We have apparently seen the end of the Indiana Jones franchise, as Harrison Ford has stated that The Dial Of Destiny is the last time he’ll don the fedora and whip. Well, it will be the action and adventure franchise’s end unless Disney decides to squeeze every last drop they can out of it, which is never out of the question. Film fans always need something else to fill in their viewing void, so what are the best adventure movies like Indiana Jones for fans of the Indiana Jones series to check out?
This is oddly a full-circle film when it comes to Indiana Jones. Uncharted is based on the video game of the same name, which was admittedly based on the Indiana Jones films. Nathan Drake (played by Tom Holland) teams up with a seasoned treasure hunter in Sully (Mark Wahlberg) to find a lost treasure rumored to be worth $5 billion. Meanwhile, the sinister Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas) also wants to get his hands on the famed bounty because he feels it belongs to his family. The race is on, and this globe-trotting adventure is action packed and full of intrigue.
This falls more into the comedy category, but it has all the hallmarks of the Indiana Jones franchise. Puzzles, a lost treasure, and jungles galore. Romance author Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) has written about a lost city and an unfound treasure. Now a billionaire (Daniel Radcliffe) thinks she might have to key to finding an ancient treasure and kidnaps her to make her lead him to it. The cover model for all her books (Channing Tatum) goes after her to prove he’s more than just a pretty face. They all get lost in the jungle and discover the lost city is real.
This Cannon action adventure movie was made to ride the coattails of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom and draw in fans of the Indiana Jones films, but of course, in the Cannon way, it cost way less to make. Fortune hunter Allan Quatermain (Richard Chamberlain) is hired by a desperate woman (Sharon Stone) to find her father. He went in search of the legendary diamond mines of King Solomon. She is afraid he has been captured and needs rescuing. The duo head to South Africa and quickly run afoul of Quatermain’s rival Dogati, played by Indiana Jones actor John Rhys-Davies. The race is on to find the lost adventurer and to discover if King Solomon’s mines are real. Even if it’s supposed to be a rip-off, it still works as one of the best movies like Indiana Jones, but avoid the sequel, Alan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold like the plague.
Based on the Clive Cussler novels, this has more of a Temple Of Doom feel to it, with oppressed people trying to fight back against an evil warlord. Former Navy Seal Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) and his sidekick Al (Steve Zahn) are looking for a legendary lost Civil War battleship. It was rumored to have crossed the Atlantic and entered the Niger River in Africa. While searching, they encounter an evil warlord and a kidnapped WHO scientist Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz). She warns them that the warlord is about to unleash a toxic spill into the ocean that would cause a worldwide disaster. This wasn’t the first Clive Cussler Dirk Pitt adaptation. There was also the infamous Raise the Titanic from 1980, but outside of a great score by John Barry, it’s deadly dull.
Another full circle film as this video game adaptation also took inspiration from the Indiana Jones films. Some films were made in the early 2000s, but this recent version feels more connected to the Indiana Jones mythos than the others. Lara Croft has been going through life with no real direction since her dad disappeared on an expedition many years before. No one else seems to believe he is still alive but her. She sets out to find him and solve the mystery of his disappearance. His last known whereabouts were a mythical island off of Japan. Upon arrival, she discovers more than she bargained for and is captured by a corporation that wants the tomb her father was searching for. She has to fight back to stop them.
The real successor to the Indiana Jones franchise begins here, complete with the supernatural element. Brendan Fraser stars as Rick O’Connell, who helps out a young archeologist. She wants to start a dig at an ancient city but finds out that someone beat her to it. The group accidentally releases a cursed high priest. Now he has returned and wants to unleash a series of plagues upon Egypt as revenge for his death. Rick has to stop him and send him back to his grave. The series is a lot of fun and brings back some fun adventures along with some bad CGI. Even with the sketchy special effects, it’s still one of the best movies like Indiana Jones.
A brainiac gets thrown off an archaeological dig but is invited to join the Metropolitan Library. He learns that the job isn’t about maintaining books when he accepts. It’s about finding historical artifacts and keeping them out of the hands of those that would use them for evil. His first assignment is to locate the Spear Of Destiny. It has been broken up into three parts and hidden around the world. He has to retrieve these pieces and return them to the library before anyone else finds them. If put back together, it would create a devastating weapon that could destroy anything it’s pointed at.
In this Steven Spielberg film, young Tintin buys a model ship from the market, but the sinister Mr. Sakharine immediately wants it. He kidnaps Tintin and sets sail on a cargo ship. Once Tintin escapes with his trusty dog Snowy and the ship captain Haddock, he learns that his model contains one of three pieces of a puzzle that gives the location of a hidden treasure. It turns out Mr. Sakharine also has one piece, and now Tintin has to find the third piece and keep anyone else from finding the location.
A romance novelist (Kathleen Turner) receives an old map in the mail, followed by a frantic call from her sister. She has been kidnapped, and they want to exchange her for the map. Now she has to travel to Columbia to make the trade and runs into adventurer Jack Colton (Michael Douglas), who she gets to agree to escort her through the dangerous jungle. It’s soon discovered that the kidnappers are looking for a large emerald. They try to save her sister while also finding the jewel for themselves. This and its sequel, The Jewel of the Nile, are among the best movies like Indiana Jones.
Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) has been a treasure hunter his whole life. He believes that the United States’ founding fathers hid a large stash of valuables and left clues of where to find it. No one else believes his theory, but he sets out to prove them wrong. He’s finally putting the clues together and will do anything to reveal where this treasure is hiding. Even stealing the Declaration Of Independence. A fun trip through U.S. history as Gates tracks down what clues the founding fathers left behind to the ultimate prize. Of course, he’s not alone, and a rival hunter is on his heels. Who will get there first? The first movie is pretty good, but the sequel and spin-off TV series aren’t great.
What do you think are the best Indiana Jones alternatives? Let us know in the comments.