Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, and Alison Doody.

Plot: Indiana Jones is back once again, this time in a search for the holy grail (insert Monty Python joke here), but he's not the only one.  The Nazis have also returned, and this time they've captured Indy's father, who has dedicated his life to finding the grail.  With the help of Sallah, Marcus Brody, and the lovely Dr. Elsa Schneider, he will attempt to save his father while also searching for the grail before the Nazis do.

Good: The biggest difference between this film and the last two instalments is that it has a noticeably lighter tone.  This ends up working in the favor of the film, making it more like the somewhat cheesy serials it's based on.  There's a lot more comedic moments, such as when the Jones's are trying to escape the burning castle.  Harrison Ford once again returns as the titular hero, and he still does a great job after taking a five year break from the role.  His wit and charm really bring the character to life, as it did in the last two movies.  Due to the lighter tone, he really gets to show off his comedic prowess.  However, his best scenes are when he interacts with Sean Connery, who plays Indy's father.  Their banter is great fun to watch, and is the heart of the film. While it might seem kind of gimmicky to bring the main character's father along for the ride, but through a mixture of the way the character is written and Connery's charm, the addition is a welcome presence.  The returning cast does a good job as well, especially Denholm Elliot as Marcus Brody, whose role has been expanded upon in this instalment.  John Williams's score brings back the Raiders March again, while also adding some new pieces.  The music during the bike chase sequence manages to leave a memorable tune stuck in your head, and it's one of Williams's best.  The action is excellent, with action scenes being frequent and well placed and staged.  Finally, there are some great visual effects in this film.  The two that stand out are the invisible bridge and the rapidly aging villain. 

Bad: While the lighter tone may work for the most part, at some points, it comes off as too cheesy, with the actors sometimes playing their roles in a tongue-in-cheek manner.  At some points it feels like the movie is more of a comedy than an action/adventure flick.  One of the best parts of the original was how despite the cheesy moments, all of the actors played it straight.  Another issue is that while some of the effects are top notch, there are also some that don't look quite as great.  This is especially true with the green screen that they used for when they were either flying or in a boat.  The shot when the Nazi commander is yelling at the blimp probably looks the most fake.

Trivia:

• During the book burning scene, Spielberg had the extras cross their fingers whenever they did the Nazi salute and said "Sieg Heil".
• Neither Sean Connery nor Harrison Ford wore pants during the plane sequence, since the set was too hot.
• For his scenes as young Indy, River Phoenix based his performance off of Harrison Ford off screen, not the titular character.  Also, Ford had recommended Phoenix for the role.
• Speilberg has always wanted to direct a Bond movie, so having Sean Connery (the first James Bond) in his movie is the closest he's come so far.

Final Verdict: I would say this film is probably the most forgetable of the Indiana Jones franchise.  It's not as iconic as Raiders of the Lost Ark and it's not as infamous as Temple of Doom or Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  However, it's still an enjoyable watch, with its great action, excellent music, and fantastic banter between Ford and Connery.  I definently recommend this film for anyone who is a fan of the Indiana Jones franchise, or who just wants a light action/adventure movie.

Next time, we'll see take a look at one of Spielberg's lesser known films, Always.

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