Review of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) by Dylan D — 17 Dec 2013

Here it is, quite possibly the one Indy to rule them all. Topping Raiders of the Lost Ark is no easy task nor an undertaking even likely to succeed, yet The Last Crusade does just that, albeit by a smidgen because Raiders is still just that good. Still, there's really no right or wrong answer as to which is the better of the two; it's a matter of personal preference, sort of like arguing over whether Willie Mays or Babe Ruth is the best baseball player of all time -- there's no going wrong with either choice. But the argument can certainly and justifiably be made for The Last Crusade. It's just as exciting, romantic, and dramatic as Raiders, yet it's still even more. It does everything as well as a film can and a sequel in particular, upping the action and bringing together story, scope, tone, acting, music, and production to a level as complete and painstakingly thorough as the first Indiana Jones adventure. It's also relevant and even timeless, exploring deep themes of loss and forgiveness and the healing power of a word and an action, not just of holy water poured from a carpenter's cup. It's a more dramatically satisfying picture than Raiders with its father-son arc that so effortlessly captures a believable dynamic of distance and doubt, lost time and regrets that all go away with a look and a gentle "Indiana...let it go" plea at film's end, the moment essentially summing up the film and life, really, in its statement that life isn't fortunate and glory but family and friendship first above all else, not foregoing the adventure and the discovery and even the fame and fortune but prioritizing even when within a fingertip's reach of immortality. It's a tale of discovery of a long-buried relationship, not simply of a long-lost treasure. Perhaps it's the treasure of family, the film says, that's the most important a man could ever find, a pursuit more worthy of a life's journey than any historical relic. It's the most powerful dramatic arc in the series, the single scene pushes the film above Raiders in terms of emotional power and lasting significance, all other pieces being largely equal.

Just as important, this is the Indiana Jones series not only returning to its roots and exorcising the bad taste some might have been fighting after Temple of Doom, but extending beyond the established realm and achieving what seems like the impossible, weaving together a movie that's all at once an origins story, a here-and-now adventure, and the perfect final touch to a legendary trio of films. Only Steven Spielberg could take the grossly clichà (C) "ride into the sunset" and make it one of the best movie endings ever. The scene captures a spirit of adventure, togetherness, camaraderie, and humor that encapsulates everything that's good about the series and cinema, even taken within the context that is the entire series and not only within the film's own rhythm and purpose. In a way, it's a shame there's another movie that largely nullifies Crusade's ending scene, yet it's so much a fabric of the film and series that nothing could truly stand in the way of its emotional impact, even with the knowledge that the 1950s are going to come-a-calling to Dr. Jones sooner or later. For action, romance, humor, and heart, it's impossible to top The Last Crusade in the series or even, really, considering the larger cinema landscape. It's almost eerily faultless and considering that a single franchise has in four movies produced two of the finest films of all time is a testament to the excellence that is the entire package, including Lucas' stories, Spielberg's direction, and Ford's effortless submersion into the character.