In what order do you rate the Indiana Jones Movies

[Shadow Master]

I already put mine down. But I felt like talking about it again.

I love Raiders the best. It's one of my top 2 action/adventure films of all time. But it was Temple that made me an Indiana Jones fan. I very much know why. I was 13. It was the perfect age for that film. At the time I liked Raiders but being that it had only been in theaters at this point I had only seen it once. I was a tad to young for all the hype. I saw it, I enjoyed it, but I was not in Love.

Temple was the right film at the right age. The Hype machine hit me and hit me hard. I had every poster and clipings from mags all over my walls. It's amazing that my wall did not just fall apart from all the tack holes. When I saw the film I was blown away. Yes Willie screamed to much and Short Round had some bad lines but this film was just so much fun.

I did go through a time when I was down on Temple. I was older and compared it with Raiders with an older more mature eye. But now I find that I enjoy it almost as much as the original. Of course for different reasons but I think it is by far the BEST of the Indy sequals.

Everyone is hard on Shorty but I did not find him nearly as annoying as Marcus Brody. I also thought that TLC was a bit boring and thought at times it seemed like Ford was mailing it in (much like he did with many of his roles during this time). Love the Tank battle though. A highlight of the series.

Back to TOD. I think what amazes me about TOD is that it takes a little bit for the action to start going but once it does it non stop. It's like the last 40 - 45 min is all action. I don't think any other film had ever done that up to that time. And all the scenes feel so different. You go from the Lava Pit fight to the Slave children rescue to the mine car chase to the bridge fight. Just great stuff. We also get the great Spiked room/bug tunnel scene as well as the excellent Clu Obi Wan fight.

I guess I am going on about this because I see that TOD gets knocked down as the worst of the series - well until Crystal Skull came around - But it is good to see that a lot of members on this board have it at a number two ranking. An underrated gem IMO.

I fully agree. I'm happy to see a lot here rank TOD pretty highly.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

Favorite scenes:
1. Chachapoyan Temple sequence - ROTLA
2. Truck chase - ROTLA
3. Opening the Ark - ROTLA
4. Club Obi Wan - TOD
5. Bugs/Spike room - TOD
6. Fight at Ravenwood Bar - ROTLA
7. Mine car chase - TOD
8. Greaser/Preppie fight and chase - CS
9. Obelisk/Akator Temple opening - CS
10. Trials of the Grail - LC

 

[Shadow Master]

Favorite scenes:
1. Chachapoyan Temple sequence - ROTLA
2. Truck chase - ROTLA
3. Opening the Ark - ROTLA
4. Club Obi Wan - TOD
5. Bugs/Spike room - TOD
6. Fight at Ravenwood Bar - ROTLA
7. Mine car chase - TOD
8. Greaser/Preppie fight and chase - CS
9. Obelisk/Akator Temple opening - CS
10. Trials of the Grail - LC

Good picks there, I'd also add the tank scene in TLC.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

I caught a little bit of Temple of Doom yesterday on USA, and it really is such a great film that would have been SOOO much better without Willie and even Shorty. Or at least dial down their comic antics by 75%. It bothered me so much that Willie was an annoying character, but I realized what really bugged me was that every scene is intercut with her annoying reaction. Did every scene have to be cut this way? Indy does something heroic and action-y. Then cut to Willie screaming or doing something goofy. So essentially it ends up undermining the scene and danger. And I think unfortunately Shorty just adds to it. He's definitely not as bad as Willie by a longshot, but he was obviously written into the script as comic relief and a way for kids to feel more connected to the action. Maybe if the movie just had one or the other it might have worked better. As I was watching it, I was trying to "edit out" Willie and Shorty in my mind, and it felt like such a better movie, and much more in line with Raiders. There is such a strong character arc in TOD, Indy going from a "grave robber" to someone who understands and respects the artifacts he collects. And if the movie was just about that, it would have been the perfect companion to Raiders. Maybe just with Shorty, and they meet a hot village woman (love interest) educated at Oxford (so she is serious and smart and not annoying like Willie) who asks him to "...go to Pankot Palace, find Sibalinga, and bring back to us...bring back to us...bring back to us"

And unfortunately Henry Jones ends up being the same comic relief in Last Crusade. Same beats. Indy saves the day, cut to Henry acting befuddled and confused.

