Indiana Jones is one of the best action franchises to ever hit the silver screen. Thanks to the outstanding work from George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones has made a name for itself as one of the best adventure franchises in cinematic history. Between some extremely iconic stunts and the never-ending determination of the main character, the adventure film series has become a must-watch favorite of many.
While the franchise began in 1981, it has become a timeless favorite. With the release of Indiana Jones and the DIal of Destiny rapidly approaching, fans are using their imaginations to concoct what stunts may befall us in the newest film. Considering that this is on the minds of many, it's only right that we go back through the films and evaluate some of the best stunts throughout the franchise. Here are the top 10 best stunts in the Indiana Jones film franchise, ranked.
10 The Fridge — The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Many Indy fans found this scene in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull laughable, but for Indiana himself, this one is of sheer panic as he realizes he is on a nuclear testing facility. While he scrambles to figure out how to escape being blown away by an atomic bomb, he locks himself in a lead-lined fridge. When the bomb is set off, the fridge goes flying through the air and is charred. Indy pops out of the fridge completely unscathed thanks to the lead-lining. This stunt was a unique addition to the franchise considering that it literally just involves Indy and a fridge, but it's still amazing nonetheless.
9 The Bar Fight — Raiders of the Lost Ark
The bar fight in Raiders of the Lost Arkmay go unnoticed thanks to the impact of a number of other more complex stunts, however, it provides a wonderful fight scene that quickly becomes deadly. When Indy arrives in Nepal to see Marion, the pair are visited by Nazis who are trying to obtain the headpiece of the Staff of Ra. The bar fight involves throwing bottles and smashing glasses, and fire on the bar itself leads to the iconic imprint of the headpiece on Toht's hand while Marion's bar goes up in flames.
8 Anything Goes — Temple of Doom
In the opening sequence of The Temple of Doom, Indy is attempting to retrieve the remains of Emperor Nurhaci in return for a diamond. In Club Obi Wan, Indy realizes he's been double-crossed and poisoned. As he grabs for the antidote, his betrayer attempts to steal the diamond. The patrons of the club run amuck alongside various henchmen. The best part of this scene sees a man being impaled by a flaming shish kabob while Indy winds up crashing into the houseband in the club.
7 The Rope Bridge — Temple of Doom
While The Temple of Doommay fall short in some aspects, there is no denying that the film meets the mark with remarkable stunts. One such stunt is when Indy, Short Round (Ke Huy Quan), and Willie find themselves trapped on a rope bridge as enemies approach. Indy cuts the rope, and the enemies fall into the deadly waters below while the trio cling to the hanging bridge and must climb to safety — but not without facing their enemies once more. This stunt was done on an actual cable bridge over 150 feet above shallow water, which posed a real threat to the cast and crew.
6 Tank Chase — The Last Crusade
The Last Crusade is a contender as one of the best films in the entire franchise, and rightfully so. In the best stunt in the film, Indy must save his father and Marcus Brody who are being transported in a German tank. On horseback, Indy leaps to the moving tank and aims to take control of the vehicle. As he hangs off a small cannon on the truck, the driver forces the tanks against large rocks in an attempt to crush Indy. Ford performed most of this stunt on his own, which only adds to the amazement provided to us throughout the scene.
5 Exiting the Plane — Temple of Doom
Indy and his sidekicks escape Shanghai gangsters that have them cornered on a plane with no parachutes and no pilot. In an iconic line, Scott spouts, "We're not sinking, we're crashing!" as Indy inflates a raft and the trio leaps out of the plane and slides down a snowy mountain into harsh rapids, managing to survive. This impressive stunt was achieved in only one take with the use of dummies, pulleys and weights as the raft was tossed out of a plane.
4 The Boat Chase — The Last Crusade
The Last Crusadefeatures a number of new settings for Indy to conquer, one of which is on a boat. When Indy and Elsa escape the Venetian catacombs, they hope to flee the Brothers of the Crucified Sword by boat. Indy uses his fists like always to protect himself and Elsa. As they are chased by another boat, Elsa goes between two moving ships, which leads to their pursuers getting crushed between said ships, which, in turn, leads to a huge explosion. This stunt has become a favorite of many, making it worth the risk it was to perform.
3 Road Race — Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indy and his son Mutt (played by Shia LaBeouf) are on the run on Mutt's motorcycle to escape the KGB. The pair race through the busy streets of Bedford, and when the enemies catch up to them, they engage in hand-to-hand combat. While Indy is dragged into the KGB vehicle, he manages to escape and grab onto the back of Mutt's motorcycle before pulling himself back up onto the seat. This scene proves that despite Ford's age at the time of filming, he was still able to do a variety of complex and impressive stunts.
2 Truck Chase — Raiders of the Lost Ark
In what is often considered one of the greatest stunts of all time, the truck chase in Raiders of the Lost Ark is not only a joy to watch, but really keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. As Indy chases down the Nazi truck that holds the Ark of the Covenant on horseback, he completes some of the most dangerous stunts to date, jumping onto the truck from the moving horse before aiming to take hold of the truck. When Indy fights the driver, he is thrown from the truck and must cling to the grill and winds up sliding underneath and behind the vehicle, hanging on by his whip. The most impressive part of this stunt is that Ford was actually being dragged behind the truck.
1 The Boulder Run — Raiders of the Lost Ark
In one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history, the boulder run takes the cake as the best stunt in the Indiana Jonesfranchise. Within the first 20 minutes of the film, we see Indy navigate a temple to find a golden idol for preservation. Just when Indy believes he is in the clear, a giant boulder comes out and threatens to crush him if he can't outrun it. What makes this scene extra impressive is the fact that Ford actually outran the boulder a total of 10 times, truly earning his name as the famous adventurer Indiana Jones. This scene has become so iconic that it has been recreated time and time again in video games and films alike, including Crash Bandicoot.
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