With the final instalment of the Indiana Jones franchise just days away, there’s never been a more opportune moment to catch up on the old movies.
The four previous films, which span four decades, follow the adventures of American archeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) as he discovers valuable runes, explores magical ruins and becomes embroiled in the dangerous plots behind mysterious artefacts.
“I mean, it’s kind of silly,” said Ford to Sky. “It’s 42 years we’ve been going on with this. But the reason for that, I think, is because these are family films and they’re passed on from generation to generation of young people when their parents feel it’s the right time.”
So how to best watch the films? Well, you can either watch in order of release, or in order of plot. We prefer the latter.
1. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
The second film released in the franchise is actually the first in the timeline. Set in 1935, the Temple of Doom follows Indy as he investigates the disappearance of children from a village in the middle of India. A sacred Sankara stone gets stolen, and Indy decides to go on a rescue mission.
2. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The first Indiana Jones film, which sees a 39-year-old Ford running around the globe (yes, the actor’s almost as ancient as some of the artefacts Indy works with), was a collaboration between George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Legendary composer John Williams created the score – as he has for all five of the films – and introduced its unforgettable jingle to the world.
Set in 1936, Raiders of the Lost Ark is a straight up chase between Jones, who is working for the Americans, and rival archaeologist René Belloq, who is working for the Nazis. The Nazis want to get their hands on the Ark of the Covenant, a legendary relic which will apparently make their army unstoppable. There’s a lot on the line, then, and Jones must stop them.
3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
It’s 1938, and Indy’s father Henry Jones (Sean Connery no less), has gone missing while searching for the Holy Grail. Ever the doting son, Indy goes to find him (and the Holy Grail). It’s not a simple task by any means, so Jones tasks academic Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody) with helping him.
4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
After the franchise’s first three thrilling films, Indiana Jones lay quiet for two decades. Ford spent those years making 15 films including Presumed Innocent (1990), The Fugitive (1993), Sabrina (1995) and What Lies Beneath (2002). But happily for Jones fans, director Spielberg – who made the previous three films – and Ford finally continued their collaboration in 2008 with the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
This time it is 1957 and Indy gets kidnapped by Soviet agents – they’re looking for an alien body and need Indy to help them find it (makes sense). After an incredible escape sequence, Indy travels to deepest darkest Peru to find some magical crystal skulls before the Soviets do.
5. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Last but not least... the new film. Set first in 1944 (yes, Indy hasn’t aged well – though to give him his dues, suncream hasn’t been invented yet) and then 25 years later, the story follows Indy, his colleague Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) and Shaw’s daughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) as they foil a Nazi scientist’s plot to acquire an Archimedes Dial, which allows time travel. Mads Mikkelsen is back on screen as a baddy, Antonio Banderas and John Rhys-Davies also star, and James Mangold is directing for the first time. Read our deep dive here.
