Thanks to his smooth talking and quick wit, there are countless memorable Indiana Jones quotes from the Steven Spielberg and George Lucas franchise. Just a couple of years after he created one instantly iconic franchise with Star Wars, George Lucas took the world of cinema by storm and caught lightning in a bottle for a second time. Inspired by the old adventure serials he used to watch as a kid, Lucas created Indiana Jones, a smooth-talking, infinitely cool archeologist/explorer with a leather jacket, a satchel, and a bullwhip. Steven Spielberg saw the character as an American James Bond, so he jumped at the opportunity to sit in the director’s chair.
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Since that start, the franchise has followed the globetrotting Indiana Jones through his life, with Harrison Ford there every step of the way. This meant that the movies also moved in real-time, with Indiana Jones going from a younger man who was willing to fight Nazis with his bullwhip and a concealed gun to an older man who was willing to do the same, just with a little more trepidation. However, while the hero might be older, his mouth remains consistent, and with over four decades of stories to tell, these Indiana Jones quotes have stood the test of time.
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"You’re A Teacher?"
Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
As fun as it is to see Indiana Jones punching Nazis and getting into gunfights, Indiana Jones' quotes are even better. The movies always made a point of showing Indy as a scholar and hero with intelligence. His pursuits of ancient artifacts are educational in purpose which aligns with his teaching job. It's true that those two aspects of Indiana Jones's life can often seem to contrast each other. When he takes out a group of would-be assassins, even tough-guy Mutt is impressed and asks if Indy is really a professor, to which Indy admits it's not his main focus.
"Mola Ram! Prepare To Meet Kali ... In Hell!"
Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is often viewed as the darkest movie in the franchise and one of the movies responsible for the PG-13 rating to be created. Even Indy seems a little darker when he faces off with the villains in the climax. While on a rope bridge suspended over a deep canyon, Indy makes a desperate move of cutting the rope and sending the evil Mola Ram and his men to their death. And before he does, he finishes with one of the cheesiest Indiana Jones quotes in the franchise.
"It's Not The Years, Honey, It's The Mileage."
Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
While modern action heroes played by the likes of Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson are seen as unstoppable tough guys, part of the charm of Indy was that he isn't the toughest guy in the room. He gets punched a lot, and it hurts him, which makes him a more relatable hero. But the fact that he doesn't stop even when he is on the losing end of fights, makes him a great hero. When Marion suggests he might be getting too old for this kind of life, he suggests that it is not the years that are aging him but his lifestyle itself.
"I Don't Know. I'm Making This Up As I Go."
Indiana Jones - Raiders Of The Lost Ark
As smart as Indy is, he often finds himself in fast-paced and dangerous situations in which he is just along for the ride. It is another way the movies made him such a fun hero, as sometimes he just doesn't have the answers. When Marion is taken hostage, Indy tells John Rhys-Davies' Sallah he is going to rescue her. When Sallah questions how he'll manage that, Indy admits that he doesn't have any grand plan. It is quite relatable to see a hero just trying their best. These Indiana Jones quotes show how he has lived through all the intense situations he ended up falling into over his life.
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"We Named The Dog Indiana."
Dr. Henry Jones Sr. - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
Along with Sean Connery's winning performance, the inclusion of Indy's father, Dr. Henry Jones Sr., provides a lot of fun Indiana Jones quotes for the franchise. Though Indy often has control, he is turned somewhat sheepish once his father a part of the journey and there are times when he seems like a little kid again. At the end of the movie, Sallah asks why Dr. Jones calls Indy "Junior." Dr. Jones explains that Indy's name is actually Henry Jones Jr. and he took the name Indiana from the family dog. It is a fun way of demystifying the iconic hero.
"It Belongs In A Museum!"
Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
In the opening sequence of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the audience sees a young Indy, played brilliantly by River Phoenix, thwarting a plot to steal an artifact by claiming that it belongs in a museum. The scene then cuts to the present day, as an adult Indy is fighting for the same artifact, with the same claim that it belongs in a museum. It not only shows Indy's sense of standing up for the educational value of these artifacts but also that he has had those values since he was a young boy. It is one of the repeated Indiana Jones quotes in the movies.
"You Call This Archeology?"
Dr. Henry Jones - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
Dr. Jones gets his title from the fact that Henry’s an accomplished archeologist, although the Indiana Jones movies never show him dusting bones. Instead, Indy is always running from gunfire and hanging off of moving cars. In the climactic set piece of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, in which Indy and his father are trapped on a Nazi tank rumbling through the desert, Henry, Sr. sarcastically quips, “You call this archeology?” showing that some of the best Indiana Jones quotes are not from Indy at all.
"That’s Why They Call It The Jungle, Sweetheart."
Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
The Willie Scott character from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom has been criticized for being a clichéd damsel in distress who’s always screaming and can’t handle a few minutes in the elements. But the Indiana Jones films are pulpy adventure stories at heart, and the back-and-forth that this leads to between Willie and Indy is primo pulp material. When Willie says, “We’re surrounded; the entire place is crawling with living things,” Indy replies, “That’s why they call it the jungle, sweetheart.” It might be obvious banter between the two bickering leads, but these Indiana Jones quotes fit in this kind of story.
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"Germany Has Declared War On The Jones Boys.”
Donovan - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
What makes Kingdom of the Crystal Skull even more of a disappointment is that The Last Crusade made for such a perfect ending to Indy’s story. And part of that involved capping off the trilogy with bigger, bolder action than ever before. When the threequel first gets going, Indy and his father find themselves on the run from not just a handful of rotten eggs, but the entirety of Nazi Germany after Indiana Jones. It is a rare case where a villain gets one of the better Indiana Jones quotes in the movies.
"He Chose...Poorly."
