Pretenders to the Fedora

I've enjoyed the Indiana Jones flicks for a long time--Raiders is, indeed, one of my favorite movies--and I've been interested in Indy knock-offs probably for an equally long time, mostly because I wanted to see adventures other than the original three. (I did enjoy Kingdom of the Crystal Skull when it came out, and still do, even if I rank it far below the original films.) So... What are your favorite Indy knock-offs (a less charitable critic would write "rip-offs")? If anyone's interested, a few of mine...

King Solomon's Mines, 1985

Though by no stretch of the imagination a particularly good movie, this KSM adaptation is one of the more obvious Indy knock-offs, throwing in John Rhys-Davies (Sallah) and making absolutely no attempt to differentiate Quatermain from Jones. It's also kinda-sorta fun, if I'm remembering correctly, with its rollicking, Raiders-like score and sheer goofiness. Though it has been a while since I've seen it.


The Mummy, 1999

Thing is, this is a really good little film. Not at all a horror, as the title would suggest, but a rip-roaring Indy-esque adventure; lots of fun. And Mr. Fraser makes for a likeable lead and Miss Weisz for a lovely heroine. Unfortunately, though, I didn't like any of the sequels.


Congo, 1995

Another favorite movie, even if its immediate influence is less Raiders of the Lost Ark and more John Huston's Beat the Devil. It's a clever self-parody, with a grand central performance by Ernie Hudson as a "great white hunter who happens to be black," an actor who deserves far better roles.

And, unfortunately, I wasn't fond of two well-known knock-offs, Romancing the Stone (which deserves another look, though) and Tomb Raider (which I have no interest in giving another look).

How about you?