Release Dates to Chronological Order [GUIDE]
Why This 2023 Release Makes for the Perfect Time to Rewatch the Series
The year is 2023, and it’s an electrifying time for Indiana Jones fans. The man in the iconic fedora is back in UK cinemas with the hotly-anticipated “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” It’s been 42 years since Harrison Ford first graced the silver screen as the daring archaeologist, and we’re still totally smitten.
“When Harrison Ford first put on the fedora as Indiana Jones in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, who would have thought we’d be lining up to see another Indy adventure in 2023?”
Sure, the latest entry is dubbed the last chapter in this saga, but that’s all the more reason to revisit Dr. Jones’ prior escapades. Are you wondering how to watch these classics in a way that makes narrative sense? Don’t sweat it, adventurer; we’ve unearthed all the details for you.
Rewind: Where it All Began
Before diving into the chronological journey, let’s understand the concept of release vs. narrative order. While Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first to grace the big screen, it’s not the starting point if you’re looking to journey through Indiana’s life.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
“You may think that Raiders of the Lost Ark would be your starting point with the Indy franchise, given that it was the first film to be released. However, if you’re looking for a rewatch in chronological order, then Temple of Doom would be your first port of call – as it is set in 1935, one year before Raiders.”
Set in 1935, we see Indiana Jones crash-landing in India. Together with Willie Scott and his pint-sized partner Short Round, Jones seeks to liberate a village from the grips of a dangerous cult. It’s the movie that made us realize chilled monkey brains should never be on the menu.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Raiders is set in 1936 and follows Indy as he is hired by government agents to find the Ark of the Covenant, said to contain Moses’s stone tablets.
Ah, the one that started it all, albeit not the first in narrative chronology. Cue the epic music; we are in 1936, and Indiana Jones is racing against time—and Nazis—to locate the Ark of the Covenant. From fighting a massive boulder to his romantic entanglements with Marion Ravenwood, this is the stuff of legends.
The Quest for the Holy Grail
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Set in 1938, two years after Raiders, this film was original the capper to the trilogy.
Bringing together two screen legends, Harrison Ford and Sean Connery, this 1938 escapade sees the two as father and son, unearthing religious relics while dodging Nazi bullets. If anything, their comedic bickering is worth the price of admission alone.
The Crystal Quest and The Soviet Conundrum
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Set a whopping 19 years after The Last Crusade, Indy finds himself embroiled in Cold War shenanigans, from extraterrestrial curiosities to family revelations.
The Latest and Possibly Last: Dial of Destiny (2023)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
“The latest film in the franchise is set in 1969, other than an opening sequence set in 1944. The film follows Indy and his goddaughter Helena as they race against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history.”
What could be better than ending an era with a ticking clock narrative? Indiana Jones and his goddaughter Helena race against the sands of time to protect an artifact that could rewrite history.
So, grab your leather jackets, prep your bullwhips, and let’s follow Indy through these globetrotting adventures. This might be our last hurrah, but boy, what a ride it’s been.
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