Indiana Jones and The Great Circle has made it’s way to the PS5 at long last. Because of that, I’m gonna do something a little special of not just updating my ranking of the Indiana Jones franchise but also see how The Great Circle fits right in with the film installments. While there’s only five Indiana Jones flicks by name, The Great Circle is an Indiana Jones game that at least that has the same heart and spirit as a good chunk of the actual movies do. I just feel like it’s worth a mention since now a lot of people are aware of the game’s existence and considering the lukewarm to negative reactions the last two Indiana Jones movies received, they may want a new Indiana Jones experience to wash the sour taste in their mouths. Regardless, here’s fives movies and one big IP licensed game with Indiana Jones ranked from worst to best. Let the adventure begin!
6.) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Unfortunately saving his worst adventure for last, Dial of Destiny is the weakest of all the Indiana Jones movies by a country mile. It lacks the energy and passion that Spielberg provided with the previous four movies (Yes, even Kingdom of the Crystal Skull!), it doesn’t justify any of the questionable decisions that it makes for the Indiana Jones character, and the whole thing just has a “going through the motions” feel to it that I imagine the people behind this movie were just as bored making it as I was watching it. It might succeed in the sense of making a more bleak and depressing Indiana Jones movie (assuming you even want that sort of thing) along with good final contributions from Harrison Ford and John Williams respectively, but as a whole, Dial of Destiny is underwhelming, unnecessary, and quite frankly forgettable. And considering this whole franchise is about a character that would love nothing more than to go down in history, being forgettable for your final outing is about the worst crime you could possibly commit.
5.) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
This film that has been the punching bag for Indiana Jones fans for the past 15 years is better than it’s reputation would have you suggest. As much as folks over the years have raged over things such as aliens, nuke the fridge, CGI gophers/ants, and anything having to do with Shia Labeouf, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a legacy sequel that was way ahead of it’s time. This does a wonderful job at showcasing how Indy, even at his old age, is still able to gain new things in his life such as new friends, new family, new knowledge, and a new purpose. And unlike Dial of Destiny, it doesn’t need to portray him in a constant negative light to get that point across. Plus, the ending when he marries Marion, was the cherry on top to what is a story about Indiana Jones finding the kind of happiness he never knew he wanted. The dumb moments I mentioned before are still presented here but that’s all they are, dumb moments and not the complete and entire picture. It’s far from the perfect long-awaited sequel that everyone envisioned but Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, at the time, made for a rather bittersweet epilogue that I would have honestly been fine with if it all ended here.
4.) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The most divisive Indiana Jones film is the one that broke all of the rules. Daring to go even darker, more violent, and 100X goofier than any other film in this series, Temple of Doom is like that crazy cousin in the family that you all know and love but they still feel rather out of place with the rest of the group. It’s also the film that was most infamous for creating the PG-13 rating. The film certain takes it’s time to get to where it wants to go with the first half being a rather slow buildup to the absolutely bonkers second half. Most of the scenes after the prologue until we get to the temple entrance really drag on with not much momentum to it. However, once we get to the actual temple itself, that’s when Temple of Doom becomes something else of it’s own entirety that I can’t help but dig the hell out of it. Complimented by amazing set pieces, breathtaking production designs, the lovable yet badass sidekick in Short Round, and the most deadly villain in the series with Mola Ram, this is the Indiana Jones experience that’s arguably the most unique and different in the whole franchise. It may get bogged down by Kate Capshaw’s Willie Scott being too annoying (even if she does have her moments) and there are moments where you can feel Lucas and Spielberg taking out their personal real life problems at the time right on the film (Both were going through divorces while making this film!), but Temple of Doom is an entertaining albeit uneven ride that swings for the fences without pulling any punches whatsoever.
