Review of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) by Brad Y — 30 Dec 2015

Before even the days of "Raiders Of The Ark", Spielberg had expressed an interest in making a James Bond movie but he couldn't get the go-ahead from Bond producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli. Indy was just as good an opportunity for him, though, and who better to cast as Indy's father than (the original) James Bond himself? It's actually through the casting choice of Sean Connery that this third instalment of Indy's adventures really takes flight and silences the critics of "The Temple Of Doom".

In his third outing, Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) goes in search of his father, Prof. Henry Jones Sr (Sean Connery) who mysteriously disappeared while searching for the Holy Grail. Once again, though, the Nazi's are also in tow. After losing on the Ark of the Covenant, they too want to get their hands on the Cup of Christ.

By the time of this films release everybody was fully aware of Indiana Jones. With only two films under his fedora, every woman wanted him and every man wanted to be him; Indy had already become an icon of American cinema. With a fond familiarity, people welcomed him into their homes and that's the very reason why the opening of this third instalment is such a joy. It's depiction of Indy in his youth is wonderful addition to his backstory and the late great River Phoenix does an excellent job in capturing Ford's mannerisms. We learn of his use of the whip and the resulting scar on his chin. We also get an insight into the procurement of his famous fedora and how his unusual name of "Indiana" originated from the family dog... (It was actually George Lucas' dog that was named Indiana and it also served as the inspiration for Chewbacca in "Star Wars").

After being heavily criticised for his dark tone in "Temple of Doom", Spielberg finds his lighter side again and delivers the funniest and most gleefully entertaining of Indy's adventures. The likes of Denholm Elliott and John Rhys Davies return from Raiders with more fleshed out comical roles but, as mentioned, it's the great interplay between Ford and Connery that's the biggest draw to here. The chemistry between them anchors a poignant family adventure while providing numerous father/son comedic moments.

Like the previous two, though, there's no shortest of nail-biting action as World War II is on the brink and the Nazi's are once again Indy's foes and gives Spielberg another chance to put the Third Reich to the test. "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan" are obviously his more personal films on the subject but with Indy he gets the chance to have fun with them again, leaving this third instalment with more in common with "Raiders" as well as honing in on the biblical aspects of the story. Out goes the Ark and in comes the coveted Holy Grail and while the fourth film in the franchise - "The Kingdom Of The Crystal" - explores a misjudged science-fiction element, it confirms that Indy's adventures are better left in the paths of the religious or the occult.

Raiders may still be the absolute classic of them all but it's hard to give a film with as much excitement and entertainment as this, anything less than top marks.

Mark Walker.