10 Biggest Takeaways Rewatching Every Indiana Jones Movie

Published Oct 15, 2026, 10:45 PM EDT

Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero. 

With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.

Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

Few movie series are as iconic as the Indiana Jones franchise. Beginning in 1981 with Raiders of the Lost Ark, the classic movies starring Harrison Ford's archaeologist are still some of the best action-adventure films of all time.

Aside from Dial of Destiny, which can be found on Disney+, the rest of the Indiana Jones films are now streaming on Prime Video as of October. As such, it felt like the time was right to give each entry a dedicated rewatch. Across five movies spanning more than four decades, Indiana Jones has become one of cinema's most recognizable heroes with an unmistakable silhouette thanks to his iconic fedora, jacket, and whip (no matter how old he gets).

Overall, revisiting the entire franchise highlights both the good and the bad of the Indiana Jones movies, with some entries having been received far better than others. Even so, Dr. Henry Jones Jr. remains an incredibly entertaining character, even when the movies surrounding him might not be so perfect. Keeping that in mind, here are the ten biggest takeaways from rewatching every Indiana Jones movie (in order).

Raiders of the Lost Ark's Opening Scene May Be The Franchise's Best Ever

The opening of 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark remains the gold standard for hero introductions. Within the first 15 minutes of meeting Harrison Ford's iconic archaeologist, Indy narrowly survives a booby-trapped temple culminating in a giant rolling boulder, has his prize stolen by a rival, and then has to immediately evade a tribe of murderous warriors.

As such, it's a wonderfully efficient sequence that throws audiences right into the action, the perfect definition of show don't tell as we learn so much about Indiana Jones right off the bat (including his fears thanks to his pilot's giant pet snake). Even after five movies, books, comics, and games, it's hard to imagine a better debut for Indiana Jones, and it's still one of the greatest scenes in the entire franchise (if not the greatest).

Marion Ravenwood Is The Indiana Jones Franchise's Best Female Lead

Beginning with Raiders, Karen Allen's Marion Ravenwood is easily the franchise's strongest female character, not just the first. Marion is by far the most capable and stubborn of Indy's various love interests, who often take matters into her own hands just as much as she's rescued by Jones himself. She's also the one who clearly and genuinely loves him the most, making her fate as Indy's wife and the mother of his son one of the best decisions the franchise could have made.

Marion's inclusion in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was one of the best parts of the movie. Likewise, while it would have been nice to have seen her in more in Dial of Destiny, the entire movie and its resolution would have felt incredibly hollow had she not been in its final scene to reunite/reconcile with Jones at the end of his career and legacy.

I Always Forget How Dark Temple Of Doom Is

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is certainly one of the darker installments, featuring human sacrifices, voodoo possession, the cult leader Mola Ram removing hearts from living victims' chests, and an army of child slaves. That said, that darker tone definitely distinguishes it from the other movies in the franchise. While it may not be the most balanced of the Indiana Jones movies, Temple of Doom certainly offers a more unique atmosphere and distinct identity that definitely makes it worth the rewatch.

Temple Of Doom Has The Best Indiana Jones Sidekick With Short Round

Without a doubt, Ke Huy Quan's Short Round remains one of the franchise's best and most entertaining supporting characters. The young sidekick is the perfect combination of adorable comic relief and genuine bravery, as he's fairly capable when it comes to helping Indy more often than not, and can hold his own in a fight. Incredibly loyal, Short Round's refusal to give up on Indiana after he gets possessed is all kinds of heartwarming. It's an absolute travesty that Temple of Doom serves as Quan's first and only appearance in the Indiana Jones franchise.

The Last Crusade Feels Like The Most Balanced Indy Movie

At least in my opinion, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade might be the most consistently entertaining and most balanced chapter in the franchise overall. The mix of both external and personal stakes involved in the search for the Holy Grail is super solid, and the return of Nazis as the primary antagonists is an excellent return to form after Temple of Doom. While I may still like Raiders marginally more when it comes to the original three films, The Last Crusade is undeniably a peak distillation of the Indiana Jones franchise at its finest.

The Last Crusade's Father/Son Dynamic Is All Kinds Of Entertaining

Sean Connery's Henry Jones Sr. couldn't have been more perfect as Indiana's father. The conflict and bond between father and son anchors the entire movie incredibly well. Not only is their bickering and ongoing tensions an amazing source of comedy providing some of The Last Crusade's very best moments, but their ultimate reconciliation over the course of the movie provides a truly excellent emotional tether, so much so that their failing to recover the Holy Grail hardly matters by the movie's end. Case in point, Indiana traversing the various trials to get the Grail itself with Henry Sr.'s guidance is easily one of the franchise's best sequences.

Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull's Father/Son Dynamic Is Just As Good

Although Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull may be one of the more divisive entries in the franchise, I really do love the addition of Shia LaBeouf's Mutt Williams, revealed to be the son of Indiana and Marion. Likewise, the opportunity for Indy himself to now be the estranged father figure is excellent once he's made aware that Mutt is indeed his son. It would have been nice to have seen more of this dynamic or for Mutt to be featured in future projects, but what we do get is pretty dang great all the same, as their relationship definitely serves as one of Crystal Skull's greatest strengths.

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Isn't That Bad (Besides The Ending)

Despite its reputation, 2008's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has plenty going for it. Although 19 years have passed since The Last Crusade both in-universe and in real life, Harrison Ford remains entertaining as Indy. The Cold War setting provides a brand-new and fresher historical backdrop and villains with Cate Blanchett's Irina Spalko and the Soviets. Likewise, Mutt's debut and Marion's return are equally exciting, providing excellent personal stakes.

That said, the execution of the extraterrestrial mythology and its culmination is admittedly hard to embrace, particularly when we get a fully CGI alien featured at the movie's end. While aliens could still have been involved in the crystal skull lore, I have to believe that there could have been a more palatable means of tying everything together (preferably without directly showing aliens or a giant flying saucer).

Dial of Destiny Is Better Than I Remembered

2023's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is pretty uneven in multiple places. However, the movie still offers what I believe to be a fairly thoughtful and compelling exploration of an older Indiana Jones confronting a life of grief, regrets, and the very real possibility that his greatest adventures are behind him more than they are ahead.

While the concept of (limited) time travel was justifiably hard for some to swallow, I appreciated the way in which it was utilized for the sake of Indiana's legacy, especially after he's returned to the present to discover that he still has the chance to repair the broken relationships in his life. It may not reach the heights of Raiders or The Last Crusade, but Dial of Destiny is a much stronger farewell than it often gets credit for. Also, the opening flashback sequence alone, set at the end of WWII, was well worth the price of admission when I first saw it in theaters.

Old Man Indy Is Great When Expectations Are Measured

From the get-go, the biggest challenge facing Dial of Destiny was convincing audiences to embrace an Indiana Jones well past his peak and prime. After all, it can be hard to see one's childhood hero faced with loneliness, physical limitations, and a world that has essentially left him behind. However, that's exactly what makes this movie so compelling for me, especially when the aforementioned expectations are measured (something that's obviously easier on rewatch)

Much like his work on Logan, director James Mangold absolutely nailed the examination of an older Indiana Jones and the true cost of his legacy, with this latest and likely final adventure arguing that life can still have meaning. Overall, Dial of Destiny further proves that even the Indiana Jones franchise's weaker entries still have plenty to offer.