In prep for the new Indiana Jones movie dropping this week, I figured I’d do some nerd homework and revisit the first three movies one more time since I hadn’t seen them in a while.

These films were greeted as and felt like the biggest entertainment events in the world during the respective summers they were released. So, how have they held up? Are they as great and exciting and big and original and inventive as they once seemed? What will my reaction be now that I’m older and (ostensibly…) wiser? What flaws, if any, will reveal themselves?

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Happily, Raiders is still something of a masterpiece of pop cinema. I could go on and on with the over-the-top nerd/cinephile hyperbole because I admittedly love nearly every second of this movie. It’s the best Indiana Jones film, one of the best adventure films ever made, one of Spielberg’s finest moments, maybe one of the best films ever, blah blah blah. A breathtaking parade of gritty, atmospheric, surprising, smart, brutal action set pieces held together deftly with tight plotting, relentless pacing, and instantaneously engaging characterization (yes, the first 10-15 minutes are still brilliant), Raiders is still the gold standard of pure escapist entertainment.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

I’ll admit I still harbor a soft spot for Temple of Doom, but really, at the end of the day, it’s a mess. A memorable and interesting mess, but a mess all the same.

The cartoonishly dark and oddly cruel film peaks right off the bat with a wild, charismatic Busby Berkeley musical number followed by a chaotic and superbly orchestrated shootout…then flails around with fitful moments of success for the rest of the time.

Just to clarify: this is not a bad or stupid movie, and it doesn’t lack artistry or effort — there are hints of a devilish, sick wit at work, and of a more cohesive movie that coulda been. But the wildly uneven tone, shrill sidekicks, and a maudlin, self-congratulatory plot make for a sluggish, uneven ride.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

This is still a solid movie, but what surprised me the most about watching Last Crusade this go round was how inconsequential it felt. Sure, Tom Stoppard’s dialog is still snap crackley, the relationship between I. Jones and Jones Sr. is well drawn, and there are a couple good big scenes. But there’s a much lighter and cleaner zany “family” approach at work in Last Crusade. It’s obviously crafted well and is a fun film, but I think is ultimately too cute to have any tangible tension, mystery, or awe. In short, Raiders and Temple are dangerous and scary. Last Crusade isn’t.

Spread the word!