An argument can certainly be made that one of the main reasons the Indiana Jones series is so successful is because it combines the best of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
Lucas works best surrounded by collaborators who can flesh out his visionary ideas. And Spielberg works best when he has visionary ideas to bounce off of, which elevate him and help him broaden his canvas.
At the same time, if you look at the series in its entirety, it can tell you a lot about these storytellers as people - their sense of humor, their fears, their blindspots, their baggage, their aspirations, and even what they seek in their ideal romantic partners. (Okay, that last one may be a stretch, but I’d bet that Marion Ravenwood is the girl of everybody’s dreams.)
In that regard, the Indy films serve as time capsules, capturing where these guys were in their lives when they made them. And just like Indy, it seems as if they’ve been on one hell of a ride.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Desperate times can make for exhilarating movies.
Spielberg had something to prove after 1941, his first box-office failure, while Lucas had something to prove with his first big foray into producing outside of Star Wars. And this melding of the bearded minds (as well as screenwriters Philip Kaufman and Lawrence Kasdan’s) is why the creative lightning was captured in a bottle here.
It was all or nothing for them.
But at this point, do I really need to explain why this movie is so transcendent? Raiders perfectly replicates Star Wars’ same spirit of pulp adventure, serving as an homage to the escapist serials of yesteryear and a reinvention of the genre at the same time, with a clever ending that throws in a little dramatic irony to boot. It’s pure cinematic bliss.
Still, the most important factor as to what made this series so beloved is Harrison Ford.
As written, Indiana Jones is a great character. But if Ford had been wrong for the part, it would certainly show onscreen, and the movie would have suffered fatally.
But from the instant Ford turned around to face the camera during that opening scene in that mysterious jungle, we all immediately realized that he was, indeed, Indiana Jones.
Sardonic and world-weary; resourcefulness mixed with blind luck; excitement over discovering the secrets of the world; a fear of snakes, which is hilariously irrational given all the danger he faces daily; his ability to take a beating and dish one out in kind; that sense of, "I'm in way deep over my head, but I will keep going."
It's all here, charismatically conveyed by Ford in such a way that made Indiana Jones the most fully formed and relatable action hero right out of the gate.
And then there’s John Williams. There are no words to describe how iconic “The Raiders March” is. It’s one of those rare cases where a theme song matches a character so perfectly that you simply can’t imagine one without the other. And I mostly wanted to mention it so it could instantly get stuck in your head.
Favorite action scene: That stretch from the airfield fistfight on through the truck chase is the zenith of action-adventure filmmaking. Especially when Indy gets dragged behind said truck - what a stunt! Every single frame of this sequence needs to be studied and emblazoned on a mountain somewhere.
Favorite line: “I’m making this up as I go.” To me, that defines exactly who Indiana Jones is. “It’s not the years, honey. It’s the mileage” also hits the mark.
Temple of Doom (1984)
Dark times can make for dark movies.
Lucas was going through a divorce during the making of this film, and Spielberg was navigating the fallout of the Twilight Zone tragedy. As a result, Temple of Doom is, in a word, nuts.
It's all over the place, simultaneously dark and cartoonish. There's a heart-ripping-out ceremony, people being burned alive, child torture, voodoo dolls, and Indy being turned into a killer zombie after drinking magic blood. The ultimate result of this insanity - along with Gremlins from that same year - was the eventual creation of the PG-13 rating. That’s certainly a way to leave a mark.
The film also came under fire for some unfortunate depictions of Indian culture - most notably involving a crassly over-the-top feast of eyeball soup, monkey brains, and baby snakes.
So yeah, to say this is the most controversial Indy film is an understatement.
To be fair, Spielberg and Lucas have both acknowledged they went too far here. But despite how different it is from Raiders, TOD still retains that breathless feeling of pulp adventure in the right places. And besides, the first twenty and last thirty minutes are so energetic and fun that the movie's utter excessiveness is easy to look past. Not to mention it has another truly great John Williams score and what might be the best Indy villain in Mola Ram.
