No Snakes Allowed: Ranking the Indiana Jones Films from ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ to ‘The Dial of Destiny’

Few film franchises have had as much cultural staying power as Indiana Jones. The adventures of Harrison Ford’s whip-wielding, snake-phobic archeologist have found new generations of fans throughout the decades, as parents who grew up watching them in the 1980s passed them onto their kids, and so on and so forth. Fans of all ages get the chance to see Ford don his famous fedora one last time in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, opening in theaters this summer.

The first Indiana Jones installment, 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, was the brainchild of director Steven Spielberg and executive producer George Lucas, fresh off their massive hits Jaws and Star Wars. A throwback to the serialized adventure stories of their youth, the film helped usher in the blockbuster era of the 1980s, spawning two sequels – 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The critically acclaimed trilogy earned a combined 13 Oscar bids and six wins, with Raiders competing in Best Picture and Best Director.

Spielberg and Ford took a crack at revitalizing the franchise almost two decades later with 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which received a more mixed response. Another 15 years passed before Ford came back with the long-awaited final installment, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, with James Mangold taking over for Spielberg. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival ahead of its release on June 29.

To mark the occasion of Indy’s last adventure, here’s our countdown of every Indiana Jones movie, ranked worst to best.

5. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Placing the fifth Indiana Jones adventure in last place isn’t exactly a knock on it. After all, the film has to compete with one of the most beloved trilogies of all time, and a fourth entry that’s enjoyed a critical reappraisal in recent years. So even if Harrison Ford’s final outing as Indy isn’t on the same level as the others, there’s still a lot of nostalgic enjoyment to be had. James Mangold takes over directorial duties from Steven Spielberg, and he services the material with his usual sturdy craftsmanship. Set in 1969, it finds the aging archeologist searching for a mythical dial that can alter the course of history. With the help of his goddaughter, Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Indy faces off against former Nazi doctor Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), who wants to take possession of the dial for his own diabolical purposes.

4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Initial reactions to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull weren’t exactly glowing. Released nearly 20 years after The Last Crusade, the fourth Indy adventure was seen largely as a letdown. But is it actually bad? Sure, it can’t hold a candle to the original trilogy, but viewed on its own, it’s a fairly exciting popcorn flick (and with a 77% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s better reviewed than its reputation might lead you to believe). Steven Spielberg returned to the director’s chair for the final time, moving the action up from the 1930s to the 1950s. Indy (Harrison Ford) now has to fight against the Soviets in their quest for the Crystal Skull, an artifact rumored to be imbued with mythical powers. He’s joined in his quest by a young greaser named Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), who might be his son. The real standout is Cate Blanchett, camping it up as villainous KGB agent Irina Spalo.

3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

There was perhaps no more poignant Oscar narrative in 2022 than that of Ke Huy Quan, the former child star who returned to acting and won the Best Supporting Actor trophy for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Quan’s comeback brought renewed interest to his debut role as Short Round, the pint-sized sidekick to archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It’s actually a prequel, taking place a full year before the events of the first film. Indy teams up with Short Round and nightclub singer Willie Scott (future Mrs. Spielberg Kate Capshaw) to recover a priceless gem from a demonic cult. The film’s gruesome violence (including a scene where a heart is pulled out of someone’s chest) was a turnoff for some family audiences, and led to the creation of the PG-13 rating. Yet there’s still a lot of fun to be had in this colorful adventure yarn, which opens with a musical number to rival Busby Berkley (or even Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story).

2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

As evidenced by The Fabelmans, Spielberg’s relationship with his father left a lasting impact on him, one he’s been sorting out in his films ever since. It’s on full display in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which adds emotional resonance to the action thrills. Harrison Ford is back as daredevil archeologist Indiana Jones, now tasked with recovering the Holy Grail. Turns out his estranged father, Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery), was hunting the sacred artifact when the Nazis decided to take it for themselves. Now Indie must rescue the Grail and his dad from the Third Reich. Even though there’s only a 12 years age difference between them, Ford and Connery make a great father/son pairing, bickering back-and-forth as they escape one deadly situation after another. There’s a great deal of poignancy to their relationship as well, and you can sense Spielberg infusing it with memories of his own father. Look out for River Phoenix as young Indiana Jones in the prologue.

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

When Steven Spielberg made Raiders of the Lost Ark, he was coming off of his first flop, the WWII comedy 1941. To say he came back with a vengeance would be an understatement. Raiders built upon the success of Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind to firmly establish the director’s status as Hollywood’s great entertainer. A close collaboration between Spielberg and George Lucas, it’s a throwback to the serialized adventure films of the 1930s, spruced up with the best special effects the 1980s had to offer. Harrison Ford makes his first appearance as Indiana Jones, a whip-wielding archeologist who puts his life in danger to track down rare artifacts. With Nazism on the rise, Jones is tasked with finding the mythical Ark of the Covenant before Hitler’s henchmen can. Along the way, he rekindles a romance with old flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). Spielberg packs as many hair-raising set pieces as possible into a tight two hour runtime, forever raising the bar for action filmmaking. The film earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, winning for art direction, film editing, visual effects, and sound (as well as a special achievement prize for sound editing).

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Zachary Laws

Zach Laws is an independent filmmaker and journalist with a lifelong passion for all things cinema. He has previously covered the Oscars and Emmys at Gold Derby and has had bylines published at Looper. He earned his BFA in film directing at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking. His short film, “Calzone’s Pizza,” was a First Runner Up at the 2021 Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum. Special skills include being able to name every film nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars in a given year. You can follow him on Twitter at @zachlaws.

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