6. Indiana Jones (1981-2008)
Paramount PicturesThe Indiana Jones franchise gave audiences one of the most iconic characters in cinema history, as well as three rip-roaring adventure movies that comfortably rank amongst the highlights of the action genre. Expertly-directed, tightly scripted and full of brilliant practical stunts, the original trilogy stands up as one of the greatest movie series ever made. Oh, and they made a fourth one... Raiders of the Lost Ark is simply one of the greatest movies ever made, a full-throttle blend of action, wit and charm that endures as a timeless classic. Temple of Doom takes on a darker tone and is the weakest of the original three, but still delivers the franchise's signature breakneck set-pieces. Last Crusade is more overtly comic than its predecessors but the genius casting of Sean Connery as Indy's father elevates the movie as the two share a sparkling chemistry in amongst their globe-trotting escapades. The two-decades-in-development Kingdom of the Crystal Skull isn't as bad as some would have you believe, but it is definitely the worst Indiana Jones movie by quite some distance. The nonsensical plot, superfluous characters, CGI gophers, vine-swinging Shia Labeouf and fridge-nuking overshadow several solid set-pieces, but it's really hard to believe it took nearly 20 years to come up with such a half-baked idea and underwritten script. With rumors of a fifth movie continually cropping up on a semi-regular basis, it would be for the best to let Indiana Jones enjoy his retirement.