Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

So how do you return a franchise to it's successful past? Apparently bring back most of the cast from the first movie and the Nazis but add Sean Connery. This movie is as good if not even just a little bit better than the original. The interaction between Ford and Connery is amazing and makes for an enjoyable film. The action and story in this is great. This time (back to looking for Christian artifacts) Indy is out to find his father who went missing while looking for the Holy Grail.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) is an Action Classic adventure better film than Temple of Doom , is still the best follow up in the trilogy and clever. It is also the greatest sequel of all time. It is one of my personal favorite adventure movies of all time. I love this movie to death. I loved it as a child and I still love it. After the dark middle chapter it was time for Indy to return to form and more lighthearted fair. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was the answer. Not to mention that bringing in Bond aka Sean Connery as Indy's dad was perfect casting. Connery adds his own whit & charm along with Indy's usual counterparts who where missed in The Temple of Doom. Last Crusade also bookends the trilogy well since the artifact he is after is related to God. While "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" isn't by any means what I would consider a stellar film, it was still an enjoyable and memorable theatrical experience, and in my opinion, easily ranks as the best sequel in the series. For all its faults and shortcomings (perhaps most of all, River Phoenix' laughably terrible haircut as the young Indy), the film succeeds in hitting the key notes at the proper moments, thus drumming up enough of the right combination of story and thematic elements, action and humor to make it worthwhile. Nevertheless, the bottom line is that it still pales in comparison to the level of across-the-board excellence that was achieved in the original 1981 movie. Still though, fans of this one will definitely want to pick up this excellent release, of which, throughout the entire presentation, I only came across a handful of things I thought could possibly be improved upon technically. This is probably the best installment of the Indiana Jones series. Raiders is a spectacular introduction to Dr. Jones and his style, Temple of Doom is an awesome Action, Adventure flick! Last Crusade rights the ship again with a go-for-broke production. Everything about it is huge- Jones is saving the planet from the Nazis for the second time. The budget was in place and off went Spielberg to make an epic, successfully. The film is bookended by two of the best things to appear in any of Spielberg's output: A young Indiana "beginning" his archaeological career, losing his treasure- just like the opening of Raiders- and being told by the man in his trademark hat "You lost today kid, but that doesn't mean you have to like it." and at the end, riding off into the sunset, literally. Such a conclusion could be seen as contrived but it works so well here. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has lots of hand-to-hand combat, action-filled chases, and gun fights. Main characters are in near-constant peril, and one is shot point blank and almost bleeds to death. Minor characters are killed in somewhat gruesome ways, including beheading; a bad guy meets his end in a fairly disturbing scene. There's a bit of kissing/banter, and it's implied that two men have slept with the same woman. Language is mild, and there's ultimately a strong message about the importance of the father-son relationship. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third installment in the Indiana Jones franchise. A cult film, still one of my favorite films in the series and the last good Indiana Jones movie we didn't need another sequel after third release. There's nothing more exciting than trying to keep up with the Joneses in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Indy's Nazi enemies are back and have kidnapped his father, Professor Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), in their effort to locate the sacred Holy Grail. Following a trail from America to Venice to the deserts of the Middle East, it's up to Indy (Harrison Ford) to save his father, save the Grail and save the day in this non-stop, action-packed adventure the whole family will treasure. The chemistry between Sean Connery and Harrison Ford makes this movie a stand out from the rest of the series. The story of their father and son relationship wrapped in the search for the holy grail is what makes this spectacular Indy movie, a more meaningful adventure. 10/10 Bad Ass Seal Of Approval

