The Indiana Jones franchise has marked itself as one of the greatest film series in cinema history. It was a series of incredible action-adventure films like no other. George Lucas, who created Star Wars, sought to modernize the classic adventure serial films of the early 20th Century. While the character of Indiana Jones was well-known for his iconic trademarks being the bullwhip, fedora, leather jacket, and satchel, Indy was just an archeology professor when he wasn’t on his adventures. Harrison Ford was cast in the role of Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones, Jr., who quickly became one of Hollywood’s most beloved characters.
There has been four Indiana Jones films so far with Indiana Jones 5 scheduled for release in mid-2023. It says something about the strength of a franchise when it has produced sequels four decades later. Indiana Jones 5 marks Ford’s second return as a legacy character since Disney acquired Lucasfilm. Previously, Ford reprised his role as Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). In anticipation of Indiana Jones 5, here’s where every movie in the franchise ranks.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
4 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Lucasfilm Ltd.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was the first Indiana Jones movie to be released after a long hiatus of almost 20 years. While fan anticipation was very high, the fourth Indy film ranked as one of the franchise’s weaker installments. Many fans generally agreed that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull failed to reach the heights set by its predecessors. However, the film did have some great characters, such as Cate Blanchett’s villain, Irina Spalko. It also saw the return of Marion Ravenwood, played by Karen Allen, who only appeared in the first film and was absent from Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade. Marion had always been a fan-favorite character and Indiana Jones’ true love. She was there at the very beginning and her return was more than welcome.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
The film additionally introduced Indiana Jones’ son in a new character named Mutt Williams, played by Shia LaBeouf. This came after The Last Crusade explored the father-son relationship between Henry Jones, Sr. and Indiana Jones. In Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indiana was now the father to a rebellious greaser. Unfortunately, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull suffered from poor pacing and relied heavily on CGI. Its script and story were also weaker than the three films in the original trilogy. The film ultimately did not connect with audiences on the same level of previous Indiana Jones films.
3 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
While Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was the second Indiana Jones film, it was actually a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. The prequel moved away from featuring the Nazis as its villains, and replaced them with a cult practicing black magic. Indiana Jones set out on a mission in India to recover a mystical stone and rescue children from the cult. Accompanying him was the young, lovable sidekick, Short Round, and a nightclub singer named Willie. The film was not as well-received as the two other films in the trilogy, but still managed to provide new thrills following Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was also surprisingly dark, featuring gore and people being killed in the most brutal of ways. Those who watched the film will remember a man having his heart removed from his chest as part of a human sacrifice.
The villains successfully raised the stakes, brought a sense of danger, and pushed Indiana Jones into more of a heroic role. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was yet another exciting action adventure in the franchise. It did get overly goofy at times, but Temple of Doom was still fun and a solid piece of Hollywood entertainment.
2 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
It’s hard to imagine a better film to conclude the Indiana Jones trilogy than Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The third Indy film cast Sean Connery, the first film actor that portrayed James Bond, as Indiana Jones’ father. The father-son relationship between Henry Jones, Sr. and Indiana Jones was a pure joy to watch. Their chemistry injected the franchise with new energy and also showed audiences a side of Indy they had not seen before. The Last Crusade showed that for how smart Indy is, there was still much he had to learn. After being absent from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the Nazis returned as the film’s main villains. In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, they searched for the Holy Grail, believing that it would grant them eternal life. Once again, Indiana Jones was back to fighting Nazis. The film shifted to a lighter tone after Temple of Doom and doubled down on the charm and effective comedy that has been part of the franchise since Raiders of the Lost Ark.
1 Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark started the Indiana Jones franchise with a bang. The film even began with the iconic sequence of Indy being chased down by a rolling boulder while holding on to a golden idol. That sequence was only the first in a film jam-packed with memorable cinematic moments, including an annoyed Indy easily defeating a master swordsman with his pistol. It was no surprise that Raiders found its way onto many “greatest movies of all-time” lists. Everything about the film from the score, to casting and script, has been done with such excellence. Rarely is a movie as well-made as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. It made people want to be Indiana Jones and made archeology the coolest thing in the world. When you have the direction of Steven Spielberg, a screenplay by Empire Strikes Back writer, Lawrence Kasdan, story from George Lucas, and music by John Williams, you get the definitive action-adventure blockbuster.