The Grail Knight - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
The final test on the way to retrieve the Holy Grail is to pick out the Grail from a line-up of chalices. The Grail Knight explains this test to Walter Donovan, who picks the biggest, fanciest cup he can find and takes a swig. The decision fits Donovan's greedy and villainous behavior which results in a memorable demise. In a matter of seconds, he ages to his death, then decomposes and crumbles into dust. With a dry, darkly comic wit, the Knight says, "He chose ... poorly." Having the ancient knight delivering one of the best Indiana Jones quotes is just icing on the cake.
“The Poison You Just Drank, Dr. Jones!”
Loa Che - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
As the character of Indiana Jones was largely inspired by James Bond, it is a lot of fun to see this opening scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom which feels taken right out of a 007 adventure. It finds Indy facing off with a gangster in a swanky nightclub. After a tense standoff where Indy remains the ever-cool hero, the gangster shows he has the upper hand, secretly slipping Indy some poison without him knowing. It is Indiana Jones quotes like this that show the chess battle between Indy and his often more experienced villains.
“No Ticket!”
Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
Both the first and third Indiana Jones movies satirize the Nazis by having them as wacky villains, but it's the third that deeply immerses the audience in the world of Nazi-occupied Europe. The Nazis obviously make for easy villains to hate, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has also mostly aged well in this regard, making it fun to watch Indy beat them up. When on a Zeppelin, Indy disguises himself as a ticket collector. He is able to sneak up on one of the Nazi officers and throw him from the Zeppelin. As the horrified guests look on, Indy explains, "No ticket," in one of the funniest Indiana Jones quotes. This, of course, caused them all to hurriedly produce their own tickets.
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“Jock! Start The Engine!”
Indiana Jones - Raiders Of The Lost Ark
The opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark might be one of the greatest opening movie scenes of all time, and it is responsible for setting the tone for the movie. It starts with Indy heading into an ancient temple in the middle of the jungle to uncover an old relic, and he avoids all the booby traps on the way in with ease and style. But when things fall apart, Indy is shown in Raiders of the Lost Ark to be much less cool-headed. As he rushes to his plane while being chased by enemies, it gives a great image of Indy as a lovable, relatable hero.
"X Never, Ever Marks The Spot.”
Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
While the Indiana Jones movies likely inspired a lot of young viewers to become interested in a career in archeology, they are not very realistic depictions of the profession. The movies seem very willing to admit this with some of the more poignant Indiana Jones quotes. During an early scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indy lectures his students that a big part of being an archeologist is research. Of course, he then goes off on a thrilling adventure of treasure hunting where X does, in fact, mark the spot.
“If You Want To Be A Good Archeologist, You Gotta Get Out Of The Library!”
Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is one of the least popular movies in the franchise. It is a modern take, set in the ‘50s with a grizzled octogenarian Dr. Jones fighting some Soviet villains. But despite its flaws, the movie does manage to maintain the sense of fun the franchise was known for. This includes the great chase scene through a college campus which ends up going through the library. Indy takes the time to advise his student, delivering a great Indiana Jones quote about how learning takes place outside, before speeding away on a motorcycle.
“Half The German Army’s On Our Tail, And You Want Me To Go To Berlin?”
Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
Sean Connery is probably better known for his action roles, so the fact Dr. Henry Jones isn't much of a fighter is entertaining. However, that doesn't stop Henry from being a fearless hero when the day is in need of saving. When on the run from villains, Henry insists they go into the "lion's den" by heading to Berlin. It is a risky move, surprising even Dr. Henry Jones' adventurous son, who delivers one of the more incredulous Indiana Jones quotes in response to this idea by his dad. It made it disappointing that Henry never made another appearance in the franchise.
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"Fortune And Glory, Kid. Fortune And Glory."
Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
The Shankara stones are the MacGuffins at the center of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Indy finds himself in an Indian village, where they inform him that the stones (and their children) have been taken by a mysterious religious cult. Right as they’re about to head off on their journey, Short Round asks, “What is Shankara?” to which Indy replies, “Fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory.” It is these Indiana Jones quotes that show Indy looks at Short Round as a colleague despite his young age and makes the kid one of the series' best sidekicks.
“A Boat?! We’re Not Sinking, We’re Crashing!”
Willie Scott - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
Willie Scott has been criticized for being a typical damsel in distress character. All she does is scream and run away from danger and rely on the men around her – one of whom is like a 10-year-old boy – to save her. But she does have one redeeming quality: one of the best Indiana Jones quotes. Indy, Willie, and Short Round find themselves stuck on a plane with no pilot headed for the side of a mountain. Indy finds that there are no parachutes, but there is an inflatable raft. Willie says, “A boat?! We’re not sinking, we’re crashing!” But Indy makes it work, and they raft down the mountain.
"Don’t Call Me Junior!"
Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
It was a stroke of genius to introduce fans to Indiana Jones's father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade because their unique dynamic made a powerful dramatic core for the movie. And casting Sean Connery, the original James Bond, as the father of the character who was conceived as an American James Bond was just the cherry on top. He and Harrison Ford developed such an entertaining and real rapport that they genuinely seem to be an estranged father and son in the movie, and the end result is maybe the best installment in the series.
"Snakes. Why Did It Have To Be Snakes?"
Indiana Jones - Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Every great character has a weakness, ranging from Superman’s aversion to Kryptonite to Marty McFly’s disdain for being called “chicken.” In the case of Indiana Jones, he’s deathly afraid of snakes. Of course, when Indy is faced with going down into an ancient tomb to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant, he finds, much to his chagrin, that it is filled with snakes. But like any good hero, he is willing to face his fears, and it makes for one of the most iconic Indiana Jones quotes in the entire franchise.
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Key Release Dates
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Release Date:2023-06-30
