It’s a franchise that helped define the summer blockbuster and represented some of the top work of creators George Lucas, Spielberg and Ford, who will be forever more closely identified with his intrepid archaeologist than any other character from his career.

And the less that’s said about Indy’s son Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) and his Tarzan swing the better.

In other Indy movies, you try to pick out the best sequence; here it’s a fight for the worst (most pick the “nuke the fridge” scene; or the cemetery brawl with the parkour warriors).

An Indy film’s MacGuffin might not be the most important element: Dr. Jones’ quest for alien artifact leads to climactic sequence and some franchise-worst CG to top it all off.

3. The Temple of Doom (1984)

Grade: B

Temple of Doom has been criticized (including Lucas and Spielberg) as being overly dark (its release helped inspire the PG-13 rating), and there are indeed moments that feel like they cross the line for what these movies are supposed to be (that whipping scene).

It’s also been criticized as leaning on offensive racial stereotypes as Indy stumbles onto a child-enslaving Thuggee cult in India.

Many also find Kate Capshaw’s shrieking Willie Scott off-putting.

But when the film works, it has some of the best sequences in the franchise: The nightclub negotiation, the raft escape from  crashing plane, the seduction scene, the spike room, the climactic bridge showdown,

2. The Last Crusade (1989)

Grade: B+

The Last Crusade is many Indy fans favorite of the bunch.

The film is the warmest and funniest in the franchise — with a deft and witty script by Jeffrey Boam.

Sean Connery is spot-on as Indy’s father, Henry Jones, and their interplay is playful and touching (after Henry uses his umbrella to compel birds to strike an attacking fighter plane, the expression of Indy’s face as he’s silently overwhelmed by unexpected love for his father). The score is one of John Williams’ best.

The Last Crusade also has the strongest ending in the franchise, with its three challenge booby traps and a feeling of genuine urgency with Henry’s life on the line (even factoring the ridiculousness of the Crusade Knight — the film is a bit goofy at times).

Henry calling his son “Indiana” for the first time and gently telling him to let the Holy Grail go is one of the saga’s finest beats, and their extended sunset ride over the closing credits is a gorgeous ending.

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark

Grade: A-

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a well-crafted action-adventure film. After 1941 bombed spectacularly, Spielberg was out to re-prove himself to Hollywood: Every scene is impeccable, starting with the opening temple raid that became one of the most iconic (and parodied) sequences in movie history.

Ford deftly balances seriousness and humor, demonstrating at turns competence and fallibility, as Indy struggles — and fails, time and again — yet stubbornly refuses to quit.

There are so many moments one could single out. The lecture hall scene is a master class in delivering exposition in a compelling way (credit to screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan). The map room scene keeps the audience enthralled by watching Ford figuring something out–all the storytelling is done on his face.

Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood was ahead of her time as strong action co-lead. And the truck chase remains one of the best stunt sequences ever shot. (What does it say about the evolution of Hollywood filmmaking that the Indy film made with practical effects — aside from some dated climactic animation — and the least amount of money — $20 million/$78 million with inflation — visually remains the franchise’s strongest entry.