I realize that everybody else out there has done there own ranking systems on YouTube using Letterboxed, but I’m not going to do that, because I’m just too damned lazy. Again, this is going to be another list, but this time, I’m going to narrow it down to franchise films. To preface this, I want everyone to understand that with these rankings is that I feel that within certain franchises, there’s not really a bad movie. There’s clearly ones that are better than others, but not all of them are awful. I will be getting to those franchises, but for this one, I’ve chosen the Indiana Jones movies to be the first. I’ve been a huge fan of the movies since I was a kid. Harrison Ford as the whip-wielding archaeologist is one of his most memorable roles aside from Han Solo. The movies were inspired the old-school adventure serials of the 20s and 30s. Combined by stellar directing by Steven Spielberg, solid story-telling by George Lucas and an epic score by the brilliant John Williams, the Indiana Jones films are some of the most fun you’ll ever have at the movies. For these rankings, I will go from best to worst, so let’s get started.
1. The Last Crusade
When I was thinking up this list, I was debating on putting Raiders of the Lost Ark at number one. Most people would, it’s the first and the best of the bunch. If I had made this last before 2018, Raiders absolutely would’ve been at number 1. When my father passed away, I developed a more personal connection to the film, because the characters of Indy and his father, Henry Jones, Sr. Let’s just say that I understand the…animosity between the two. Ultimately, this is the most light-hearted of the bunch, but it’s also the most satisfying, at least for me. This film also has a bit of an origin story for Indy, starring the late River Phoenix.
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
Here at number 2 is what many consider to be the best of the bunch, and rightfully so. This is an old-school adventure flick using old-school stunts, action sequences and effects. What makes this stand out amongst its peers, even today, is it’s sheer sense of fun. The introduction of Indiana Jones is one of the coolest moments in any movie, but the side-characters are also outstanding. Indy’s chemistry with Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood is fantastic. You’ve also got some really nasty villains with the Nazis played to perfection by Paul Freeman and Ronald Lacey. The desert chase is one of the most iconic action set-pieces in the entire franchise. If there’s a movie that truly defined the adventure genre, it’s Raiders of the Lost Ark.
3. The Temple of Doom
Temple of Doom is the Indiana Jones movie that I actually grew up watching the most. This was my first foray into horror as a genre. Now, technically it’s an action-adventure film, like the rest of the films in the series, but this was the darkest one of the bunch. Child slavery, human sacrifice, voodoo. Those aren’t exactly cheery ingredients in your run-of-the-mill adventure film. This movie was a result of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg going through some tough break-ups and divorces. Their mood was pretty dark, and the film reflects that. The bugs still make my skin crawl(pun intended), but it’s the main villain that sends shivers down my spine: Mola Ram, played with menacing perfection by Indian actor Amrish Puri in his only Western-made movie. Mola Ram’s scary as fuck. This movie was controversial on a number of levels. First, there accusation of cultural insensitivity in regards to the Hindu religion and what Indians ate. The dinner sequence was pretty off-the-wall. Secondly, this movie was very violent. It depicted human sacrifice with Mola Ram ripping people’s hearts out and lowering them into lava pits. It’s brutal. It’s the reason why the PG-13 rating would be created. Kate Capshaw’s Willie Scott irritated a lot of people including yours truly, but Ke Huy Quan’s Short Round was awesome in my opinion. Quan recently received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Everything Everywhere All At Once. THIS is where he got his start. When it comes to action, this has some of the most memorable action in any movie. The mine-cart chase and the bridge fight, again, are truly iconic. But as dark as this movie is tone-wise it still maintains a sense of humor and adventure throughout.
4. Dial of Destiny
The fifth and final entry in the Indiana Jones films to star Harrison Ford is also the first film in the franchise to not be directed by Steven Spielberg. The wheel has been given to James Mangold, who directed Logan, the 3:10 to Yuma remake, and Cop Land. For a final adventure, this was pretty decent. It’s not ground-breaking and doesn’t even come close to the first three, but maybe that was the point. At 2.5 hours, it’s the longest film in the bunch, but the pacing is surprisingly nimble. The opening 20 minutes are pure Indiana Jones. The film sees Indy taking on the Nazis again with Mads Mikkelson playing the main villain. The film also sees the return of fan-favorite John Rhys-Davies as Sallah. Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays Indy’s god-daughter…and I’m not a fan. The actress does a fine job, but the character is incredibly unlikable. Her side-kick though, is a hoot, and so is Antonio Banderas as Spain’s finest frogman, Renaldo. This time the MacGuffin is Archimedes’ Antikythera dial. Essentially, time travel’s involved. But of course. Still the movie feels more like an Indiana Jones movie than our final entry into this list.
5. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Crystal Skull’s placement on this list should come as no surprise to anyone. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the by far the weakest entry in the series. Not just from a narrative standpoint, but also character, and visual effects as well. The biggest issue with this movie that I have is there is no tension or fear of death for our heroes, which was extremely prevalent in the original 3 movies. A lot of that comes down to the over-use of CGI. The original 3 movies had to do it through miniatures and practical effects, but Crystal Skull eschews that for CGI. To be fair, some of that CGI is impressive, but it’s also really obvious. Because of that, the sense of danger isn’t there. Not only that, the characters aren’t particularly memorable outside of Indy and Marion. With all due respect to Cate Blanchett, the villains in this movie are some of the most stock and meme-worthy villains to ever threaten Indiana Jones, and quite frankly, they’re forgettable. Is it really a bad movie, though? I don’t think it is. The idea of using aliens is not far-fetched for the film, because it was set in the 50s. There was a lot of that stuff going on back then, especially in the cinema. It’s a fun, inoffensive romp that never overstays its welcome, and it’s got some pretty decent action to boot. Hell, it’s even got a decent sword-fight in there between Shia Lebouf and Cate Blanchett. Harrison Ford and Karen Allen just knock it out of the park.
That’s it. That’s my ranking of the Indiana Jones films. I expect that we haven’t seen the last of this character in the movies. Harrison Ford is done with the character, but someone else may end up taking up the whip and fedora in the future. I don’t know who that’ll be, but they’re going to have some pretty big shoes to fill. There’s a new game coming out for Xbox and PC called Indiana Jones and the Great Circle that looks like fun, so I’m sure that more adventures are to come.