All 5 Indiana Jones movies ranked from worst to best

2. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark is the one that started it all. Its adventurous storytelling, coupled with Ford’s charm, spawned the entire franchise. A franchise that probably should have just stayed a trilogy, but I digress.

This film takes place in the mid 1930s and sees Jones tracking down the long lost Ark of the Covenant, which contains the broken tablets of the ten commandments and untold biblical power. On the same pursuit is French Archaeologist Rene Belloq and a group of nefarious Nazis eager to capture the same prize for Adolf Hitler. Along the way, Indy makes pit stops in Peru, Nepal and Egypt while reconnecting with his old girlfriend Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen).

This movies features some of the most iconic shots in cinema, like the giant boulder set piece, the fist fight next to the plane and the climactic unsealing of the Ark where dozens of Nazis get zapped by holy lightning. Harrison Ford was in his prime and in the middle of a run of stellar performances which included the original Star Wars trilogy, Blade Runner and Witness among others. Ford’s onscreen chemistry with co-star Karen Allen is delightful; her character is much more than a damsel in distress.

The movie’s exciting plot and practical effects action sequences solidify it as a must-watch classic.