3.) Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
That’s right! The third best Indiana Jones adventure came not from a movie but from a video game. While the 21st century offered some rather lukewarm to underwhelming Indiana Jones flicks, The Great Circle is able to provide the special spark the series has not had since 1989. Taking place between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, we see Indy going on his most globe trotting adventure yet, seeking to stop the Nazis from harnessing a power that spawns upon several regions around the world. This is able to deliver the same amount of mystery, adventure, and heart that the better Indiana Jones installments had, the first-person angle makes you feel as close to Indiana Jones as you can possible be, Troy Baker is as pitch-perfect in the role as one other than Harrison Ford can get, it has one of the better villains, supporting cast and female companions of the series, and Indy’s arc about needing to fill that special hole within himself after breaking up with Marion is the real perfect metaphor to justify this game’s existence. While some might be underwhelmed about the game not being in complete third person, the story and overall narrative is so engaging that it will make one want to at least check out the cutscenes of the game. The Great Circle proves that Indiana Jones might still has some life in him yet in the realm of video games. If MachineGames has more Indy adventures they would love to tell in the near future, I am more than on board with it.
2.) Raiders of the Lost Ark
The one that started it all remains an absolute cinema classic to this day. It’s hard to say anything that hasn’t been said already by everyone else as to why Raiders of the Lost Ark is as good as it is, it’s all just up on the big screen as to why it rocks! The action is absolutely thrilling with each sequence managing to top the previous one, the Ark is among the most iconic McGuffins in any film of all time, the score is memorable and gives the film it’s own unique identity, the pacing is incredible without feeling dragged out or rushed, the twists and turns the story takes is fascinating and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through, the supporting cast is perfect and all shine in their own ways, and Indiana Jones himself is one of the best and most interesting protagonists in the history of pop culture. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones is a match made in heaven and Karen Allan’s Marion Ravenwood is easily the best female protagonist of the entire series. If it’s wasn’t for the climax that, while memorable, basically had Indy pushed to the wayside where he’s basically just a spectator and some ill-fated backstory elements between him and Marion that hasn’t held up well whatsoever (Indy getting together with Marion when she was “a child”), this would be an easy #1 for me. Regardless, Raiders of the Lost Ark was no doubt the best possible start one could imagine for this series, a perfectly executed action-adventure film, and still stands strong as one of the best action and adventure films of all time! And no, do NOT bring up that “plot hole” that The Big Bang Theory brought up, that drum has been beat too many times and I’m sick of hearing about it because it doesn’t affect the quality of the film in any way.
1.) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
While there is definitely a strong argument to be made for Raiders being objectively the better film, I feel The Last Crusade edges it out from a subjective point of view. This is where everything felt like it came a complete circle for the Indiana Jones franchise. It takes everything that was great from Raiders of the Lost Ark, cranks it up to 11, and throws Indy’s father into the mix for perhaps the best and more memorable adventure yet for the man who wears the hat and fedora. This is where Indiana Jones feels the most fleshed out as a character here, getting a deeper dive than ever as to who he is, why he does what he does, and who was the man that gave birth to him. The Holy Grail is the best McGuffin out of all of these films, the action is just as thrilling as it was in the previous movies, the returning cast from Raiders such as Sallah and Marcus are even better utilized here, Elsa Schneider, while not as great as Marion, is still a pretty cool female companion, the opening where we discover the origins of young Indiana Jones is an all-timer and the climax where Indy has to face the final three trails to save his father is one of the very best in any film. And of course, who could ever forget the perfect father and son relationship dynamic between Indiana Jones and his dad, Henry Jones, played marvelously by the late great Sean Connery. While some took issue with the similarities to the original Raiders and felt that the more lighthearted tone was a response to the negative feedback of Temple of Doom, they in no way, shape, or form bring the film down for me as it does most of the Raiders elements even better and the lighthearted tone just felt perfect throughout. Terrifically entertaining, superbly acted, emotionally engaging, very funny (The “He chose poorly” line kills me every time), and an ending that was the perfect way to bring the curtain down on the original trilogy, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the best Indiana Jones film and one of my personal favorite films period!
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