Rank The Indiana Jones Films

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I prefer Tallahassee Johnson.

[Temple Raider 3]

Long time since I was last here.

 

Slightly updated rankings after Dial Of Destiny:

 

TOD

ROTLA

DOD

KOTCS

TLC

 

I know, I know. All are great though, and I feel DOD was a worthy finale.

[Schilkeman 963]

I will watch any of these and enjoy them, but if I have to rank them:

Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Last Crusade 

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Temple of Doom

 

Dial of Destiny is sans Lucas and sans Spielberg. I (probably) will never watch it, therefore, sans rating from me.

[Mr. Hooper 1,781]

2 hours ago, Schilkeman said:

Dial of Destiny is sans Lucas and sans Spielberg. I (probably) will never watch it, therefore, sans rating from me.

I'm not such a purist. I was willing to give it a chance, and did until the bitter end, even after getting a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and wanting to walk out of the theatre mid-way through. The last time I felt like this was for 'The Crow: City of Angels', which was a real stinker.

[Edmilson 7,439]

Me seeing people ranking KOTCS above any of the 80s Indy films:

 

[JTN 2,009]

3 hours ago, Schilkeman said:

Dial of Destiny is sans Lucas and sans Spielberg. I (probably) will never watch it, therefore, sans rating from me.

Agreed.

 

My list is almost like yours:

 

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark

2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

 

I consider only those films real Indiana Jones films that were made by Lucas and Spielberg, so DoD is only a fan fiction to me that I have no interest in seeing. 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Me seeing people ranking KOTCS above any of the 80s Indy films:

That monkey brain was hard to swallow. 

 

[Schilkeman 963]

1 hour ago, Edmilson said:

Me seeing people ranking KOTCS above any of the 80s Indy films:

 

It’s ok. We can’t all be perfect.

[filmmusic 1,827]

TOD>ROTLA>LC>>>>>>>KOTCS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>DOD

[mstrox 6,651]

TLC>TOD>ROTLA>>>>>>KOTCS

 

I’m hoping to enjoy DoD, eventually.  If it’s worse than the back half of KOTCS, that’s saying something.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

I've enjoyed all five movies even though only the first three are masterpiece for me, the last two are more really good entertainement

1. The Last Crusade
2. Temple of Doom
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
4. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
5. Dial of Destiny

[Nick1Ø66 4,714]

1. Ark.
2. Grail.
3. Stones.

 

[Edmilson 7,439]

2 hours ago, Raiders of the SoundtrArk said:

I've enjoyed all five movies even though only the first three are masterpiece for me, the last two are more really good entertainement

1. The Last Crusade
2. Temple of Doom
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
4. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
5. Dial of Destiny

Judging by your username, I thought you would've ranked Raiders a little higher

[Nick1Ø66 4,714]

20 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Me seeing people ranking KOTCS above any of the 80s Indy films:

 

 

 

[Edmilson 7,439]

In my headcanon, KOTCS and DoD were actually visions of his dark future that Indy saw when he was under the influence of the Blood of Kali, who showed him that just to torment him.

[Andy 4,126]

TOD

ROTLA

.

TLC

.

.

KOTCS

DOD

 

I could easily flip Raiders and Temple. 
I felt that TLC was a big step down, that although charming and enjoyable, isn’t a very good Indiana Jones movie.  I really felt the longer wait between 1984 and 1989, and I think Spielberg’s edge was definitely softening. The performances are great, but the action is soft, the score lacks the energy of Temple and the badassery of Raiders.  And there’s no Indy vs Big Baddie fist fight.  I still love it, but not like the first two. 
 

KOTCS is way better than the internet says.  And I respect anyone’s opinion on DOD because it is good but could’ve used some more joy.  They were so stupid not to use Ke Huy Quan, and I bet they regretted it as his star rose in value during post production. 

[Richard Penna 3,687]

3 hours ago, Raiders of the SoundtrArk said:

I've enjoyed all five movies even though only the first three are masterpiece for me, the last two are more really good entertainement

1. The Last Crusade
2. Temple of Doom
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
4. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
5. Dial of Destiny

 

Exclude DoD as I haven't seen it (although surely it can't be worse than Skull? That's a low bar), and I agree with this. Raiders is easily my least favourite of the original trilogy. I'm not sure why - I just find the other two so much more entertaining.

[JTN 2,009]

Me seeing people ranking TOD above Raiders:

 

 

[Chen G. 3,949]

My favourite surely has to be The Last Crsuade. Beside that movie, I'm actually not a bid Indy fan in general: Even Raiders of the Lost Ark, while surely the next-best one in my view, doesn't really "do" it for me, particularly. I don't care for Temple of Doom, but its certainly a cut above Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Dial of Destiny: I'm hard-pressed to choose between them, having seen each once and having little incentive to revisit them. Obviously Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has the benefit of actually being a Spielberg film.