Also, the relationship between Indy and his young sidekick Short Round - played by recent Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan - is something to consider as well.
Shorty’s loyalty and devotion to Indy are so sweet and well-etched, even in their limited screen time. And there’s a specific moment after Shorty pulls Indy back from the abyss where they return their respective hats to each other that is among the most moving of the series.
This shows us that, even at his darkest, Spielberg and Lucas want us to know that Indiana Jones has a heart. Pun absolutely intended.
Favorite action scene: The third act has one amazing set piece after the other, back-to-back-to-back. Spielberg, man. The mine cart chase is the standout for me, though. It’s so kinetic and thrilling.
Favorite line: “We. Are going. To die!” is absolutely phenomenal, and it perfectly encapsulates how clever the tension-breaking humor of this series is. And the moment on the bridge, wherein Indy uses a perfectly timed expletive, is also great. Indy is all of us, and that’s why we love him.
Last Crusade (1989)
After the divisive reaction to Temple of Doom, Spielberg and Lucas had something to prove again. Or at least something to make up for, in their view.
This seems to explain why Spielberg was so adamant about making this a father-son story, which has been the key artistic muse of his life ever since his parents got divorced when he was a child.
In short, Spielberg went back to his thematic comfort zone of a family mending itself during a crisis, and in so doing, he managed to deepen both sides of the Indy persona we’ve come to love.
Namely, we learn that Indy’s devoted professorial side comes from his father’s passion for history, while Indy’s gruff rough-and-tumble side comes from the defensive emotional shield that fell into place after he and his dad grew apart.
Most importantly, the film ends with a symbolic examination of who Indy truly is, complete with a gauntlet of booby traps that test his humility, his intellect, and his spirit. There’s even a literal leap of faith.
As a result, Indiana Jones becomes more fleshed out as a character here. And that’s the main reason why LC is my personal favorite.
Here are a few others:
The inventive prologue (featuring the late, great River Phoenix), wherein we see a teenage Indiana Jones acquire some of his most famous attributes over a single adventure. That prologue’s playful tone is what sells it - you can almost see it as an amalgam of adventures young Indy might’ve had, and he remembers it all now as a blur. Regardless, the transition from River being given his trademark hat to Ford looking up with that Indy grin - shortly before being punched in the face in a fantastic “story of his life” moment - earns the sequence alone. It’s perfect.
All those adventurous escapes and rollicking stunts not only escalate in scope but also seem palpably dangerous. These set pieces are also the most varied in the series, going literally from land to sea to air and involving every kind of vehicle imaginable. Speaking of…
Indy fights Nazis ON TOP OF A TANK.
The humor is joyful and character-based and often serves to support the poignant family story. And in my view, the gag that runs through each film where Indy always loses his hat has one of cinema’s most heart-warming payoffs here.
It has the best score of the series, thanks once again to the maestro John Williams. Right from the top, he pulls us into the clever irony of the prologue and tells us to have fun for the rest of the film. As for the added emotionality Williams brings this time, the track “The Keeper of the Grail” captures so much. It’s a touching father-son melody that hints at a lot of unspoken history, but there’s also a kind of noble call to adventure in there that speaks directly to the series’ soul. It’s wonderful.
The supporting cast from Raiders, namely Marcus Brody and Sallah, are brought back to shine here. Alison Doody’s Elsa is a standout too – she is the most complex "Indy Girl," serving as a love interest, a femme fatale, and a conflicted idealist all at once.
Seeing as this entire series came about because Spielberg wanted to do a James Bond film but couldn’t, Sean Connery as Indy's dad Henry Jones is just about the best casting decision ever. And their arc is just so well done here. Starting from how their stand-offish relationship instantly clicks back into place when Indy first rescues his father, through their humorous banter as Henry grows increasingly appalled at what his son does for a living, through Indy and Henry’s subtle heart-to-heart talks about their shared history, through them fighting and almost dying together, all building up to when Henry finally says, “Indiana… Let it go.” In the end, a father finally shows his son the respect he desires by using his chosen name and helps him see that the past is not more important than your people in the present. It’s beautiful.
