While this is the epitome of rock-solid entertainment, I’m always a little disappointed by how quickly Spielberg and Lucas retreated from Temple of Doom‘s brazen tonal risk-taking with their tails between their legs and immediately set-out to just re-stage Raiders of the Lost Ark. As much as I love Connery and Ford’s interplay and certain set-pieces, this is the Indy I revisit the least. It’s the safest of the four films, just way too eager to please audiences by rolling out the Raiders carpet, more of an encore of hits than a development of the series’ personality. It’s like “Hey, the Nazis are back! You liked Sallah and Brody? They’re back too! You miss the desert? Fear not! And what PG-13 rating?” Plus I think that unnecessary origin story at the top, in which every single one of Indy’s defining quirks and traits were apparently established and crystalised in one afternoon, is very bad. All that said, it’s still gorgeously shot by Douglas Slocombe and Spielberg’s action staging, the tank sequence in-particular, is exhilarating. I’d also watch like twenty movies about bickering Jonses.

Watched on blu-ray.