Quentin Tarantino has shared his controversial rankings of the Indiana Jones films, placing the black sheep of the franchise, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, over Last Crusade.
"I like Crystal Skull more than the Sean Connery one," Tarantino said during an episode of the ReelBlend podcast. "I don't like the Sean Connery one. I don't like [that] one at all. That's such a boring one. It's boring! And he's not an interesting character. The joke is made immediately. It's like Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot."
Released in 2008, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the fourth entry in the Indiana Jones series. It remains the highest-grossing film of the franchise to date, earning nearly $800 million at the worldwide box office despite poor to mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. The film is widely regarded as the franchise's worst, largely due to the inclusion of aliens, making Tarantino's opinion cause for surprise. But the director's unconventional rankings did not end there. He also revealed that Temple of Doom is not only his favorite film in the series but is also his favorite film in director Steven Spielberg's career.
"At the end of the day, I think my favorite Spielberg movie, directed movie -- again, with Jaws carved out on its own Mount Rushmore -- is Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," Tarantino said. "A movie so f***ing badass it created a new level in the MPAA [Motion Picture Association of America]."
The two-time Oscar winner's take on the controversial Temple of Doom may also come as a surprise given that it was the lowest critically-rated film in the series before the release of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Released in 1984, Temple of Doom is the second and lowest-grossing entry in the series, earning $333 million. As Tarantino notes, the film made history as the first to receive the PG-13 rating, creating a new category in the MPAA's ranking system.
Now more than 40 years old, the Indiana Jones franchise is gearing up for a fifth entry. Harrison Ford is returning as the globe-trotting archeologist and is joined by Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Boyd Holbrook, Toby Jones and Antonio Banderas. James Mangold takes over the director's chair from Spielberg, who remains attached as an executive producer. The film is expected to be Ford's final turn in the fedora.
Fans will have to wait at least another year for Tarantino's complete rankings of the franchise as Indiana Jones 5 is expected to hit theaters on June 30, 2023.
Sources: ReelBlend Podcast