Dial of Destiny is the worst Indiana Jones movie, according to Rotten Tomatoes

Chris Tilly
Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in Indiana Jones 5.

Indiana Jones 5, aka Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is out this week – and according to the critics on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s the worst Indy film ever.

Dial of Destiny is the fifth – and final – of the Indiana Jones movies. But though fans might be hoping Indy goes out on a high, critics are claiming that Indy 5 is an all-time low.

The franchise is the brain-child of producer George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg, who at the tail-end of the 1970s, wanted to create their own James Bond. They settled on Indy, an archeology professor who spends his spare time hunting down the ancients artefacts he teaches in class.

First film Raiders of the Lost Ark was an immediate critical and commercial hit. While the prequel and sequel that followed were also beloved. But Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was disliked pretty much across the board. And according to Rotten Tomatoes, Dial of Destiny is liked even less.

Indiana Jones 5 is the worst Indy movie, according to Rotten Tomatoes

Here are the Rotten Tomatoes ratings for all five Indiana Jones movies:

  • 1. Raiders of the Lost Ark: 93%
  • 2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: 84%
  • 3= Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: 77%
  • 3= Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: 77%
  • 5. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: 66%

That makes Raiders the best of the Indy movies, in line with the Dexerto ranking below, and Dial of Destiny the worst, where we disagree.

Dexerto ranking of the Indiana Jones movies

The following is Dexerto’s ranking of the Indiana Jones movies, from best-to-worst:

  • 1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
  • 2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
  • 3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
  • 4. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
  • 5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

You can read about why we ranked the Indy movies in this order by checking out our full Indiana Jones list feature here.

For more Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny info, check out the below articles:

Indiana Jones 5 review | Cast and characters | What is the Dial of Destiny? | Number of Indy movies | Helena Shaw explained | Soundtrack and songs | Timeline explained | Indiana Jones streaming details | Dial of Destiny runtime | Lance of Longinus explained | Where is Indy’s son? | Filming locations | How to watch the Indy movies in order | Is Short Round in Dial of Destiny? | Ranking the Indiana Jones movies | Villain explained | Does Dial of Destiny have a post-credits scene? | Best Easter Eggs | Ending explained | Deaths in Dial of Destiny? | Will there be an Indiana Jones 6?

About The Author

Chris Tilly is the TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He has a BA in English Literature, an MA in Newspaper Journalism, and over the last 20 years, he's worked for the likes of Time Out, IGN, and Fandom. Chris loves Star Wars, Marvel, DC, sci-fi, and especially horror, while he knows maybe too much about Alan Partridge. You can email him here: chris.tilly@dexerto.com.