For some Indiana Jones fans, the recent social media roasting courtesy of 1980s extra-terrestrial ALF says it all. There's a feeling among these fans that the first three films in the series are as close to perfection as they can be, and that to add to that will simply dilute what's been established. The evidence for this, they'll agree, lies in the franchise's fourth entry.
However, it's also important to remember that time hasn't always been kind to the entire series, with some pretty substantial plot holes revealing themselves as a result. Ranker readers have voted for the biggest plot holes in the entire series, and while these range from rather small to downright huge, they still can't stop fans from loving the iconic franchise any less.
Note: Ranker lists are fan-voted, live, and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing."
The Last Crusade’s Alphabet Floor Doesn’t Crumble When It Should
In a key Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade moment, Indy must walk across a floor divided into letters. Stepping on the wrong letter to spell “Jehovah” causes it to collapse, and Indy barely hangs on after falling. While pulling himself back up, he grabs “L” and “Y,” both of which should’ve broken, as they aren’t in “Jehovah.”
This scene evokes some classic Indy imagery, as the beloved archaeologist’s pursuit of fortune and glory faces lethal booby traps. The mistake of grabbing the wrong stones isn’t obvious, but once spotted it does make the scene feel somewhat disingenuous. Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but sticking to the plot’s own rules is another matter altogether.
Conveniently Magnetic Skulls
Indiana Jones fans are very divided on their opinion of the franchise’s fourth entry, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The fact that the mystical skulls in the film are meant to be magnetic, but only actually react this way when it’s convenient to the plot, likely doesn’t do anything to help win over critics, either.
There are many reasons why some Indiana Jones fans can’t stand this middling 2008 entry, and the half-baked rules surrounding the skulls’ magnetism are certainly a part of that. After all, fans waited nearly twenty years for a new entry in the acclaimed franchise and one would think that in that time, something as straightforward as this could’ve been fixed.
No, Hiding In A Fridge Isn’t A Nuclear Bomb Life Hack
The opening sequences of any Indiana Jones film provide some of each installment’s most heart-pounding moments. In Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, however, Indy’s decision to take cover in a fridge in order to avoid being killed by an incoming nuclear bomb pushed things way too far for many fans.
Regardless of the fridge being lead-lined (as fridges apparently were in the 1950s), the concept is so utterly absurd that it actually ruined the entire film for some. Of course, a fridge (lead-lined or otherwise) wouldn’t offer any protection from a nuclear bomb. In reality, Indy would’ve been vaporized by the most destructive weapon known to man.
The Unnecessary Alien
The search for extra-terrestrial crystal skulls makes for some frustration in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In the film’s beginning, the Soviets go to great lengths to steal an alien corpse from a top-secret US military hangar, yet it’s not the specific one they are looking for.
After a battle for the alien corpse, Indy barely manages to escape with his life. Later in the film, the Soviets bring the stolen corpse to Brazil and cut it open, again explaining it’s the wrong one. The question then is why bother with the corpse in the first place? The corpse seems to have been used to justify action sequences but ultimately serves no real purpose.
Temple Of Doom’s Questionable Water Tank
After Indy, Willy and Short Round escape into the twisting tunnels of a mine in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’s climax, evil Thugee cult high priest Mola Ram orders a water tank destroyed. His plan is to drown the three escapees, but Indy isn’t so easy to take out.
To be fair, the water tank in question is a very large one. But the idea that it could create a virtual tsunami in the miles of tunnels is pretty far-fetched. Water seems to be shooting out everywhere once Indy and the others make it out of the tunnels and the sheer pressure of this water as it sprays into the air is absurd, considering it came from one tank.
No Belief In Magic?
Some might be surprised to know that from a chronological perspective, Temple of Doom takes place in 1936, whereas Raiders of the Lost Ark occurs in 1935. Throughout Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones sees impossible things that can literally only be explained as magic, yet in Raiders, he says he doesn’t believe in magic.
It seems that within the course of just a year, Jones has done an absolute about-face with regard to his feelings regarding magic. Whether this was simply an overlooked aspect of the character or a detail Spielberg and co felt confident audiences wouldn’t remember is uncertain, but it definitely doesn’t help further develop Jones’ character.
The Alphabet Floor Was Ahead Of Its Time
Once again, Last Crusade’s alphabet floor rears its head. The test, which is one of three that Indy must pass in order to gain access to the Holy Grail, involves a selection of letters carved into the tiles of the floor. The correct tiles will hold a person’s weight, the incorrect ones will not. Unfortunately, the letter J wasn’t invented until 1500, yet it’s inscribed on a tile.
As the events of the temple where the Holy Grail is hidden took place in the 12th-13th century, there’s no reason why J would have appeared as part of the alphabet. It’s a small detail, but a careless one on the part of the film, as a franchise that draws so much from history and archaeology should, at the very least, avoid such anachronisms.
Sneaking On To A Nazi Submarine
As Raiders of the Lost Ark nears its climactic finish, Indy manages to escape the cargo ship that he and Marion are traveling on after the Nazis force their way onboard. It’s a spectacular escape in which Jones manages to swim across the open sea, unseen, to the surfaced Nazi submarine sitting quite some distance away.
One look at the sea’s current should make it clear that Jones wouldn’t have stood a chance swimming between the two vessels. Even if he’d miraculously managed it, the sailors cheering him on were a dead giveaway. Lastly, Indy has no way to get inside, and can later be seen standing on the access hatch, despite the sub making a lengthy journey.
The Staff Of Ra Height Discrepancy
Anyone who’s seen Raiders of the Lost Ark knows that the Staff of Ra plays a vital part in learning the exact location of the sought-after Ark of the Covenant. But the specifics of the staff are that it’s six-feet tall, and yet it towers over Indy’s head when he uses it.
Even by a modest estimate, the distance between the top of Indy’s head and the top of the Staff of Ra is considerable enough to make him less than five feet tall. In real life, Harrison Ford stands just over 6 feet, meaning he’s surely not playing a character who’s more than a foot shorter than he is.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark Didn’t Need Indy
Despite a valiant effort to prevent the Nazis from gaining possession of the Ark of the Covenant, Indiana Jones ultimately loses the battle. The Nazis get what they were after, only to later be decimated once they attempt to open the sacred artefact.
What this rare defeat basically tells audiences, however, is that even if Indiana Jones hadn’t existed at all in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the story would have still ended the same. The Nazis would win either way and in both endings, they’d be reduced to pudding by the ark for their efforts. It’s a true testament to the film’s watchability that no one seems to care.