This series has been a decade in the making.

I first contemplated doing it shortly after completing my ReBONDing series. My good friend Travis suggested that Indiana Jones would make for an interesting follow-up, and I was immediately intrigued by the idea. Then life happened. That same friend and I spent the better part of seven years producing a podcast together, and somewhere along the way this project was pushed to the back burner.

Yet the idea never completely went away. It was just waiting to be dug back up, which feels fitting given the subject matter.

Then again, Indiana Jones isn’t exactly a franchise known for consistency. Long gaps between adventures are practically part of its identity. It disappears for years—sometimes decades—before cracking the whip one more time. In that regard, this series and its subject matter may have more in common than I originally realized.

For years, I considered opening this series with some kind of introduction or preface that attempted to tell the story of how this entire franchise came into existence: on the beaches of Hawaii, where George Lucas and Steven Spielberg briefly escaped Hollywood in late May of 1977.

“Their feet sank deep into the warm Hawaiian sand as they absentmindedly shaped another castle along the shoreline. Sweat dripped from their brows beneath the afternoon sun while the incoming tide slowly reclaimed their handiwork, wave by wave, tower by tower. Neither man could have known that before the ocean washed it all away, they were about to build something far more lasting than a castle made of sand.”

That was more or less the version I imagined writing back in 2017—minus the AI-generated artwork. That particular tool wasn’t exactly sitting in my satchel at the time. And I only had to kill one itty bitty rainforest to do it!

Lucas, worried that Star Wars was about to become an expensive disaster, shared his fears about the film’s impending release. Spielberg, meanwhile, was disappointed that despite the success of JAWS, producer Albert Broccoli had little interest in hiring him to direct a James Bond film. (He even tried a second time after the success of Close Encounters, but by then the Broccoli’s couldn’t afford him.)

Then came one of the most famous exchanges in movie history. Lucas turned to Spielberg and said, “I’ve got something better than James Bond.”

From there, Lucas launched into a pitch about the adventures of a globe-trotting archaeologist named Indiana Smith. The character would eventually become Indiana Jones, and the franchise that followed would go on to inspire generations of moviegoers.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Before we begin our journey, it’s probably worth explaining how this series will work…

As with ReBONDing, each entry will be broken into a series of recurring categories. Together, we’ll explore the story, size up the villains and heavies, discuss Indy’s latest companion, examine Spielberg’s fingerprints, and evaluate the technical craftsmanship behind each film.

While some of these categories speak for themselves, others may need a little explanation before we get started.

Here are the categories:

THE COLD OPEN
THE STORY
THE VILLAIN
THE HEAVY
THE LOVE INTEREST

Before we move on, it’s worth mentioning that these first five are a bit more malleable than the rest. Depending on the film, you may see a category shift, merge, or disappear entirely—particularly in Temple of Doom, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Dial of Destiny. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Please, read on.

THE FEDORA REPORT

Beyond the whip, fedora, and leather jacket, this category will focus on Indiana Jones himself. We’ll discuss his growth as a character, his relationships, his effectiveness as a professor, and whatever other observations come to mind regarding the world’s most famous archaeologist. After all, while the artifacts may change from film to film, Indy remains the constant.

SPIELBERG’S FINGERPRINTS

Steven Spielberg’s influence can be found all over these films, from visual storytelling and camera movement to suspense, humor, and awe. This category will examine the directorial choices, trademarks, and techniques that make these adventures unmistakably Spielberg. The observant reader may have already noticed a flaw in my logic, but for now, let’s just pretend there are only three films. We’ll revisit this discussion later.

THE TECHNICALS

This is where we’ll discuss the craftsmanship behind the films, including John Williams’ iconic scores, cinematography, editing, production design, practical effects, stunt work, and any other technical achievements I feel worthy of recognition.

THE FIELD NOTES

Think of this as the catch-all category for personal observations, musings, and reflections that don’t naturally fit anywhere else. Some may be complimentary, some may be critical, and some may simply be questions I’ve been asking myself for years—such as how Indiana Jones managed to keep his teaching position while spending so much time dodging death around the globe, or whether a stack of ungraded papers has been sitting on his desk since 1938.

THE ARTIFACT ROOM

Not every interesting discovery belongs in the main discussion. The Artifact Room will house notable trivia, behind-the-scenes stories, production anecdotes, Easter eggs, and other curiosities uncovered during the course of each adventure. And while at some point I was going to list every instance the Wilhelm Scream popped up, I eventually decide that wasn’t worth my time, and a general internet search can provide that information to you with only a few clicks.

CLOSING THE JOURNAL

Every adventure eventually comes to an end. This final category will serve as a place to gather any lingering thoughts, summarize the journey, and reflect on where the film stands within the larger Indiana Jones legacy before we close the journal and move on to the next adventure.

The goal isn’t to assign arbitrary scores or determine a definitive ranking—although I absolutely have a Worst-to-First ranking ready to go should the conversation arise. It’s simply an excuse to revisit one of cinema’s most beloved adventure franchises and discuss what makes these films endure.

And you’ll have to forgive the length of some of these upcoming posts. I didn’t set out intending to dive quite this deep, but once I started digging, there was no easy way back out. I don’t recall ever putting this much thought into Indiana Jones—let alone the entire franchise. Compared to ReBONDing, these entries will be considerably longer. Just a fair warning.

Next time, we’ll travel to Peru, meet a certain archaeologist in a fedora, and revisit one of the greatest adventure films ever made.