[Nick1Ø66 4,714]

I think Raiders is arguably the greatest adventure movie ever made, and my personal favourite Spielberg film.

 

KOTCS is obviously his worst, and IMO Spielberg's only truly bad film. I can't decide if the fact that Spielberg directed it means we should give it the benefit of the doubt, or be all the harder on it. Probably the latter.

 

I mean, giving KOTCS the edge over DoD just b/c the Baseball Cap directed it is a little like the slack ROTJ is given just b/c it's part of the OT. 

[Chen G. 3,949]

3 minutes ago, Nick1Ø66 said:

I mean, giving KoTCS the edge over DoD just b/c the Baseball Cap directed it is a little like the slack RoTJ is given just b/c it's part of the OT. 

 

I mean, having been directed Spielberg, it does have that Spielberg "touch" that's less a virtue by itself so much as something that connects it, stylistically, to the previous films in a way that Dial of Destiny is not.

 

Dial of the Destiny feels like the odd one out, which is surely a demerit.

[Edmilson 7,439]

6 minutes ago, Nick1Ø66 said:

I think Raiders is arguably the greatest adventure movie ever made, and my personal favourite Spielberg film.

 

Yep. My favorite Spielberg and one of my top 3 movies of all time.

 

7 minutes ago, Nick1Ø66 said:

KOTCS is obviously his worst, and IMO the Spielberg's only truly bad film.

Also agree.

[Schilkeman 963]

Spielberg's best movie? That's a wild take to me, but it is very, very good. I personally would still pay any amount of money to see Mutt Williams and the Search for Elvis. 

[JTN 2,009]

32 minutes ago, Nick1Ø66 said:

think Raiders is arguably the greatest adventure movie ever made.

Yep.

 

33 minutes ago, Nick1Ø66 said:

KOTCS is obviously the second worst Indiana Jones film before DoD. 

Fixed.

 

 

33 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

 

I mean, having been directed Spielberg, it does have that Spielberg "touch" that's less a virtue by itself so much as something that connects it, stylistically, to the previous films in a way that Dial of Destiny is not.

 

Dial of the Destiny feels like the odd one out, which is surely a demerit.

Exactly. The four IJ films were made by Spielberg (and Lucas).

DoD is fan fic. 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

4 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Judging by your username, I thought you would've ranked Raiders a little higher

It has the best title and I have to say that all three are almost as great. I have a little preference for TLC because of Sean Connery, and for TOD because of Short Round but in the end all three are among my top 10 movies ever

[Bellosh 3,418]

Film:

Raiders

Last Crusade

Temple of Doom

Crystal Skull

Dial

 

Score:

Raiders

Last Crusade

Temple of Doom

Dial

Crystal Skull

[Jurassic Shark 12,072]

RotLA, TLC (tie)

ToD

DoD

[Mr. Hooper 1,781]

5 hours ago, Edmilson said:

In my headcanon, KOTCS and DoD were actually visions of his dark future that Indy saw when he was under the influence of the Blood of Kali, who showed him that just to torment him.

I feel the Dial of Destiny boosters must've drank the Blood of Kali/Disney Kool-Aid.

 

[JTN 2,009]

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

RotLA, TLC (tie)

ToD

DoD

You’ve missed out Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (story written by George Lucas, music composed and conducted by John Williams).

[Jurassic Shark 12,072]

Nah, that's just an urban legend.

[Bellosh 3,418]

First half of Crystal Skull is better than anything in Dial

 

Although Dial's macguffin ending really does make up for the aliens

[JTN 2,009]

@Jurassic SharkI knew you’d forgotten about it accidentally, since it’s a real Indiana Jones film made by Spielberg and Lucas, the two people who made all Indiana Jones films.

[Jurassic Shark 12,072]

But Indiana Jones films aren't supposed to stink, so it can't be.

 

4 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

First half of Crystal Skull is better than anything in Dial

 

Dude, the fridge.

[JTN 2,009]

13 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

First half of Crystal Skull is better than anything in Dial

 

Although Dial's macguffin ending really does make up for the aliens

The ending of Crystal Skull is the best part of the film, from entering Akator, then the destruction of the city and the departure of the interdimensional beings ‘til Indy and Marion getting married and Indy fetching his hat from Mutt, it’s almost as upbeat as TLC’s ending. 

10 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

But Indiana Jones films aren't supposed to stink, so it can't be.

I’ll take a somewhat “stinky” Indiana Jones film made

by the original creators any day of the week over an obvious cash grab of a film without them. 
 

And apparently so did others…
 

Crystal Skull (2008) box office:

$790,653,000.