Favorite action scene: It’s the tank scene, no question. Spielberg is the best at escalation and complications, and this set piece is undeniable proof of that.
Favorite line: There are many great lines here. But once again, I must go back to the father-son arc, which is wrapped up so nicely with this exchange: “What did you find, Dad?” “Me? Illumination.”
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Nineteen years after Last Crusade, an aging Indiana Jones reflected an aging Spielberg and Lucas. And perhaps many of their fans had aged past this series too.
At the time of this film’s release, there was an interesting dynamic going on in the film world: The critics were more enthusiastic about a big movie-nerd film than the actual movie nerds were. And just as it was with the unearned vitriol towards the Star Wars prequels, I never understood it.
Yes, Crystal Skull doesn’t attain the gravitas of Last Crusade’s father-son story (or even the Short Round story). And yes, it has some goofy stuff in it. But is it really any goofier than Temple of Doom?
In my view, TOD gets a pass from many movie nerds because they grew up with it; after all, childhood nostalgia can forgive anything. But TOD and CS are actually more or less on the same level quality-wise from a screenplay standpoint – in fact, I’d even say that CS has a more fleshed-out plot. And if the two films had switched places release-wise, there's no doubt in my mind that the consensus opinion around both of them would have also flipped.
At any rate, Crystal Skull looks fantastic, the cast pops (especially Cate Blanchett as the pulpiest Indy villain), Ford settles back into his signature role seamlessly, and the key Indy staples are all here. But what I appreciate the most about Crystal Skull is how Spielberg and Lucas took advantage of the self-reflection afforded to them by centering the story around an older Indy.
This is encapsulated during a quiet scene at Indy’s house, which includes this poignant line: "We seem to have reached the age where life stops giving us things and starts taking them away.”
That quote belies a dimensionality and a depth that you don’t see in a lot of action heroes, and it allows us to see how Indy has changed (as well as the men who created him). And it’s yet another reason why this series stands out.
Favorite action scene: I'd put the jungle truck chase right up there with just about any other action scene Spielberg has ever shot. Twists, turns, vehicular acrobatics, fencing, a killer anthill fistfight – it has everything!
Favorite line: Shortly after reuniting with Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood, Indy explains why he never settled down with any of the women in his life: “They weren’t you, honey.” It’s so perfect because ever since she was introduced in Raiders, we just knew that Marion would always be the ideal partner for Indiana Jones: strong-willed, endearingly vulnerable, and a lover of life. Just like the man in the hat himself.
For a while, Spielberg wanted to make a fifth Indy film. But Logan director James Mangold took over for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which I have not seen as of this writing.
And as much as I would have loved to have seen Spielberg finish out the series with Ford, it seems as if Spielberg and Lucas just don’t have much to say about Indiana Jones as a character anymore. And that’s okay. I wouldn’t want them to make something their hearts weren’t into.
Besides, depending on where your tastes lie, Indy has been given three endings: He reconciled with his father and rode off into the sunset, and/or he reunited with his son and married the love of his life, and/or however Destiny plays out.
And how often do you get to choose your own destiny? 🤠
In the end, Steven Spielberg's superb affinity for choreographing action scenes, George Lucas’ vivid imagination, Harrison Ford's earthy charisma, John Williams’s stirring orchestrations, and the pivotal contributions of every writer and craftsperson who ever worked on this series easily cement the Indiana Jones movies as the epitome of adventure filmmaking. They will never be surpassed or even equaled.
Over the past 42 years – which is the same amount of time it took for the Skywalker Saga to end - Spielberg and Lucas have found unimaginable fortune and glory with Indiana Jones and his adventures.
And now all we can do is thank the men who gave him the map.