3 Movies Like Indiana Jones You’ll Want to Watch Next

• The Indiana Jones franchise is incredibly unique, but there are a few good movies like it.
• Tomb Raider and The Mummy are similar to Indiana Jones movies, but not as well done.
• The best movie like Indiana Jones is easily National Treasure, but nothing beats the original.

There’s nothing like a Hollywood film franchise that keeps churning out gems. From Star Wars to Indiana Jones, the combination of wit and action always keeps us coming back for more.

Speaking specifically to Indy, of course, the old adage “all good things must come to an end” comes into play.

Harrison Ford has come out and said that the character dies with him, so it may be a fool’s errand to try to figure out who will play Indiana Jones next.

Short of re-watching the series over and over, die hard fans may be itching for something similar to pass the time with. If that’s what brought you here, I’ve got three movies like Indiana Jones you’ll absolutely want to check out.

1. National Treasure (2004)

Indiana Jones movies are obviously known for telling great stories with solid suspense. Incorporating elite action sequences and some well-timed humor is also a must.

National Treasure is undeniably one of the best movies like Indiana Jones. It takes all of the aforementioned ingredients, tosses them into a blender, and takes you on a wild ride.

Nicolas Cage doesn’t hold a candle to Harrison Ford in the grand scheme of things. That said, he did front a pretty legendary globetrotter flick in the original National Treasure.

For what it’s worth, this is also one of the best Nicolas Cage movies in existence. Low bar, I know, but hey.

Much like the Indiana Jones movies, National Treasure has a smart historian leading the way, and he constantly runs into mischief while trying to solve puzzles and decode cryptic clues.

It’s not as serious or as tense as it’s movie rival in this case, of course.

Then again, National Treasure never intended on taking itself too seriously. In a very real way, it’s a movie like Indiana Jones, but with a more upbeat and affable persona attached to it.

Anytime you have Nic Cage cast as the main character, that’s pretty much understood, though, isn’t it?

2. Tomb Raider (2001/2018)

You can roll with the Tomb Raider remake starring Alicia Vikander that stormed theaters in 2018, or go old school with Angelina Jolie’s debut back in 2001.

I won’t blame you for choosing favorites, but I do suggest you go back to the original first for a couple of reasons.

First, because it’s the movie that started the craze. Based off of the popular video game character Lara Croft, the original Tomb Raider was brought to life by the attention-demanding Jolie.

Jolie could drop jaws and crush skulls, and she did a little bit of both in not one but two runs as Croft.

While her two takes as the iconic video game heroine tap into the nostalgic side of most men, it’s fair to point to Vikander’s more nuanced performance.

Jolie was the better physical fit and executed action sequences more convincingly, but Vikander offered more soul and was an underrated engine to a film that nearly doubled it’s predecessor’s in terms of approval rating.

None of the Tomb Raiders approach legendary status, but if you’re looking for fun movies like Indiana Jones, they absolutely fit the bill.

Only, instead of a nerdy professor racing around tracking down artifacts, it’s Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander.

3. The Mummy (1999)

The interesting thing about looking for movies similar to Indiana Jones? The best options not so surprisingly were good enough to deserve sequels of their own.

In the case of Tomb Raider – and also The Mummy – they even earned full-blown reboots eventually.

Of course, the latest installment of The Mummy was a bit of a gaffe. Tried as he might, an earnest Tom Cruise couldn’t breathe life into an all-too-serious reboot.

Instead, I suggest journeying bac to 1999. There, Brendan Fraser was at the height of his action-movie making prowess.

Aided by the effortlessly delightfully Rachel Weisz, Fraser’s first go-around in The Mummy gave fans an arguable timeless classic filled with action, adventure, suspense, and some underrated comedy.

Throw in a truly fearsome mummy (Arnold Vosloo) and some shockingly spectacular action sequences, and The Mummy takes you on an ride through ancient Egypt that you won’t soon forget.

Of all the Indiana Jones alternatives out there, this one may honestly take the cake. The combination of action, comedy, and suspense is very difficult to top.

If you’re unsure as to how good it is, let’s just say it’s the highest scoring flick (per Rotten Tomatoes) on my list of movies like Indiana Jones.

More Movies Like Indiana Jones to Consider

• Uncharted (2022)
• Romancing the Stone (1984)
• Sahara (2005)

Want a few more quality movies like Indiana Jones? The trio listed above should suffice.

Uncharted puts you in a similar setting as far as globetrotting, action, and adventure. It also packs a serious double punch in terms of star power with the likes of Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg leading the way.

The only problem? It didn’t quite live up to the unbelievable hype set up by the mega popular video game franchise.

You can kick it back to 1984 for another solid Indiana Jones alternative.

That’d be none other than Romancing the Stone. This 80s classic pairs Michael Douglas and Kathleen Douglas, and gives you a very similar feel that Indy flicks do.

It was probably in direct competition with the franchise. In fact, it came out just a few years after the Indiana Jones franchise debuted.

Romancing the Stone was praised by most (86% on Rotten Tomatoes) and even gave way to a highly successful sequel.

Lastly, I’ll mention Sahara, which is another movie similar to Indiana Jones in that it pieces together timely humor with plenty of action and non-stop adventure.

I’m not sure you’ll find a better trio to lead you across a desert, either. Penelope Cruz, Steve Zahn, and Matthew McConaughey joined forces for this treacherous search for treasure.

As you can imagine, it was a lot of fun for all parties involved, and it makes for an easy watch.

What’s the Best Indiana Jones Alternative?

There, I’ve taken you up and down the block looking at some of the best adventure movies like Indiana Jones. I could leave it up to you as far as where to start, but I’ll throw you another bone.

If you want a movie like Indiana Jones that almost mirrors it’s style and pacing, Romancing the Stone is probably the top option.

However, if you want something less dated, a bit funnier, and at the same time a little darker, I think The Mummy would be a good pick.

Of course, if you just want my favorite movie from the lot, then you’d have to go with National Treasure.

Again, there’s no topping Harrison Ford in any regard. However, a constantly annoyed Nic Cage can be a lot of fun. Add in a race against time with a bunch of twists, turns, and some cool action sequences?

Yeah, sign me up for THAT.

All of these films like Indiana Jones are a pretty good time, though. Pick one and let me know how it went in the comments below. Or even offer your own Indiana Jones movie alternatives!

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