Ranking the weirdest traps in the Indiana Jones movies

Thirty years ago this week, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade stormed into movie theaters and rode off with our hearts, and would end up being the last Indy film for nearly two decades. What makes the Indiana Jones movies so great? Is it because of Harrison Ford’s indelible performance? The perfect blend of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas? The unforgettable scores of John Williams? All of those aspects play a large role in Indy's success.

But today we're focusing on the death-defying traps!

In SYFY WIRE's Rank That Weirdness, Jackie Jennings, Matt Romero, and Angelique Roche have convened a council of geeks to determine the weirdest traps in the Indiana Jones movies (note that The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s traps didn't make the cut).

To rank the best traps, we've turned to the only reasonable metrics: Short Rounds! Indy's beloved sidekick from The Temple of Doom would often tell him, "There's no time for love, Doctor Jones!" Of course there isn't! At least not when you’re running for your life.

Speaking of which, there's no better place to start than the boulder chase from the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Spielberg admittedly lifted the sequence from Uncle Scrooge writer and artist Carl Barks, and it remains one of the most memorable moments from the trilogy. However, we need to think about the logistics behind it. Spike traps can be reset, but that boulder was good for one use only! It tore down the cave and sealed the entrance after Indy escaped. If it had gone off early, who was going to reset the trap?

Another bizarre trap appeared in The Temple of Doom. The room with the spikes on the floor and the ceiling are pretty standard fare for Indy. The real challenge there was the wall of bugs that Willie Scott had to put her hands through to turn it off. That’s truly a trap worthy of all the Short Rounds!

To discover the rest of the most memorable traps, check out the entire video!