Indiana Jones: Supporting the fedora industry since 1981

There are a number of reasons why some people haven't seen the Indiana Jones movies. None of these reasons is acceptable, which is why it is your responsibility to go watch them now.

The adventures of the treasure-hunting, fedora-clad, bullwhip-toting, adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones have a little something for everyone: action, suspense, comedy, romance, and Nazis.

The Indiana Jones franchise spans film, television, video games, books, graphic novels, toys, apparel, theme park rides and shows, pinball machines, and any kind of merchandise you can possibly imagine.

If the train to Indiana left without you, here's what you've been missing:

- Raiders of the Lost Ark: The first Indiana Jones movie, and a classic. It's Indiana Jones vs. the Nazis in a race to find the Ark of the Covenant in which the Ten Commandments were stored. Raiders has been a source of inspiration and parody for countless works that have followed it. If you watch no other Indy movie, make it this one.

- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: The second and darkest movie, traditionally held to be the weakest of the first three movies, sends Indy to India to rescue a village and its children from a religious cult. My take on it is that a few scenes are just a little too implausible and that the movie takes far too long to get to the main plot, but once it's there it's a good, fun ride.

- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The third movie, originally intended to be the end of the Indiana Jones saga, puts Indy on a quest for the Holy Grail. If Raiders isn't your favorite, then I can say with utmost certainty that this one will be your favorite. The character development, character interactions, plot, and pacing are the best in the series.

- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: The fourth movie, which takes places almost 20 years after Last Crusade, features an older Indiana Jones in a fight against the Russians on a hunt for a mysterious crystal skull. You'll hear plenty of mixed reviews about this one; a few of the scenes are a little too ridiculous or cheesy to swallow, and you might not like the sci-fi elements to it, but it's still enjoyable enough to watch at least once.

Not enough for you? Check out The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (or, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles), a TV series consisting of just over 30 episodes and 4 made-for-TV movies. The series, amazingly enough, chronicles the adventures of a young Indiana Jones (as both a child and a teenager) and took a considerably larger educational bent than the movies.

Then, of course, there are the video games: Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, and Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb, which is a lead-in to Temple of Doom. And that's not to mention the games based on the movies, such as LEGO Indiana Jones, which takes players through a LEGO adaptation of Raiders, Temple, and Crusade.

You might also be interested in the several Indiana Jones novels, or the Dark Horse Indiana Jones comics, or the action figures.

Perhaps you tried the Indy Double Whopper at Burger King. I did. It tasted like adventure.

...Well, anyhow, the Indiana Jones universe is much bigger than most people might suspect. Go now and watch the movies if you haven't done so already, and then check out this link to check out just about everything Indy there is if you've still jonesin' for more. (::Groan::)


[Images from www.moviecitygeek.com and www.thescene.com.au.]