Satipo was like that in the beginning of Raiders, but to a slightly lesser extent. They were smart in that they killed him off! Seriously they were smart because he was only there for a little bit. But can you imagine Raiders if Satipo was his companion throughout the entire movie? And every time Indy did something awesome, you cut to Satipo reacting goofy? At the Raven Bar, Satipo huddles in a corner screaming for his life as he miraculously dodges bullets and flying bottles as the fight goes on around him. Or Satipo riding on the horse with Indy to catch the convoy of trucks, they both end up in the truck, and Satipo is screaming for his life but trying to help Indy only keeps making things worse. Or in the opening of the ark, it's Indy, Marion and Satipo tied to the post. And in the end in Washington, Satipo joins Marion and Indy for that drink! So funny! I bet George and Steven stay up nights regretting this decision to kill off poor Satipo, and pledged to add a Satipo-type character to every Indy movie since!

 

[choopie]

I agree with you Mad Lu. Fortunately TOD has a lot of great action scenes (Club Obi-Wan, mine car chase, rope bridge, etc.) and an interesting villain that help me overlook alot of the ridiculousness associated with Willie and Shorty. Of course when I saw the film when it first came out, I thought it was great. As you get older, what you loved as a kid sometimes tends to lose its luster.

That being said, it's clear the filmmakers (or I should say Lucas) were not interested in making any serious, adult-based sequels to Indiana Jones. LC came close, but it was still over the top and I hated what they did with Sallah and Marcus' characters. And don't even get me started on KOTCS. I still enjoy watching TOD and will watch LC in bits and pieces, but KOTCS I won't even watch anymore.

To me Raiders is pure cinematic art, the sequels were just "movies", if you get my meaning.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

Absolutely I get your meaning. I have always felt Raiders transcends regular movies and is truly a "film", if that makes any sense.

Ugh. Comic relief characters in action films should be banned. It's as if pr0n movies would have their "action" scenes intercut with one of seniors playing bridge at a retirement home. Kills the mood.

 

[Shadow Master]

I've never minded Willie or Short Round in TOD. I normally hate comic relief characters in movies, but they're among the very few such characters who I actually like and find genuinely funny.

 

[Wor-Gar]

every scene is intercut with her annoying reaction. Did every scene have to be cut this way? Indy does something heroic and action-y. Then cut to Willie screaming or doing something goofy. So essentially it ends up undermining the scene and danger.

I felt the same way when I first saw this. It's particularly noticeable during the card playing scene and during the Pangkot dining table scene. I was really trying to get the story Indy was telling about the thuggie and they kept cutting back to the same gag over and over with disgustung food and Short Round dropping something (gum or his spoon).

The manic energy that the film maintains to keep things moving also undermines the "hills and valleys" of good storytelling; building the excitement to crescendo and then pulling back for the relief of a 'quiet moment' to build upon again. There's nearly no quiet moments here -- no real suspense, no mystery, no awe, no spectacle, and "no time for love".

 

[firefly2121]

1. Raiders
2. Crusade
3. Doom
.
.
.
4. Skull

 

[firefly2121]

Favorite scenes:
1. Chachapoyan Temple sequence - ROTLA
2. Truck chase - ROTLA
3. Opening the Ark - ROTLA
4. Club Obi Wan - TOD
5. Bugs/Spike room - TOD
6. Fight at Ravenwood Bar - ROTLA
7. Mine car chase - TOD
8. Greaser/Preppie fight and chase - CS
9. Obelisk/Akator Temple opening - CS
10. Trials of the Grail - LC

That bug scene still creeps me out. I hate it!
I would have too add 2 or 3 scenes...
1. The bridge fight on TOD
2. Tank scene in LC.
3. I do like the beginning of LC, from young Indy (Phoenix) to older Indy (Ford)...

