Harrison Ford’s iconic performance as Indiana Jones is what made the franchise so popular, but it was helped by great characters and action scenes.
After launching one of the most popular movie franchises of all time with 1977 Star Wars, George Lucas went and did it again, this time with the help of his close friend Steven Spielberg, with 1981 Raiders of the lost ark, which introduced the public to Indiana Jones and subsequently spawned three sequels, with another on the way to wrap up the series.
Going back to the classic adventure series of the 30s and 40s, Lucas and Spielberg Indiana Jones The movies contain some of the most exciting action sequences and some of the most beloved characters in all of action cinema.
10 Character: Indiana Jones
Obviously one of the best characters of the Indiana Jones franchise is Indiana Jones himself. Dr. Jones is one of the most recognized icons in film history and has often been ranked among the greatest movie characters of all time.
While Lucas and Spielberg’s creation of a one-of-a-kind action hero can’t be ruled out, it’s fair to say that most of Indy’s appeal can be attributed to Harrison Ford’s brilliant performance.
9 Sequence of action: Escape from the opening temple in Raiders of the Lost Ark
The initial piece of Raiders of the lost ark It beautifully establishes the character of Indy. From his silhouette debut to his escape from the Hovitos tribe, this sequence (comprising the first of Assailants‘seven acts) tells the audience everything they need to know about Indiana Jones, except that he’s a college professor, but that comes in the next scene.
The highlight of this sequence is the rock chasing Indy out the front door, but the whole scene is filled with suspense, excitement, and flashbacks to the series that inspired Lucas and Spielberg.
8 Character: Short round
In the opening scene of Shanghai temple of doom, Indy picks up a young fellow. Short Round is a taxi driver when Indy and Willie meet him, but he quickly gets caught up in their globetrotting adventure.
Short Round’s success as a supporting character is based entirely on Jonathan Ke Quan’s lovable performance. He shared tremendous chemistry with Harrison Ford, who played the straight man in hilarious ways.
7 Action sequence: The tank battle in Last Crusade
The climatic sequence in Last crusade sees Indy and his company being captured by the Nazis and carried across the desert in a tank. Spielberg continues to increase the suspense until the tank falls off the edge of a cliff.
This set piece has arguably the most tense moment in Indy history as it hangs from the side of the tank by your bag with a massive chunk of rock rapidly approaching.
6 Character: Marion Ravenwood
Although the backstory of Indy dating Marion when she was a child and he was a grown man has certainly not aged well, the character played by Karen Allen is always a joy to watch.
Marion was one of the few highlights of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as well. It was given a lot more agency and included in more of the action in Crystal Skull what in Assailants.
5 Sequence of action: The mechanic’s fight in Raiders of the Lost Ark
Pat Roach had previously been turned down for the role of Darth Vader before Lucasfilm cast him to play a couple of heavyweights in the Indiana Jones films. The Nazi mechanic Indy fights under the wing of an airplane is easily Roach’s most iconic Indiana Jones paper.
Indy is no match for the mechanic’s brute strength, so he gets his butt kicked while Marion knocks out the pilot. But just as the mechanic is about to deliver the final blow, the plane’s propeller spins and turns it to mush.
4 Character: Sallah
Sallah is one of Indy’s most trusted allies and one of its most resourceful friends. Comes to your aid in Assailants when he searches for the Ark and does it again in Last crusade when looking for the Grail.
John Rhys-Davies brings real kindness to Sallah. The role was adapted to him after Spielberg saw his performance in the television miniseries. Shogun; the part was originally written for a short, thin man.
3 Action Sequence: The Chase of the Mine Cart in Temple Of Doom
Originally, George Lucas wanted the Mine Wagon Chase Raiders of the lost ark, but he couldn’t find any place to put it in the story, so he held onto it and put it in the sequel (technically prequel), temple of doom, instead of.
It was worth the wait because the mine cart chase is a really exciting sequence. Indy, Short Round and Willie racing down a rickety track, leaning at every turn, bring endless thrills to the edge of your seat.
two Character: Henry Jones, Sr.
When it came to choosing Indiana Jones’s father Last crusade, the choice was obvious to Spielberg. He had originally been inspired to do the Indiana Jones films from the Bond franchise; Indy was meant to be an American liaison.
So when Indy’s dad came on the scene, Spielberg recruited the original 007, Sean Connery, who put a fun spin as Henry Jones, Sr.
1 Action sequence: The truck chase in Raiders of the Lost Ark
When the Nazis seize the Ark of the Covenant, Indy doesn’t let a heavily armed convoy of trucks stop him from taking it back. The most iconic stunt in this scene is that Indy is thrown through the windshield of a truck and falls under him.
He hooks his whip to the axle and is dragged behind the truck as he desperately tries to get back on board. The Nazi officer driving the truck is quite shocked when Indy returns.
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