Review of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) by Cameron H — 20 May 2016

What terrible timing, this third installment to the Indiana Jones series had. Indiana Jones was due for starting a new fashion in action movies, but by the time that Last Crusade was released, films like Lethal Weapon and Die Hard had already caught such massive amount of attention and acclaim. Compared to Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford and (especially) Sean Connery were old faces. I don't really see a remarkable influence that Indiana Jones had on action/adventure movies until, MAYBE, the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Oh, well. Indiana Jones certainly has not been forgotten, and this film offers another perfectly preposterous and tongue-in-cheek adventure that justified the classic status of Raiders of the Lost Ark. You thought finding the original ten commandments was farfetched? How about the holy grail? It's Prof. Indiana Jones versus the Nazis once again, now with Sean Connery as Prof. Henry Jones, Indie's father. Hitler makes a cameo! And an Indiana Jones movie would not be complete without a damsel in occasional distress, Dr. Schneider (Alison Doody). In terms of pacing, the Last Crusade is almost on par with its original, offering a strong variety of locales, action, and plot progressions, and never failing to entertain. Better yet, Last Crusade moves noticeably quicker than Raiders, without sacrificing any opportunities for aforementioned elements. A minor quip that I have is that not all of the jokes land. Since the action now moves more quickly, this lends more room for comedy. Last Crusade occasionally banks on repetition of jokes from previous movies and "sequels" to those jokes. I didn't find it to be irksome, but I noticed that my laugh-joke ratio was much lower than it was in Raiders. So Last Crusade isn't exactly economical. It has decided to use its time differently. When the jokes land, they are great. Connery crashes an enemy plane by scaring seagulls towards the direction of that plane, and the recurring joke about Indie's real name, Henry Jr, and the origin of the nickname Indiana are worth anyone's time.

The addition of Sean Connery lends both comedy and drama, depending on the scene. Connery is a professor who has been obsessed with obtaining the grail for his whole life. Unlike Indie, however, he spends most of his time with books, instead of going out to find the artifact. When Indie has to go to Europe to save his father, on the search for the grail, Henry proves not to be the most kinesthetically competent person. The relationship between the Joneses stresses a familiar clash between admiration and regret, and both the dialogue and the action draw attention to that relationship. More credit is due for Harrison Ford's acting chops. He may favour action films, but the guy's stakes can reach great heights. While Sean Connery as a sidekick was a swell idea, I wish that George Lucas had fleshed out Dr. Schneider and the main antagonist Walter Donovan (Julian Glover). They're fine, but neither of them present intentions that stand out in the grand spectrum of supporting action film characters. Indie must have been especially horny during this adventure, for he objectifies Dr. Schneider more than he would ever dare to do with Marion Ravenwood. He seems to think that she needs saving, which recalls Adam West-Batman's relationship with every femme fatale. And Walter feels like a puppet... to, er, Hitler?

SPOILER: The climax is quite exciting. Once they find the structure that leads one to the grail, the subject must pass three tests in order to enter the room that holds the grail. In an effort to quicken the action, Walter shoots Henry, forcing Indiana to interpret his father's text and endure the trials himself. In the third trial, Indie must contradict his factual tendencies and rely on faith to pass. It turns out to be a trick of the eye, a hidden bridge. Brilliant. From there, Indie finds the grail, drinks from it, and then runs back to his father so that he can drink from it. So they are immortal now. I think. They don't really talk about that, after the fact. The implications are insane, and that IS why the Nazis are determined to retrieve the artifact. I'm sad that it was never discussed afterwards. At the least, the final action scene is a great test of stakes for both Indie and his father: life or history. Last Crusade may not top Raiders, but it didn't need to do that. As a relatively lighthearted post-western adventure, Spielberg puts the Indiana Jones series to a spectacular hiatus, suffering only because Raiders was fresher and ensemble characters are nothing to be remembered. Not even Hitler.