Summer 1989. I was 8 years old. I only managed 2 movies that summer, one being Ghostbusters 2 (which blew my eager young mind at the time) and Last Crusade (which also blew my mind). I don't think I could have asked for two bigger blockbusters to choose from. Having been a rabid child fan of Raiders and Temple of Doom all things Indy were fresh in my mind and even as an 8-year-old I truly 'got' Last Crusade. Set 2 years after Raiders, and 3 years after Temple of Doom, Last Crusade opens with a flashback to Indy's youth and an aggravating cameo by River Phoenix in the role. His anachronistic hair, androgynous physiognomy, and that fact that he looks absolutely nothing like Harrison Ford take me out of the film every time, and spoils the long opening scene for me. The opening does nothing apart from establish all of Indy's trademarks (the hat, the whip, the scar, the fear of snakes), which he apparently all got within five minutes. Luckily the film soon jumps forward to 1938 and the opening quickly is forgotten about as shady antique collector Walter Donovan encourages Indy to go after the Holy Grail. With Der Fuhrer also after the sacred chalice Indy must once again face off against the despicable Nazis, rescue his bumbling father (Sean Connery, having the time of his life), and keep one step ahead of Donovan with Sallah and Brody tagging along. There is loads of inventive, exciting action in many exotic, breath-taking locations and all of it is immaculately photographed by Douglas Slocombe in lovely anamorphic Panavision. Even with today's many advancements in movie camera technology you'll rarely see a film as beautifully photographed as this. All very high-key, mind you, the polar opposite of the dark, subterranean Temple of Doom. Now, herein lies my only gripe with Last Crusade (other than River Phoenix) is the fact that it's just too light-hearted. Spielberg expressed regret over the fact that he made Temple of Doom very dark and mean-spirited (which I don't agree with as it is my personal favorite) so he compensated by making Last Crusade more cheerful and bright. It's not an annoying shift in tone, but it could have been balanced out with a bit more blood and gore. Last Crusade makes the perfect end to the real Indiana Jones trilogy. Spielberg really should have left it as our hero, his dad, and his two sidekicks rode off into the sunset. How can you top that? How can you come back from that? But 19 years later he tarnished many reputations and spoiled many memories with the deeply, DEEPLY misjudged Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It was an amazing film to see as a child, and it's a shame that kids these days are not exposed to anything as good. If you can turn a blind eye to River Phoenix you will surely have a great time with Last Crusade. It's not the Snake Car on the train he ought to worry about, it's the Viper Room on Sunset Boulevard.

"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" was the third and final instalment in the original Indiana Jones trilogy. Whereas "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" was a prequel to "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Last Crusade" is a true sequel. Apart from an opening scene relating an adventure of the teenage Indy as a Boy Scout in 1912, the action takes place in 1938, two years after "Raiders". (In this opening scene we learn how the hero got his nickname; Indiana is not, as I had always assumed, his home state, but a name borrowed from his pet dog). Whereas "Raiders" was a great commercial and critical success, "Temple of Doom" received considerable criticism, both on account of its dark, gloomy atmosphere and its racist treatment of Indian characters. Steven Spielberg, therefore, was determined to make the third film lighter in tone, closer in spirit to "Raiders". Once again the villains are the Nazis, once again the plot involves the search for a legendary relic with mystical powers (in this case the Holy Grail which caused such excitement among King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table) and once again much of the action takes place in the Middle East. (This must be the only Hollywood film ever to be set- ostensibly- in the short-lived Republic of Hatay, formerly part of French Syria and today part of southern Turkey, which enjoyed a brief independence for several months in 1938/9. Most of the "Hatay" scenes, however, were shot in Spain, with the ruins of Petra, actually in Jordan, standing in for the temple in which the Grail is housed). The film also introduces us to Indy's father, Henry Jones, Sr. The James Bond films were undoubtedly one of the inspirations for this franchise, and it was possibly in their homage that Sean Connery was cast as the elder Jones, even though he is only twelve years older than Harrison Ford. (That speedboat chase along the Venetian canals also seems to be homage to Bond). Like his son, Henry senior is an academic archaeologist and has gone missing while seeking the Holy Grail. Indy believes that his father is in danger and sets out to find him, a quest that will take him to Venice, Germany and ultimately Hatay. The main female character is Henry's colleague, Dr. Elsa Schneider, a glamorous Austrian blonde whose loyalties are ambiguous. There is more stress on character development here than in other episodes of the franchise, with emphasis being placed on the father-son relationship. The film is not just about the search for the physical Holy Grail. Even in the Arthurian legend the Grail was as much a symbol as a physical object, and today the phrase "holy grail" is used metaphorically for anything which is desirable and much sought-after. The film is also about Indiana's search for his lost father and their efforts to re-establish a relationship which in the past has often been strained- the story's metaphorical Holy Grail. Ford and Connery are both good at bringing out this aspect of the story. There are also good contributions from Denholm Elliott as Indiana's bumbling colleague Marcus Brody and Alison Doody as the treacherous, seductively sinister Elsa. After the awful "Temple of Doom", "Last Crusade" represents a welcome return to form, both for Spielberg and for Ford, who seemed ill at ease in the earlier film but here is back to his old ebullient self. The film contains a better balance of suspense and humour than did its predecessor, much of the humour being at the expense of the hapless Marcus. There are some excellent action scenes, such as the train sequence in the opening scene, the escape from the Zeppelin and the tank chase though the desert. "Last Crusade" is a very enjoyable adventure film in the same tradition as "Raiders". 7/10

