No one can stare at snakes (ugh!), punch Nazis (awesome!), discover legendary ruins (score!) and get past giant boulders (yik!) like Indiana Jones.
Catch up on John Williams’ crowd-pleasing theme as globe-trotting archaeologist Harrison Ford returns to the big screen – for the fifth and final time. Directed by James Mangold, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (in theaters Friday) finds a retired academic bringing his iconic fedora back and wielding a whip to hunt down a device that could change the course of history.
In honor of the franchise closer, we’re ranking all the whiplash Indiana Jones movies from the past 40+ years. (And if you need to catch up on the four previous adventures, they’re streaming Disney + And Paramount +).
Is Harrison Ford Really Retiring From Indy?He might play around at home: “Not your business!”
5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Steven Spielberg’s final turn in the director’s chair for the series he created turns like a knuckle sandwich, as Indy meets his fat son Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) for the first time and Soviet villains race to find a mysterious crystal skull in the Cold War-era 1957. While the franchise’s long-awaited return For Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood — Indy’s one true love — and the appearance of Cate Blanchett as the evil femme fatale are highlights, B-movie missteps abound, from bizarre creatures (!) and computer-generated monkeys to an indestructible refrigerator we all wish we could forget , Thank you very much.
4. “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984)
Let’s start with the good stuff: Anything Goes opening in Shanghai is pretty cool. The rest of the adventure is a mine cart going off the rails as Indy, friend Shorty (Ke Huy Quan) and nightclub singer Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) end up on a mission in 1935 to find the Sankara stones and free Indian children from a cult all about human sacrifice. (Fun fact, kids: This movie was partly responsible for creating the PG-13 rating.) It hasn’t aged well, but in hindsight, “Doom” is an intriguing prequel that shows Indy’s character evolution from the “fortune and glory” treasure hunter to the hero everyone knows and loves.
Indiana Jones:“Temple of Doom” stars Ke Huy Quan and Harrison Ford are all smiles on the red carpet
3- “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (2023)
The thrillingly cold open that takes Indy back to 1944 gives way to our aging hero as he navigates personal tragedy in 1969. His spirits are lifted when beloved daughter Helena Shaw (the great Phoebe Waller-Bridge) comes back into his life and takes her half. Archimedes disk, a device that could change history in the wrong hands. Naturally, the “wrong hands” here belong to Nazi scientist Jürgen Fuller (Mads Mikkelsen). Indy and Helena have to piece together the artifacts before the bad guys make a great effort that leads to successes, and regardless of the insane climax, don’t stray too far from Indy’s model.
2- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Spielberg’s third outing in Indy is a thrilling affair, thanks mainly to the arrival of Sean Connery as a force of nature as Indy’s beloved father, Henry. Set in 1938, this graceful father-son story takes Indy on a case to find the Holy Grail, but ends up in the clutches of German adversaries alongside his estranged father. Bickering ensues and the – you guessed it – heroes must find the Messiah’s Cup before the Nazis in an adventure full of great moments: Indy accidentally bumps into Hitler and, insightfully, Henry calmly tells Indy it’s okay. Let some things go to embrace what’s really important.
1. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)
One of the greatest movies of all time, best action movie ever made, best movie George Lucas had a hand in making (apologies, “Star Wars”). Pick any superlative, and you might just be on the cusp of Spielberg’s masterpiece. From escaping murderous natives in a jungle to a literal melt-in-the-face climax, there’s no wrong note to be found as our hero reunites with feisty bar romantic interest Marion in 1936, searches for the Ark of the Covenant and takes on a rival archaeologist (Paul Freeman). and a group of Nazi henchmen. It’s a clever action comedy, an all-encompassing love story, a cautionary tale for leaving the things you don’t understand alone, a dark mystery with religious implications and a choppy adventure that gets better every time you watch it.
“Oh my God, you’re going to eat me”:The talking stars of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” are filming an infamous, face-melting scene
. “Friendly writer. Unapologetic student. Typical internetaholic. Social media ninja. Communicator. Music fanatic.”