Ranking the Indiana Jones Films from Least to Most Favorable

      To celebrate the 45th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark, we have ranked all five Indiana Jones films from least favorable to most favorable.

      Although George Lucas is widely recognized as the mind behind Star Wars, he also introduced Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones—an academic archaeologist and occasional adventurer who dedicates his life to seeking out artifacts that rightfully belong in museums.

      Indiana Jones made his first appearance in Raiders of the Lost Ark on June 12, 1981. He is rugged, irritable, intelligent—both book-smart and skilled with a whip. Portrayed by Harrison Ford (and briefly by River Phoenix in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), he is arguably the greatest action-adventure hero in Hollywood history.

      Lucas collaborated with his close friend Steven Spielberg on the franchise, with Spielberg directing all but one of the Indiana Jones films. When they excel, they shine; when they falter, the shortcomings amplify the strengths of the others.

      Below is our ranking of all five Indiana Jones films, from least to most impressive.

      **Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny**

      Disney – Credit: C/O Paramount

      To be clear, we cherish Indiana Jones films; in fact, we wish the series had concluded after three installments. Spielberg did not direct 2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and we speculate that it might have been marginally better had he done so.

      James Mangold, a well-regarded director known for Logan and Walk the Line, stepped in for Spielberg, who served only as an executive producer for this film.

      The film's main issue was simply the passage of time, which affects everyone. Harrison Ford, one of the greatest actors and movie stars, was nearing 80 during production.

      One of the endearing qualities of Indiana Jones films is that he is consistently the underdog, facing overwhelming odds and enduring considerable hardship while maintaining his humor. However, Dial of Destiny required an implausible level of suspension of disbelief, particularly during an ill-conceived CGI-heavy opening that de-aged Ford by decades.

      Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was the least successful film in the franchise, grossing around $384 million against a significant budget—Forbes estimated it resulted in a loss of over $100 million.

      Moreover, the ending felt overly excessive.

      **Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull**

      Paramount – Credit: C/O Paramount

      This film is acceptable but we hold higher expectations for Indiana Jones. The franchise signifies thrilling highs, seemingly effortless humor, and engaging introductions to captivating mythologies crafted for mainstream audiences.

      Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull featured an intriguing setting—we appreciated the nod to 1950s science fiction and B-movies, best illustrated by the absurdly entertaining scene where a refrigerator enables Indy to survive an atomic explosion.

      The cast was also commendable. Cate Blanchett faced the unenviable role of the primary villain, a KGB agent vying with Indy for a telepathic crystal skull located in Peru—a clever callback to the film's initial scene set in Peru, reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

      Harrison Ford delivered a solid performance, and we were delighted to see Karen Allen reprise her role as Marion Ravenwood. While Shia LaBeouf was passable as Mutt Williams, we wish he hadn’t joined the series considering his tragic fate revealed in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. We enjoyed the film's flirtation with possibly passing the legacy on to Mutt—only for Indy to ultimately refute that idea.

      **More on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull**

      Paramount

      Interestingly, producer Kathleen Kennedy recently shared with Vulture that both Spielberg and Ford were “struggling” with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

      “They didn’t want to make a Raiders film that featured aliens, leading to some disagreements with George about it,” Kennedy told Vulture.

      Lucas informed Vulture that they settled on a compromise, designing the alien-like beings to be “not aliens but from another dimension.”

      **Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade**

      Paramount – Credit: C/O Paramount

      As previously noted, we wish this film had been the definitive conclusion—potentially leaving the Indy franchise as a stellar trilogy.

      After a significant departure in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Last Crusade returned the series to its foundational motif: Indiana Jones battling Nazis. This is a beloved installment, and Sean Connery's addition as Indy’s father, Henry, elevated it to the level of an instant classic.

      The film is replete with twists and surprises, and the conclusion—where Indy navigates a series of deadly challenges to discover the Holy Grail—was brilliantly constructed, allowing viewers to engage actively alongside Indy instead of merely watching his antics.

      We absolutely adore this movie, as well as the remaining two films in our ranking.

      **Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom**

      Paramount – Credit: Paramount

      Indeed, we believe