----Would-be hero is stifled at home, so he leaves or is propelled by outside forces to embark upon a journey to fulfill his heroic destiny. (explored in THX-1138, American Grafitti, Star Wars: The Original Trilogy, Howard the Duck, Willow, Young Indy and Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy)
----The high-speed chase and/or race. (featured in virtually every single film he's had anything to do with, including the films mentioned above.)
----Technology's effect on Humanity, and it's eventual failure to suppress the Human spirit.
----The aforementioned loss of limbs. Makes you wonder, for all his derring-do, why Indy never lost a leg or something.
----Little people being underestimated and eventually triumphing over impossible adversity. (Little Anakin, R2-D2, Yoda and the Ewoks, Willow, Howard the Duck, Short Round in Temple of Doom, and "Aren't you a litttle short for a Stormtrooper?")
These are just a few. Can anyone think of any more?
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