From Raiders of the Lost Ark to the Dial of Destiny, Indy’s been on quite the journey – but what’s the correct order in which to watch his adventures?
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?
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is now showing in UK cinemas, and has been billed as the final instalment in the long-running franchise.
But if you’re planning a rewatch of all the films before you go out and see it, you may be wondering what’s the correct chronological order in which to watch them. Well, never fear: we’ve got you covered.
Read on for everything you need to know about how to watch the Indiana Jones movies in chronological order.
1. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
!["Indiana]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/06/Harrison-Ford-1-e773fa2.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C412" "\"Indian")
Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth and Philip Stone
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.
It sees Indy on the run from a group of gangsters along with singer and actress Willie Scott and his sidekick Short Round. Crash-landing in India, the group then looks to help a village whose children have been kidnapped and stop a cult that is trying to take over the world using the holy Sankara Stones.
Where to watch in the UK:
- Watch Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom on Disney Plus
- Watch Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom on NOW
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
!["Harrison]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/06/IJ1RaidersStillIA16R-f28863a.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C412" "\"IJ1_Raiders_Still_IA_16_R\"")
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies and Denholm Elliott
The one that started them all, 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. Meanwhile, the Nazis are also hunting the Ark as it’s believed that it will make their army invincible. Indy teams up with former lover Marion Ravenwood and friend Sallah to get the job done.
Where to watch in the UK:
3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
!["Sean]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/06/IJ3LastCrusadeStillIA35R-a667236.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"IJ3_LastCrusade_Still_IA_35_R\"")
Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, Alison Doody, John Rhys-Davies, Julian Glover, River Phoenix and Alex Hyde-White
Set in 1938, two years after Raiders, this film was original the capper to the trilogy. It sees Indy and his friend Marcus Brody tasked with finding the Holy Grail, after Indy’s father Henry went missing while searching for it himself. It becomes clear that the person who hired them, Walter Donovan, is in league with the Nazis and Henry has been captured.
Indy manages to locate and rescue his father, and together they go on a mission to locate the Grail and keep it out of the hands of the Nazis.
Where to watch in the UK:
- Watch Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade on Disney Plus
- Watch Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade on NOW
4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
!["Shia]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/06/Crystal-Skull-1-1b10aae.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Crystal")
Starring: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent and Shia LaBeouf
Set in 1957, 19 years after The Last Crusade, Indy is kidnapped and used by Soviet Union agents to locate the body of an alien. After escaping, Indy returns home and is approached by Mutt Williams, whose mother has been abducted due to a connection with a crystal skull. Indy and Mutt find his mother, who turns out to be Marion, with Mutt revealed as Indy’s son.
The trio, along with Mutt’s surrogate father Harold, travel to a mystical city to uncover the origins of the skull, but are being pursued by the Soviets.
Where to watch in the UK:
- Watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on Disney Plus
- Watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on NOW
5. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
!["Harrison]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/06/PLT-064800R-795dda7.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"INDIANA")
Starring: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, Shaunette Renée Wilson and Thomas Kretschmann
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. However, they must also square off against former Nazi Jürgen Voller.
Where to watch in the UK:
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is available to watch in UK cinemas now.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is now showing in UK cinemas. Meanwhile, all four previous films in the franchise are available on Disney Plus. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 per month or £79.90 for a full year’s subscription.
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