The Indiana Jones collection hits Blu-ray for the first time on September 18th and to celebrate, we’ve gone through and picked out our top ten favorite moments from our favorite hero in a fedora. To make things simple, we’re going to ignore the TV series and focus on his films. Choosing the best is too daunting of a task, so I put them in chronological order.
10. Running from the giant ball – RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK – Perhaps the most iconic and famous scene from his four films, this is the scene that solidified Indiana Jones’ place in movie history and it came barely 15 minutes into the first movie. Reenacted by movie fans everywhere, this is perhaps one of the most recognizable scenes in movie history.
9. Bringing a gun to a sword fight – RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK – Maybe the funniest scene in the Indiana Jones films, this scene established Indy as a different kind of hero. He wasn’t Superman and knew he couldn’t beat the guy with a sword, so he didn’t bother. The scene in Doom where he reached for the pistol and it wasn’t there was a nice homage to this and worked just as well.
8. Kiss where it doesn’t hurt – RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK – One of my personal favorites, this established Indy as a ladies’ man as well as being a classy guy. Because seriously, if a woman asked you to kiss a place that didn’t hurt, would you seriously point to your elbow?
7. Snakes, why’d it have to be snakes? – RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK – Seeing Indy face to face in a pit of snakes was another indication that Indy was an everyman type of hero. Along with the majority of the world’s population, Indiana Jones is scared of snakes. Somehow, that makes us like him even more.
6. Monkey brains – THE TEMPLE OF DOOM – A lot of Doom was hokey and out of place from its predecessor and successor, but the scene of the dinner party eating monkey brains was both shocking and memorable. It was also great that Indiana Jones didn’t seem to mind.
5. Getting punched in the heart – THE TEMPLE OF DOOM – This might be my oddest selection, but I always found it funny that a) someone would punch someone else in the heart and b) Indy’s reaction to getting punched in the heart. It was a simple moment that didn’t require Harrison Ford to do anything but gasp for air, but it’s one that stuck out to me as making Indy more relatable.
4. The sword fight on the bridge – THE TEMPLE OF DOOM – For pure action and intensity in the Indiana Jones films, this was one of the best moments. I can barely remember seeing this for the first time, but I wasn’t expecting him to cut the rope. I still get excited seeing it today, even though I’ve seen it at least 20 times.
3. An Austrian kiss versus a German kiss – THE LAST CRUSADE – The entire scene of Indy Jr. and Indy Sr. being tied together was cinematic perfection. The amount of humor inserted into this scene made the intensity of the moment even better.
2. You must choose, but choose wisely – THE LAST CRUSADE – In your normal, day to day life, how often do you quote this scene? Probably every time you ask someone to choose something. Sunday school regulars knew the Cup of Christ wasn’t gold, making the scene even more exhilarating when Walter didn’t choose wisely. Indiana Jones, of course, knows his history and made the right choice.
1. Leap of faith – THE LAST CRUSADE – On some level, we knew that Indy was going to make it across the ledge, but I think everyone thought he’d find a way around/over/under it. It was a great twist to make it a pure leap of faith for someone that relied on his cunning and intellect. It showed how much he cared about his father and that he was willing to do anything to save him. A beautiful moment in the Indiana Jones universe.
Footnote: Sorry, nothing from KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. It’s not a bad film, but I’d probably have to go 20 or 30 down to get to a “top” scene from the film.
