With the release of the fifth Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023, Harrison Ford has been starring as Indy for 42 years and counting, but which is the best? The movies are iconic, but the treasure-hunting professor has also appeared in the TV series, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles with Sean Patrick Flanery taking on the role, along with coming books, tie-in novels, video games, and much more. Through it all, Indiana Jones remains one of the most popular action-adventure heroes in movie history.
In the 1970s, a young George Lucas wrote The Adventures of Indiana Smith, his own modern take on the 1930s movie serials and pulp stories that would later inspire him to create Star Wars. His friend Spielberg, taking a break from editing Close Encounters of the Third Kind (via CBR), got involved with the process and eventually, the pair took the concept to Paramount Pictures after a quick name change. Indiana Jones, an archaeology professor with a talent for discovering rare and mystical antiquities, then became the star of five movies.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
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The Indiana Jones movies took a 19-year break after the third movie, Ialthough three seasons of a prequel TV series aired in between that of the 2008 sequel, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The movie focused on the Cold War, changing the villains from the Nazis to the Soviets. It also had Indy learn about the existence of aliens and their arrival on Earth in the past. Spielberg was back as the director and some fan favorites returned, including Karen Allen as Marion. Critics were divided.
Fans also panned Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull online after its release, and it's the lowest-rated movie of the entire franchise on Rotten Tomatoes audience scores. Many complaints pointed out the aliens, which made little sense in a franchise that included a centuries-old Templar, voodoo, and a face-melting Ark of the Covenant. The movie was supposed to take the franchise in a new direction with Indy's son Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) as the focus, but he was the most disappointing character in the movie and the entire franchise died again for another 15 years. The movie isn't bad, but it doesn't reach the level of its predecessors.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
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The first Indiana Jones movie saw the archaeology professor/treasure hunter searching for a biblical artifact to stop the Nazis from gaining superhuman powers in World War II. That made the second Indiana Jones movie's plot choice a bit strange. Leaving the world of biblical artifacts behind in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indy instead went to India and ended up in an adventure involving black magic, child slavery, and human sacrifice. Indiana Jones went from the Ark of the Covenant to a voodoo cult. The movie was a culture shock, with the Nazis back and a high priest eating monkey brains.
When the movie was released, it received mixed reviews. Most of the critics who disliked it deemed it too dark compared to the fun adventure story from the first movie. However, the movie received a more positive critical analysis when reassessed years later. There are still problems, including Kate Capshaw's panicked damsel in distress, Willie Scott, and the offensive racial stereotyping. However, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom has fun moments and Ke Huy Quan's Short Round remains a fan favorite, making his Oscar win 39 years later such a special moment for fans of Indiana Jones movies.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
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In 1989, it seemed the Indiana Jones movies went back to what made Raiders of the Lost Ark so beloved. Dispensing with the horror moments from Temple of Doom, Indy was back in a swashbuckling adventure with one big twist: this time, his dad was along for the ride. What makes Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade such a good time is the chemistry between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery, who played Indy's dad, Henry Jones Sr. The back-and-forth quips between the two megastars made every moment they shared on the screen electric.
The movie saw the father and son team attempting to beat the Nazis to the Holy Grail, which they believed would give them immortality. The movie sent Indy and Henry on an epic adventure, with twists, turns, and betrayals, and it was a return to form for the franchise. It was a smashing box office success and the humor mixed with the adventure made it one of the best movies in the action-adventure genre in the 1980s. With its success, it was a shock that it took almost 20 years to see another addition to the Indiana Jones movies franchise.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
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Raiders of the Lost Ark captured lightning in a bottle, and four decades of action cinema have desperately tried to follow in its footsteps. Looking back, it seems almost hard to believe that no one in Hollywood really had faith in Lucas and Spielberg's for the treasure-hunting adventurer. Once the movie was out, it ended up as a monster success, and the best action-adventure movie retains its icon status. While its genesis lies in paying tribute to the serial films of Spielberg and Lucas's childhood, it ended up standing the test of time all on its own.
People loved Harrison Ford as Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise, but it is Indiana Jones he remains most known for today. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, he was the perfect mix of a self-deprecating yet confident adventurer and the movie added the perfect touches of humor in between inspired action scenes. The supporting cast was just as great, with Karen Allen's tough Marion becoming a role model for young girls and John Rhys-Davies an instant fan favorite as Sallah. Adding in the Nazi villains and the World War II setting was just icing on the cake, as it made Indiana Jones the ultimate action hero.
Raiders of the Lost Ark won five Oscars in nine nominations, which was impressive for a pure action movie. The Library of Congress named the movie to the National Film Registry for preservation in 1999, citing it as culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. Raiders of the Lost Ark helped create what action movies and even video games would look like for the next four decades and of all the Indiana Jones movies, it is Raiders of the Lost Ark that remains the one undisputed masterpiece.
