ok so this is something i have put a lot of thought into over the last few years, especially since ive had kids. i have a 2 and a 3 year old and we watch indiana jones all the time, so i put together my list of greatest indiana jones scenes. these are my favorites for one reason or another and this list comes from someone who has watched this stuff i cant even tell you how many times since i was a child. it was an unhealthy amount. i dont know how many indy fans we have around these parts, i figure not a gigantic amount, but this is a list i wanted to make, so here it goes.

10. opening the ark

yes we care kicking off the list with a classic. watching these guys get what they deserve is pretty great. its creepy, its mysterious, it has good use of cgi that still holds up to this day. my daughter likes when the guy's face melts.

9. plane crash

indiana jones is just absolutely fearless. only he would be crazy enough to come up with this plan. i know, i know, "that would never happen" i dont give a shit. this is great stuff right here. this scene keeps me in shape too. any time it comes on, my daughter says "i want to jump out of the plane." because one time i took a hamper and put her in it and simulated the raft falling out and then the whole ride down to the lake. every single time this comes on, she asks that, and i made a rule for myself that i can never say no on it, no matter what. fun scene. 

8. sacrifice

oh man, this was probably everyone's most rewound scene as a kid. very disturbing stuff, but i think this scene does an excellent job at introducing us to the villain and sets the stakes very high. i mean what else is there really to say about this? he rips out a guys heart and lowers him into a fire pit. this is crazy stuff man, how could it not make the list. beautifully edited and put together, but that goes for all the scenes on this list. 

7. tank fight

this whole thing begins with indiana jones jumping off a horse onto a tank. you know this is going to be good shit. its not quite as strong as another scene from an other movie that is similar to this one in feel, but we will get to that later. you get some good drama here, you get some good indiana jones fighting action, you see indy get into some shit, and you get to see the juxtaposition between him and his father which is always a good time. this is pretty standard fare for an indiana jones film.

6. stone stealing

i know this is an odd scene to rank let alone as high as i have it, but there is something about this entire sequence, from the moment indiana jones begins his descent to the point where he discovers the child slaves, i enjoy every single second of it. i love how he almost slips, how he uses his whip to get down to the lower level, how he looks up without fear at this evil monument the thuggees put together, to the sheer wonder and amazement he has when he finally grabs the stones and watches them glow. it is an incredible underrated part of the movie and all of it is tied together with its top tier music. this shit is perfect.

5. idol

indiana jones' most famous scene lands itself in the 5 spot, which is crazy to think. there are so many good indiana jones scenes that it is hard to rank. for me, one aspect of this whole sequence that i have really grown to appreciate over the years is how indiana jones is built up to be so bad ass, smart, brave, always knowing what to do, and when he gets the idol he is so damn proud of himself, and then out of nowhere, he finds himself in tremendous shit, and then backstabbed by his friend, and then having his idol stolen and running for his life. it is quite a dramatic 180 degree turn and subverts our expectations of who this guy is in such a satisfying way. 

4. spike trap

i absolutely love everything about this whole sequence and it honestly has some of the coolest imagery of any of the indiana jones films. spikes coming down and indy shouting "this is serious!" its pretty great stuff. the fact that the entire corridor leading to this room is filled with bugs was an insanely nice touch. indiana jones handles everything here like a total boss, which is crazy to pull off considering he is completely at the mercy of willie being able to do her part. short round is incredible here as well. every line he has, every action he takes, its never wasted. this is infinitely rewatchable.

3. last crusade ending

for this one, im going for the entire ending of last crusade. the 3 trials carried so much weight, and it is satisfying to see indiana jones complete them, and watching indy have to have faith when crossing the bridge is really the moment that all 3 movies are kind of culminating to. the series could not have ended more perfectly with indiana jones reconciling with his father. you cant really sing this ending's praises without mentioning the music either. top quality stuff. 

2. bridge

this scene is so iconic. i love particularly when the bridge snaps and you see all the chaos that ensues, and its because of indiana jones. again, the scenery here is just so iconic. i love watching indy punch mola ram, and the music when mola ram tries to rip his heart out is amazing. this ending was just perfectly well done.

1. desert truck chase 

this here is just peak indiana jones. indy jumps onto a truck, takes control of it, and throws out all the nazis. until one takes control and throws indy out. indiana jones then gets under it and is being dragged behind the truck as he climbs back on. that is just so peak indiana jones. then he beats the guy up and throws him out and of course he isnt going to be able to do what indy just did so he gets ran over instead. really just a masterful scene in every way. ive watched it maybe 3000 times in my life and whenever it comes on, i just cannot look away.

i understand some of these placements may have been controversial, but like i said before, this is coming from someone who knows these movies very well and these were the scenes that spoke to me. 

1. choosing the Grail (I don't agree with lumping whole LC ending as one scene)
2. idol
3. tank battle
4. bridge
5. 3 trials
6. library (or whole Venice, counting that as one scene)
7. truck chase
8. mine cart
9. meal at Pankot palace
10. the wedding (I wanted to be gracious and include something from the new ones; it would've at least been a good ending)

you are right about the last crusade ending, i probably shouldnt have lumped that as one thing. truck chase is way too low man. love the inclusion of pankot palace meal though, its a lot of fun. when it comes to the two new movies, i feel like between the two there are only two good scenes, and theyre both from crystal skull. i would say the opening, and the whole tomb sequence. some time after that, the movie completely falls off a cliff. its too bad. i dont feel bad about not including anything from crystal skull, if i had a top 20, it still wouldnt make the list. i can think of ten more scenes i like better than anything thats in that movie.

No fridge scene? lol

lol that scene isnt as bad as people make it out to be. i can think of 30 parts about that movie.

Another great scene is where Sean Connery defeats the Nazi plane with an umbrella.

"I suddenly remembered my Charlemagne: 'Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky'"

I love that. Then as he walks away, indiana jones looks at him and seems to be expressing a sense of wonder, as if maybe his dad does know a thing or two about some things afterall. Very awesome moment

I think the ark opening and the grail scene are probably the most famou scenes for good reason, gotta go with those 2.

Also, yeah, the fridge scene. I think that scene is more recognizable than most other scenes mentioned in the thread. Sure, its for all the wrong reasons, cause that scene is just dumb and lmao.

I like the movie. Dial Of Destiny was really bad though. Didnt feel like an Indiana Jones movie imo.

I dont know what they were thinking when they made dial of destiny or how they thought some off-putting feminist character was a good fit for the film. Very, very strange direction they took this movie. The kid in it is awful too. The opening was supposed to be its strong point, but its horrendous. I went and saw it in theatres like a moron. It was the worst piece of shit ive ever seen. Our culture has lost the ability to make a movie like this. Thank the Lord we have the first 3 films, they cant do anything to take those away regardless of how trash anything else they make is. Ha.