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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Image via IMDB)

Every Indiana Jones movie, ranked, as Dial of Destiny premieres at Cannes 2023

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2023, as one of the most awaited films of the year. With an 80-year-old Harrison Ford starring in the fifth film of the ever-popular franchise, the movie received a five-minute standing ovation and created quite some anticipation for the theater release scheduled for June.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is one of the key actors in the films, further heightening the excitement surrounding it. Mads Mikkelsen and Antonio Banderas are among other popular cast members.

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The film is the first in the Indiana Jones franchise to not be directed by Steven Spielberg. This disappointed some fans, but also excited others looking forward to a new approach.

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As the Indiana Jones franchise is back in the news for its much-awaited fifth part, fans are now looking back at some of the finest films in the series. From Raiders of the Lost Ark to Temple of Doom, conversations about all the movies from the franchise have resurfaced on the internet.

Here is a list of all the films in the franchise, starting with the best of the lot.

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All the Indiana Jones movies, ranked from best to worst

1) Raiders of the Lost Ark

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Raiders of the Lost Ark (Image via IMDB)

Although fans are divided on the films that come after this one, it is widely agreed upon that Raiders of the Lost Ark is the finest movie from the franchise. The movie did a brilliant job of introducing an interesting character and built a world of intrigue and mystery effortlessly. It is also the first movie in the franchise and set the stage for future films.

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Having been released in 1981, Raiders of the Lost Ark follows an archaeology professor named Jones who sets off on a journey to seize the Ark of the Covenant - a biblical artifact - while he fights a group of Nazis. It went down in history as one of Spielberg's finest films and is a classic favorite among cinephiles and fans of adventure genre even today.

With Marvel movies consistently receiving criticism for aligning shallow stories with larger-than-life theatrical experiences, Raiders of the Lost Ark is a masterclass on how to make an adventure film that makes for a massive cinematic experience. It also introduces plots and characters that help to create stories in the rest of the franchise.


2) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Image via IMDB)
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This was the last Indiana Jones movie to be released before Dial of Destiny. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull combined modern action film techniques with strong writing and performances to create what is one of the best adventure films of the 21st century. It also included some personal elements from Jones' life which made it an interesting comeback of Harrison Ford as the hero.

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull follows Indiana Jones and Mutt Williams as they explore the mystery and secrets of the crystal skulls. Like in all other Indiana Jones movies, the two heroes must fight other parties who are also in search of the skulls for dangerous causes.

The films also worked to spark a sense of nostalgia among fans of the franchise.


3) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

The Last Crusade (Image via IMDB)
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The most light-hearted film in the franchise, The Last Crusade followed the archaeologist and explorer on his quest to help a group of villagers who plead that he help them retrieve a powerful stone from an evil priest. Although the plot sounds extremely simple and animated, it was treated with a lot of detailing which brought it world-wide acclaim.

The film, despite not being the favorite Indiana Jones outing, boasts fine sound design, background music, and an engaging screenplay which make it a fun film irrespective of the rankings.

It also left a heavy impact on fans as the next film of the franchise was only released after twenty long years, in 2008. It also brought back some enjoyable elements from Raiders of the Lost Ark, making it as rooted in the fantasy world as possible.


4) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Temple of Doom (Image via IMDB)
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The second film and immediate sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark recently became very popular after it was revealed that Ke Huy Quan, the popular actor from Everything Everywhere All At Once, was actually part of the movie as a child actor. The movie involves Jones' quest for some mystical stones which were stolen from an Indian tribe. He is accompanied by a woman and a Chinese kid.

Although it was later criticized for reinforcing stereotypes about Indians, Temple of Doom did receive some love as it reignited the hope of Indiana Jones returning as a character after the much-loved Raiders of the Lost Ark.


Dial of Destiny will be released in theaters on June 30, 2023.

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Edited by
Upasya Bhowal
 
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