 

Dial of Destiny (2023) box office:

$383,963,000.

[Bellosh 3,418]

13 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Dude, the fridge.

 

no way my dude, the fridge was so insanely dumb and over the top that it WORKED

[Andy 4,126]

Confession: I enjoy the Tarzan monkeys. 
 

There. I said it. 

[Richard Penna 3,687]

These threads start to suffer an existential problem when they just consist of lists of the Indy films in the 'approved' order (RotLA first, DoD last) and memes in response to any differing opinions.

 

I'd have Raiders on in the background as a pleasant Sunday afternoon thing, whereas I'd have Crusade on and properly watch it as a Saturday night highlight. If can't state that view and discuss it, what's the point of the thread?  

 

Similar actually is my view on the BTTF trilogy: 3 > 1 > 2. I think #2 is actually not a very good film, made popular only because it's part of the franchise.

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Films:

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark

2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

...

...

3. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

...

4. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

...

5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

 

Scores:

1. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

...

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark

3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

...

4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

5. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (still wonderful and one of the best scores of 2023, and it might have topped Crystal Skull in my ranking if a fifth to a quarter of it was not reused/repurposed music from previous Williams scores... the original stuff is all superb)

 

Yavar

[Bellosh 3,418]

37 minutes ago, Andy said:

Confession: I enjoy the Tarzan monkeys. 
 

There. I said it. 

 

didn't like it in 2008 but after watching Dial it's the most beautiful thing i've ever seen. rip Mutt

 

 

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

LC

ROTLA

TOD

DOD

KOTCS

 

I find any other order incomprehensible.

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

You don't even comprehend people who think the original Raiders is superior to Last Crusade? Really?

 

Yavar

[Andy 4,126]

My feelings about the first three mirror very closely my feelings about the original Star Wars Trilogy. 
 

I really love return of the Jedi, but it feels like a cheaper remake of the original film with more silly humor, but some good Father/son relationship stuff. Same thing with TLC.

[Mr. Hooper 1,781]

2 hours ago, Bellosh said:

 

no way my dude, the fridge was so insanely dumb and over the top that it WORKED

And it was well-executed. Something the Dial of Destiny set pieces lacked. Sorry Mangold.

 

As for the fridge scene defying logic, I'll paraphrase what Spielberg said to 'Jaws' author Peter Benchley in their argument about the impossibility of a shark "biting down on a scuba tank and exploding like an oil refinery":

 

"I don't care. If I have got them for two hours, they will believe whatever I do for the next three minutes."

 

It was over-the-top to be sure, but Spielberg's filmmaking powers had me believing that a man could survive a nuclear explosion in a lead-lined fridge—or at least suspending my disbelief. 

 

 

 

 

 

[HunterTech 993]

RotLA

ToD

TLC

 

KotCS and DoD are currently fighting for the 4th and 5th spots, as the former's infrequent bursts of fun and creativity with the latter's greater potential as a film evenly cancel each other out. I suppose I should give it to Skull on the basis that it does at least partially deliver on its promises, yet Dial just engages me more on a theoretical level.

 

Hell, I'm not so sure about the ranking of the first three even, given they're so reliant on only having had the first watches to judge them so far. Raiders really pumped me up in the theater, with ToD not being too far behind when I finally saw it in full. Last Crusade was certainly a pleasant cinema trip, but it just didn't grab me as much. I'm curious as to what revisiting them might change in the ranking.

[Jurassic Shark 12,072]

3 hours ago, JTW said:

 

Crystal Skull (2008) box office:

$790,653,000.

 

Dial of Destiny (2023) box office:

$383,963,000.

 

I guess the audience was expecting another stinker.

 

1 hour ago, Mr. Hooper said:

was over-the-top to be sure, but Spielberg's filmmaking powers had me believing that a man could survive a nuclear explosion in a lead-lined fridge—or at least suspending my disbelief. 

 

 

The problem isn't that he survived the bomb and the radiation. The problem is the fall of the fridge. With Indy in it.

[Mr. Hooper 1,781]

27 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

The problem is the fall of the fridge. With Indy in it.

I'm putting it in the same column as this:

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,072]

Much more believable. 

[Chen G. 3,949]

I don't like either of the two beats.

[Temple Raider 3]

Don't forget the centuries-old Grail Knight.

[Chen G. 3,949]

2 minutes ago, Temple Raider said:

Don't forget the centuries-old Grail Knight.

 

The only wrong thing about that is that it wasn't Lord Laurence Olivier as intended.

[Groovygoth666 666]

1 hour ago, Chen G. said:

 

The only wrong thing about that is that it wasn't Lord Laurence Olivier as intended.

Are you saying Spielberg chose .... poorly?