1>3>2>4
I kinda like all four of them though, even Crystal Skull.
There’s an old saying in Tennessee, I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee, that says “Fool me once, shame on- shame on you… fool me can’t get fooled again.”
It’s really frustrating the UHD releases will have no original audio and only new Atmos remixes. Hopefully the new transfers for Temple and crusade are good and Raiders isn’t the revisionist infuriating Blu-ray version…but I’m not hopeful…
For me Raiders and Temple are masterworks, Crusade has great moments but is the tired rehashing ROTJ style “let’s finish this” of the three-and Skull never happened. KOTCS was a nightmare and makes everyone’s Prequel complaints look like nothing.
Most of the novels are excellent and loads of fun-but never get brought up outside of diehard Indy fandom. I finally completed the set and plan to do a rereading of the series this year.
VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader
I hope the 4K of Raiders fixes things. The Blu Ray is horrible. The color balance shifts the entire movie, there is a dnr push which was obviously automated. Indiana Jones has a sunburnt orange skintone. Satipo in the beginning head morphs for no apparent reason. Everything looks murky and blurry. Worse quality control than the deliberate creative decision 2004 Star Wars DVD set.
My ranking of the four films is
The Last Crusade was the first Indy film I ever watched and I played the point & click adventure game a lot growing up so it has a special place in my heart.
I agree with a number of previous posters here on the order:
In my opinion, Raiders is one of the most perfect films made for its time. The plot, pacing, music, casting, acting, screenplay, special effects… Everything just works beautifully, resulting in film I never grow tired of (like Empire).
Doom has its moments, but a little too much slapstick in places given how dark it is elsewhere. The tone feels inconsistent as others have pointed out. Kate Capshaw’s incessant screaming can also be quite annoying.
Crusade is a rollercoaster of a film, almost up to the level of Raiders in my book. It successfully recreates all the excitement and wonder of the original, without including the annoying features of Doom. And Alison Doody… My oh my…
I’ve only seen Skull once (at the cinema) and my rather vague recollection is “meh”.
I’ve only seen Skull once (at the cinema) and my rather vague recollection is “meh”.
It’s worse than you remember. Saw it for the first time in a decade about a month ago (a fanedit) and hoped I would get something out of it in spite of it’s flaws. I, too, would have given it a 6 based on memory, but I honestly think it doesn’t deserve higher than a 3.
I hope John Williams is doing the score there is no news that that isn’t the case.
I expect if he’s still around he’ll do it.
-Temple Of Doom
-The Last Crusade
-Raiders Of The Lost Ark
-Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
#Pro-Life
Doom
Raiders/Crusade tie
Skull
I’m not really that much of a movie purist. I really should’ve thought my name out a bit more.
I’ll update this once I see the fifth film.
The name’s Lawson. Noah Lawson.
Project creator and film enthusiast.
Raiders
Temple
Skull
Crusade
I have never seen Crystal Skull, and I have no intention of seeing it.
My preferred Skywalker Saga experience:
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX
I still don’t see why Last Crusade gets ranked lower than the others.
Project creator and film enthusiast.
I still don’t see why Last Crusade gets ranked lower than the others.
I always thought it was the most boring one: Just a rehash of Raiders without the ridiculous serial-esque tone that made Raiders so fun in the first place. It’s still a decent movie, it just takes itself a bit too seriously for my tastes.
My preferred Skywalker Saga experience:
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX
I bet when Indiana Jones 5 comes out i’ll rank Last Crusade in fifth place. The way it characterizes Sallah, Marcus and Henry Jones Sr is pathetic. Nothing in the film is believable there is no verisimilitude like Raiders and its trying too hard to be a comedy. The only thing i liked was Connery and Ford playing off of each other and the great admiration Indy has for his father. and i like the idea that James Bond, the only true Bond is Indy’s father.
It’s still a decent movie, it just takes itself a bit too seriously for my tastes.
That’s funny, I distinctly recall an article that caracterized TLC as an overcorrection from ToD that steers into straight comedy and ends up being the lightest of the bunch.
Personally, I agree with the rehash argument strongly.
It’s still a decent movie, it just takes itself a bit too seriously for my tastes.
That’s funny, I distinctly recall an article that caracterized TLC as an overcorrection from ToD that steers into straight comedy and ends up being the lightest of the bunch.
Yeah, some people say that, but I’ve always thought that Temple of Doom was the most comedic of the trilogy: despite having extremely dark portions with Satanic blood rituals and stuff like that, it never really takes itself too seriously, with blatantly ridiculous bits like the “exotic food” scene and the bug tunnel. I can remember a ton of fun moments from both Raiders and Doom, but I struggle to remember more than a few fun bits in Crusade.
My preferred Skywalker Saga experience:
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX
What always gets me is Marcus being an imbecile. Got lost in his own museum. This isn’t the character from Raiders.
My ranking is Crystal Skull at the bottom, followed by Temple of Doom. Raiders and Last Crusade are a toss-up. If you asked me ten years ago, I would’ve put Last Crusade on top. But since I’ve read Aristotle’s Poetics, I appreciate the structuring of Raiders enough to give it a slight edge to number 1.
I have altered Lucas’ visions. Pray I don’t alter them any further.
The Temple of doom
Raiders
Last Crusade
Crystal Skull doesn’t rank anyplace. It shouldn’t exist
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - I could watch this movie anytime I think. It will probably always be my #1, with the rest moving up and down depending on how I feel at the time.
The Last Crusade - Favorite part is the River Phoenix flashback. The banter throughout the film is good too.
Temple of Doom - It fell on my rankings recently but I was going back through some of it and it lands pretty well. Its also a classic.
Raiders of the Lost Ark - Once more, a classic.
Move along, move along.
My (unpopular) ranking:
I know it’s a very unpopular take on the Indiana Jones movies, but I genuinely find Temple of Doom to be the most boring movie of the four. Last Crusade and Raiders of the Lost Ark are my favorites, and kingdom of the Crystal Skull is fun.
“Sometimes we must let go of our pride, and do what is requested to us.”
–Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars Episode II - Attack of the Clones
I think this will be my ranking but who knows.
1.Raiders
2.Doom
3.Skull
4.Dial Of Destiny
5.Last Crusade
I kind of like Treasure of the Peacock’s eye but not sure where it should be in the list.
Edit: loved the trailer for Dial of Destiny they showed with the Super Bowl, unironically its going to be great. Should be a thread here on the film but there isn’t one.