this question, but here are some of my guesses:
     - The pure adventure of the story is possibly unlike any other.
     - It was the introduction of one of the most iconic, heroic characters in movie history.
     - Great stunts, faraway locations, and classic action sequences.
Those all seem like fairly weak arguments to me.  Oh well.  "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was nominated for 9 Academy Awards, winning 5 of them (Visual Effects, Film Editing, Sound, and Art Direction, as well as a Special Achievement Award for Sound Effects Editing).

Complaints:
Well, the incredibly erroneous assumptions this film took regarding the nature of the Ark of the Covenant is something I, being a Christian, had trouble accepting, even just for the sake of enjoying the story.  This issue also made the ending really lame and ridiculous for me.  Additionally, I felt the movie did a poor job explaining things sometimes (who exactly was that creepy German guy with the glasses?  Why/how the heck did the natives know to perfectly coordinate hiding the truck from the ensuing Nazis?  Etc.).  Also, Marion was a pretty annoying character.

LET ME SUM UP...
Fun adventure with a classic movie icon.  However, the poetic license the film takes, in both storytelling and the Ark itself, leaves me a bit underwhelmed compared to the seemingly vast majority of people who absolutely love this movie.

MY RATING: 7.5/10 (0.5 lower from my previous rating)