 

[Shadow Master]

Forgot the bridge scene in TOD. One of the most badass Indy moments ever.

"Prepare to meet Kali... in Hell!"

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

4. Crystal Skull
3. Raiders
2. Temple
1. Crusade

 

[tinister]

Raiders was the best.
Temple was better than people give it credit for.
Crusade was full of brilliance, but wasn't as cohesive as the first two.
Crystal Skull was just plain bad.

 

[ditch]

Raiders is my all time favourite film followed by Star Wars.
Raiders
Temple of Doom
Last Crusade
Crystal Skull I can only stand this film because Karen Allen is in it.I would rather watch the young Indiana Jones chronicles.

 

[sallah]

For me, it is the order in which they were released-

1.) Raiders
2.) Temple of Doom
3.) Last Crusade (I would like this a lot more if Marcus Brody wasn't played as such a bumbling fool throughout. What a departure from his character in Raiders...)

And that's all of them, right? Oh wait...

4.) The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

Got it. What? There's more? Oh...

5.) The Indiana Jones novels & comic books

That should be everything now... Oh wait-

6.) The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular Ride at Walt Disney World
7.) Kermit the Frog as Indiana Jones in "The Muppets at Walt Disney World".

....oh and-

8.) Everything else that wasn't an Indy film but was related to Indiana Jones in some way...
9.) A picture of my cat with a Fedora on.
10.) A picture of my cat without a Fedora on.
11.) A turd that kinda looks like Harrison Ford's profile.

Did I get everything?.... *Looks around*

12.) Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Sallah

 

[Wor-Gar]

9.) A picture of my cat with a Fedora on.
10.) A picture of my cat without a Fedora on.
11.) A turd that kinda looks like Harrison Ford's profile.

I wish they just kept Indy movies like Bond movies: simple one-off stories without any "familial" complications. Temple came the closest (although there's a clear family heirarchy there). Once they intro'd good ol' dad in the 3rd, it just ruined the purity and simplicity of adolescent adventure...and they really couldn't just go back after that.

 

[Shadow Master]

For me, it is the order in which they were released-

1.) Raiders
2.) Temple of Doom
3.) Last Crusade (I would like this a lot more if Marcus Brody wasn't played as such a bumbling fool throughout. What a departure from his character in Raiders...)

And that's all of them, right? Oh wait...

4.) The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

Got it. What? There's more? Oh...

5.) The Indiana Jones novels & comic books

That should be everything now... Oh wait-

6.) The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular Ride at Walt Disney World
7.) Kermit the Frog as Indiana Jones in "The Muppets at Walt Disney World".

....oh and-

8.) Everything else that wasn't an Indy film but was related to Indiana Jones in some way...
9.) A picture of my cat with a Fedora on.
10.) A picture of my cat without a Fedora on.
11.) A turd that kinda looks like Harrison Ford's profile.

Did I get everything?.... *Looks around*

12.) Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Sallah

Not going to lie, this has me

 

[tinister]

"Raiders" will always have a spot in my heart. I took my younger brother to see it when we were kids. Just the two of us and we were blown away.

 

[Shadow Master]

I'd love to see the original three in theaters. Wish theaters in my town would have retro screenings of them.

 

[JAWS]

I wish they just kept Indy movies like Bond movies: simple one-off stories without any "familial" complications. Temple came the closest (although there's a clear family heirarchy there). Once they intro'd good ol' dad in the 3rd, it just ruined the purity and simplicity of adolescent adventure...and they really couldn't just go back after that.

That is a freaking great point. One of the best I ever read. Never been a fan of TLC and I hate, HATE KOTCS. Just Boxed Indy in to much.