Thanks for these links!

Yes, the train sequence from Dead Reckoning is superior. No argument there.

By the way, I had another bit in my essay about special effects that I took out before publishing. It was a comment about a couple of shots near the end of Raiders where we see some closeups of Indy and Sallah. It's clear (well, to my eyes) that these moments were shot in a studio and that the two actors weren't standing outside. Did I have a problem with these moments? I did not. Some fakery looks weak (the jungle chase in Crystal Skull), while others, as you noted in your piece, can look fantastic. There's also that scene in War of the Worlds where that serpentine alien checks out what's going on in the basement (the scene with Cruise and Robbins). You didn't mention this in your list because War of the Worlds isn't a great movie (sorry, Steven). Nevertheless, the CGI there is really well done and very convincing.

As for Dial of Destiny, I remember liking it when I first saw it, and then I decided I loved it after a second viewing. And then I watched it (and loved it) a third time when I had decided to write my essay. I could easily see Temple of Doom again and get some enjoyment out of it (the rickety bridge scene is great), but if it came down to a choice, I'd rather see Dial of Destiny again!

Again, thanks for reading and commenting. Yes, the essay took a long time to write. In a similar fashion, I was also thinking of writing an essay on the five Craig/Bond pictures, but I probably won't get around to it. The best of the five, IMO? That's easy: Skyfall. Don't argue with me. [seconds later] Okay, I take that back. You can argue with me, but as splendid as Casino Royale is, that movie comes in at number two for me. The weakest of the five? Either Quantum of Solace or Spectre. Can't decide which.

I think that's enough of that for now.