Rank the Indiana Jones Films Part 2 (Now Including Dial)

There sadly won't be another film not only with Ford's age but with how the fifth film underperformed at the box office last year. I think we were lucky to get a fifth and final one all these years later.

 

The modern era of film and cinema reviews and general online hatred before anyone sees something is becoming an absolute cesspit. To put it in to context I've watched some stinkers recently (that were over hyped prior to original release) in Hudson Hawk & The Phantom Menace, theres no way DOD is in the same category as those as being bad films that were such a letdown IMO.

 

That certainly didn't help either, how there was already negativity in the weeks leading to the release. People seemed to want to hate it and want to see it fail before it even saw release, which was so sad to see.

 

Its not confined to just this film either.

 

Indeed, which is very unfortunate. So many people right away have to be negative and critical of certain films without even giving them a chance.

 

I gave Dial of Destiny a chance. I was excited to see it, and I went opening night. I despised it so much

 

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. Last Crusade
3. Temple of Doom
4. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
5. Dial of Destiny

It's really a tie between Raiders and Crusade. Both have elements I like and some not as good ones in equal measure. Dial of Destiny is, sadly, just awful.

 

I have to wonder if DOD had seen release a decade prior if we could've had a sixth and final film last year in it's place? We'll never know but it's interesting to speculate and if so, how it might've been.

 

It depends how it did. KOTCS made money, DOD did not due to budget.

 

Didn't COVID and the setbacks cause DOD's budget to balloon quite a bit? Probably a key reason the budget for it was so big.

 

I heard reshoots and the beginning sequence, along with Covid.

 

The extensive digital de-aging in the opening sequence probably didn't help either, it's very expensive tech.

 

That was a great opening.

 

It really was. Definitely nailed the old-school Indy feel to a T.

 

TOD will always be my number one favorite with ROTLA right behind. The other three are interchangable and depend on my mood. Great series overall and I'm glad we finally got a fifth and final movie. Still impressed by how well DOD turned out.

 

Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Last Crusade
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Temple of Doom
That's it. That's all the Indy films.

 

Apologies for the delay. I thought I'd move this to a more specific location, since the general movie thread has moved on in my absence.

So yeah, I suspect that I'm a lil' younger than you, considering I was barely two when The Last Crusade was in theatres. Crystal Skull was the first Indy film I could ride the hype train for, all the way from teaser trailer to DVD, so that will undoubtedly play a part in shaping my opinion. And while I was already a fan of cool movies, and had thoroughly enjoyed the first three on television several times, I was (and still am) a bit of a gamer, so it was actually the release of the awesome Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb in 2003 which got me to finally buy them on home media and regularly re-watch them.

Put it this way, I was more of a Tomb Raider fan before I ever called myself an Indiana Jones fan. Of course, the older I got, the more I could appreciate what Indy stood for, and the cultural significance of his movies, but I guess I can't fight the context of my upbringing. Funnily enough, it's a similar kind of story when it comes to explaining my opinions on the James Bond franchise.

Enjoyed reading your own thoughts, though. Thanks for sharing. And sure, as much as I adore The Last Crusade, I'm with you in often wondering where a third film might've gone, had the wider reaction to Temple of Doom not been so pearl-clutching!

For the record, methinks I'd still list my personal ranking as follows:

1) The Last Crusade
2) Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
3) Temple of Doom
4) Raiders of the Lost Ark
5) Dial of Destiny

The beauty of liking Crystal Skull so much is that its merch is always super-cheap. I have no interest in the full 4K steelbook collection (since I have the collector's set of The Complete Adventures and it's just too fancy to upgrade) but after enjoying it so much this time around, I was able to find its recent re-release still in stock, going for its original sticker price. All the other movies? Sold out, scalped, and selling for three figures.

Interesting! Seeing as we both agree on The Last Crusade, do you mind if I ask why you rank Dial of Destiny so high? No pressure to reply, just curious (and always open to perspectives that might improve my own opinion).

 

Und the impression of recently rewatching them all …

1. Last Crusade
2. Raiders of the lost Ark
3. Temple of Doom

the rest … Crystal Skull and Dial of Destiny were really both bad in different ways, so can’t decide between the two.

 

Raiders
Crusade

Doom
Destiny
(Big gap)
Skull

 

Saw it twice in cinemas loved it so much better than skull

 

I'm seeing some ranking in The Great Circle game with the movies and from the looks of it, it's great and really nailed the feel of the films. It nicely fills the void of wanting new Indy content.