I watched the Indiana Jones Trilogy for the First Time

Hey guys! I know I’ve been quieter this summer, and I want to say I’ve been busy launching my own business or writing a full-length novel, but that would be inaccurate, I fear. This summer has been my movie-buff arc. That’s right: I’ve been catching up on all the movies in my life that people have recommended to me and I put off because… well, college or the lack of access to them. Now with streaming being the norm and no longer having the demand of school sucking my time and soul away, I can “rent” a movie to stream on youtube for three bucks and boom! Movie watched. Also I have one of those phone bundles that gives me access to Disney+ so that’s cool.

ANYWAYS, that’s the context for what I’m about to cover next. I’ve never seen the Indiana Jones movies. Not once. And I set out to fix that. So, here are a few scattered thoughts and ratings I have regarding this legendary set of films.

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark: 8/10

This was a delightful romp. It was also neat to see the many gags and bits that have become classic clichés in media due to this film, complete with the classic idol and bag of sand swap, the rolling ball of doom, and much, much more. Also the dude’s face melting off at the end had me in stitches. I don’t know what it was about it but it amused me to no end. My biggest qualm with this film, and most of them, really, was the irritating presence of the female leads. I get it, they’re classic damsels, but DANG I did get sick of the constant “INDYYYYYY” screech that especially plagues these first two films of the trilogy. A small gripe here though I cannot say the same for the second film.

2. The Temple of Doom: 2/10

Wow, did I want to like this film more than I actually did. But I didn’t. Shortround was really carrying here was Willie was probably my least favorite character in this entire set of movies. At first, I thought I might get some relief as Marian unfortunately grated on my last nerve but Willie showed me how much I should have been thankful for when it came to the female lead in the first film. And then there was the Cult stuff…

The charm that seemed to exist in the first film seemed to be replaced in Temple of Doom with an intense feeling of dragging and dread. I felt that far too much time was spent on the weird heart-ripping ritual and the sending of poor sods into the lava pit. There seemed to be a lot of aimless running around, random hypnotism, and drinking and eating nasty-looking liquids, whether it was from a human skull or a gorilla head. The highlight of this film was the mine cart chase. That’s it. That’s where one of the points that this film earned came from. Shortround was the other point. Overall, I have no desire to see this film again.

3. The Last Crusade: 9/10

I sharp rebound here. The Last Crusade was my favorite of the three. The female lead, while not being someone I was attached to, served a purpose and shrieked less by quite a considerable margin when compared to the likes of Marian and Willie. And look! We’re back to outsmarting Nazis! Thank goodness! I really do feel like this is where Indiana Jones is at its best.

Another point for the Knight who has stayed alive for hundreds of years just to give cryptic hints as to what Grail one should and shouldn’t choose. His presence was an overall positive. Indy’s Dad was also a fun addition, not only adding stakes for our main character but being a FOIL as well. Indiana, I was surprised to find, doesn’t do a lot of developing in these films. In fact, when thinking about it, he lacks much personality at all; however, what little I can recall of it can be sourced from this movie. I love the reveal of him stealing the Dog’s name for his own, as it gives us the impression that Indy is a dramatic History buff who wants to escape his father’s shadow. It could be argued that Indy doesn’t HAVE to have a deep dive on his character motivations and growth and such, and I would agree, as that is far from the purpose of these films. Little hints like this are still welcome in my opinion.

So there you have it! A brief but accurate synopsis of my thoughts on this classic trilogy. I wish I had more in-depth thoughts to share, but alas, I do not have much else to add except for the fact that I can see why these films became the iconic movies that they are viewed as now.

Thanks for reading!