Indiana Jones
/ productsIndiana Jones is the iconic hero of the film pentalogy, following the adventures of a seasoned explorer and respected archaeology professor from the University of Chicago. The films were brought to life by the duo Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Harrison Ford has starred in the lead role since 1981. In each installment, Indy tracks down legendary artifacts, racing to keep them out of the hands of Nazis or communists.
shown 1 - 2 from 2 results
The first film, unlike the rest of the series, does not feature Indiana Jones in its original title. It is called Raiders of the Lost Ark. As the title suggests, Indiana Jones attempts to recover the Ark of the Covenant and snatch it away from Nazi soldiers led by Indy's long-time rival in the hunt for artifacts, Dr. René Belloq.
The second film, which is actually a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, is Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). After a chaotic opening, Indy finds himself in India, where he helps the people of Mayapore recover their sacred Sankara stones.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), the third installment, pairs Indy with his stubborn and headstrong father, Henry Jones Sr., a professor of English literature. Together, they search for the Holy Grail, the cup from which Jesus Christ drank at the Last Supper and which later caught his blood. Indy's father is played by Scottish actor and film legend Sir Sean Connery.
The fourth and fifth films arrived many years later. For a long time, it seemed unlikely that Harrison Ford would ever put on his iconic fedora and strap on his whip again. Fortunately, Indiana is one of Ford's favorite characters, so he was happy to return. The controversial Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) is not among the most popular, even though Indy's femme fatale Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) returned and the cast was joined by the then-popular young actor Shia LaBeouf. The introduction of interdimensional beings into Indy's world did not sit well with audiences, even though it was a somewhat expected theme given Steven Spielberg's interests.
The latest film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), struck a nostalgic chord, primarily through modern technology that de-aged Harrison Ford by decades and brought Nazis, rather than communists, back into Indy's path. However, the connection to world-famous artifacts faded. The Antikythera mechanism is known to true history buffs, but it failed to capture the wider audience. Many believe this is truly the final film featuring Indiana Jones.
Beyond the films, Indy's life story was also adapted into the series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. You can also find several books and a comic book Omnibus available.