Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made

I've been following these guys for many years, just after the internet starting buzzing about them. I am glad that they are finally getting all of this recognition, and that they were able to "finish" their film.

This documentary does a neat job summing up the journey they have been on, with both its highs and its lows. It also manages to balance between the two narratives it is following, one being the process of making the film itself (starting when they were just kids), and the other one being the process to getting to finish the final scene of the movie.

It's the story of the old film that is the interesting one, while the filming of the airplane scene feels it's mostly in the documentary to justify the topic being relevant. I'm sure they knew this on some level, as the focus on the airplane scene is more towards the guys themselves than it is on the actual filmmaking they are doing.

It's typical of the genre, and maybe it's needed to fit a modern day audience, but I wish that they didn't lean so much on the drama of it all. I'd much rather watch a documentary giving the story to me straight, instead of trying to build so much excitement. That said, this movie does not do that a lot, but enough that I got slightly annoyed at it.

Other than that, I think they handled the subject well, and it gave a good glimpse into the brilliant fan movie, and the resilience of youth.

When you watch a classic like 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark,' it's hard to not feel motivated to see and try if you can recreate those scenes or at the very least walk around cosplaying as Indiana Jones with your friends. So you may watch this docu and start out by wearing your adult or parenthood lenses on and wonder what in the world are these kids thinking but five minutes into it, you'll get a sense of respect and wonder because you've realized that they managed to accomplish what many of us can only wish for.

I think one of the many fascinating things about this docu is that directors Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen were given so much access into the lives of Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos and Jayson Lamb, even the darkest moments in their past when at one point their friendship fell apart. If anything, what's most inspiring about this 'RAIDERS!' docu is to see these guys from when they were kids all the way on till they've become grown men and have their own families, how over all those years, they still had that dream and passion lingering on the back of their heads and they act on it and see it through. While others would probably give up because of life happens, in their case, yes life happens for them as well, and the roads haven't been easy either, they have families to feed and think about as well, but they found away to support each other and to realize this dream and to ultimately finish their film.

The docu jumps back and forth from the gradual process of shooting the explosive airplane scenes to the interviews with talking heads or people closest to them, to old archive footage and the outtakes revealing that only by some luck or miracle that the house at which they shot their fan-film did not burn down. This goes to also show that making a fan film, let-alone a full on feature film is never a walk in the park, it's a long and hard collaborative process, you work with people who may have different opinions and approaches, you see how this particular project impacts these kids, their friendships, their relationships, their personal struggles and their reconciliation. This shot per shot remake of "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" is nothing short of a labor of love, the result of following through on one's passion no matter what haters may say. Absolutely remarkable, worth a standing ovation.

-- Rama's Screen --

It's not too many docs that can pull at the heartstrings when the paraphrased edict "the sincerest form of flattery is imitation" is evidenced in this, the ultimate piece of fan worship. Who would've known that a shot by shot "adaptation" of Raiders of the Lost Ark made by teenagers would be the guiding nexus for 35 years of their lives. Though I grumbled to myself, maybe their time would've been better spent doing something original, I can't deny the audaciousness of the enterprise. Not many of us can say they've lived their dreams to fruition, these Raiders kids can & they have the VHS to prove it.

All I can say is watch this movie!! Very endearing and heartwarming story of dedication & love. Had us glued from the beginning. Brought me back to a simpler time and age. Absolutely Loved it!

Typically this is the sort of documentary I would avoid. I love documentaries and I love film, but a group of kids who recreate "Raiders"? Sounds stupid.

Luckily, others were less dismissive and numerous sources have praised both the kids' film and this documentary. It made me curious, and as it turns out, there is a great story here. There is the plot that these folks are filming the final shots of their remake, but there are so many other parts of this. I don't know why we should care about these kids and their families, but the film convinces us that we should. Romance, drug problems, abusive stepparents... all of that is here.