Lucasfilm has unveiled the first trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, James Mangold’s long-awaited final chapter in the Indy saga. If nothing else, the fifth film in the series promises to add a few new thrilling chase scenes to the Indy canon. From the cargo truck chase in Raiders of the Lost Ark to the mine cart chase in Temple of Doom to the Venice speedboat chase in Last Crusade, chase sequences are a long-standing tradition of the Indiana Jones franchise. Redditor u/Geekdom_Ahoy recently created a poll to determine which of the six major chase sequences from the Indy movies is the fan base’s favorite (and which is their least favorite).
1,099 Redditors voted in the poll before it was closed, deciding once and for all which chase stands as Indy’s finest hour. Since Reddit polls are limited to six options, some of the series’ chases had to be cut – like the motorcycle chase from Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – but all the most iconic chase sequences from the original trilogy were included.
6 Shanghai Streets – Temple Of Doom (18 Votes)
The opening sequence in Temple of Doom features one of Indy’s greatest moments as he’s poisoned by gangsters in a Shanghai nightclub and chases the antidote across a bustling dancefloor. Between Indy and Willie falling into the back of Short Round’s cab and their ill-fated flight on Lao Che’s private plane, there’s a lull in the set-piece with a car chase through the streets of Shanghai.
The Redditors who voted in u/Geekdom_Ahoy’s poll deemed this chase scene to be the least exciting out of the original trilogy. It’s shot well, like every other Indy action sequence, but it doesn’t have any standout moments that make it truly memorable.
5 Venice Speedboats – Last Crusade (60 Votes)
Opening with a young Indy acquiring his hat and bullwhip and closing with a mature Indy using the Holy Grail to save his estranged father’s life, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the best sequel to Raiders by far. But it’s a slow burner that takes a while to get going. Before Indy is reunited with his dad, he has to go searching the catacombs of Venice to find a clue hidden in an old rat-infested crypt.
Indy and his latest love interest are chased into the waters of Venice by a secret society sworn to protect the Grail. Although it’s ranked low by Redditors, this sequence has a few great stunts, like speedboats zipping in between two large ships being pushed together and Indy fighting an assassin in the back of a boat as it’s slowly eaten by a spinning propeller.
4 Motorcycles In Germany – Last Crusade (116 Votes)
While the Venice speedboat chase from Last Crusade garnered just 60 votes on Reddit, the Germany motorcycle chase earned almost twice as many supporters with 116 votes. After escaping from the Nazis’ castle, Indy hotwires a motorcycle, puts his dad in the sidecar, and takes off down the road. This set-piece has the blend of pulpy action and father-son bickering that makes Last Crusade such a delight.
Redditor u/Motorasma14120 pointed out one specific moment from this sequence that makes it stand out from other motorcycle chases: “I love when Indy uses the flag like a jousting lance! It shows how resourceful he is.”
3 Mine Carts – Temple Of Doom (143 Votes)
With 143 votes, the mine cart chase from the climax of Temple of Doom narrowly beat out Last Crusade’s motorcycle chase in the Reddit poll. Redditor u/SupertrampTrampStamp writes, “I will never understand why this setting was not the concept for the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. An underground mine cart rollercoaster would’ve been amazing.”
The mine cart chase is one of the pulpiest set-pieces in the franchise, perfectly evoking the escapism of old action-adventure serials. Stopping a speeding mine cart by hanging off the front of it and pressing his feet against the wheels is one of the coolest things Indy does in Temple of Doom.
2 Tanks And Horses In The Desert – Last Crusade (289 Votes)
The tank chase in Last Crusade is the climactic action of not only the movie itself, but the entire trilogy. Before the subversively introspective finale, Last Crusade offers one last kitchen-sink action sequence that tops everything that came before it. Indy infiltrates a Nazi tank to liberate his dad and his closest colleague from the belly of the steel beast. Steven Spielberg ratchets up the tension as Indy dangles from the cannon and gets dragged across a rock – one of Indiana Jones’ most iconic moments.
It’s no wonder this sequence got the second-highest vote count on the Indy chase Reddit poll, because it’s the culmination of every chase sequence that came before. Spielberg even teases Indy’s untimely demise before defusing the tragedy with a well-timed sight gag.
1 Cargo Truck – Raiders Of The Lost Ark (473 Votes)
Unsurprisingly, the cargo truck chase from Raiders of the Lost Ark topped the Reddit poll with a whopping 473 votes, clinching nearly half of all votes in the poll. This is one of the early sequences from Raiders that made Indy an instant cinematic icon. Redditor u/Gullfaxi09 writes, “The truck scene in Raiders is just a masterpiece in action, fun, intensity, and catharsis. It might even be my favorite action set-piece in any movie ever. The tank chase [from Last Crusade] is a very close second, however.”
With perfect pacing and meticulous editing, this sequence is flawless from beginning to end. It has some of the series’ most daring stunts, like Indy dangling from the back of the truck by his whip. The most impressive thing about this sequence is the way it characterizes Indy as a quick thinker who flies by the seat of his pants.