Indiana Jones teams up with his father to try and locate the Holy Grail. Something that the Nazis are again particularly interested in themselves. We didn't know it at the time, but every Indiana Jones fan on the planet presumed that The Last Crusade was to be the final film to feature the intrepid archaeologist. As it turned out, another film would surface in 2008, but casting that aside (as many would like to do), Last Crusade should, and is, judged as the trilogy closer it was meant to be. In 1988 Steven Spielberg was deep into bringing Rain Man to fruition, all thoughts of Indiana Jones had gone by the wayside with the harshly judged part two, Temple Of Doom. In stepped George Lucas to politely remind Spielberg that they had an agreement to make another Indiana Jones picture, Spielberg no doubt obliged and humble, passed on his Rain Man work to Barry Levinson who promptly bagged himself an Oscar for the film. It can be guessed that Spielberg was probably grouchy around this period, but he needn't have worried, because The Last Crusade provided a much needed hit for not only himself (post Empire Of The Sun), but also Lucas (Willow) and Harrison Ford (Frantic). I mention the run up to this picture because it explains a lot on why the film is pretty much a retread of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, something that some detractors find unforgivable. Yet Last Crusade is still an immensely enjoyable adventure picture, with Spielberg proving that he was still capable of a popcorn bonanza. Using the Raiders formula and moving away from the dark flourishes of Temple Of Doom, Last Crusade is actually the simplest film of the three, but still it manages, courtesy of a sparkling casting decision, to become the most entertaining of the original trilogy. Is it better than Raiders? Of course not, but it positively rips along with sparky dialogue and an agenda of cliffhanging suspense like the adventure films of yore. In comes Sean Connery as Dr Jones Senior, and its the picture's trump card, because the magnificent interplay and obvious rapport with Ford (cool as a cucumber) is there for all to see. It's this what drives the film on through the more mundane and picture filler sequences, showcasing two top wily professionals with care and consideration to their craft. The casting of Alison Doody as the main female is a poor one, and one only has to look at her subsequent career post Crusade to see she wasn't up to the task here. Bonus comes in the form of the River Phoenix prologue, Phoenix as the young Indiana paves the way for the jaunty path that Crusade takes, whilst simultaneously giving us a nice little back story from which to launch the adventure. Made for $48 million, the film went on to gross $474,171,806 Worldwide, now that's a lot of people who evidently were happy with Raiders Of The Lost Ark 2! And I gleefully count myself amongst that number. 9/10

Everything clicks in this action-packed cliffhanger. In his third (and what for years what thought to be his last) adventure, Indy is on the hunt for that ultimate treasure, the Holy Grail. Along the way he must contend with Nazis, a secret brotherhood and, of course, snakes. Sean Connery is a wonderful addition as Indy's father, and the chemistry between he and star Harrison Ford may just be one of the best in film history. The movie is a true rarity in that its attempts to outdo each preceding chase sequence succeed. Though children might have trouble interpreting the plot, this crusade is one people of all ages will enjoy.

When the two greatest filmmakers in the world teamed up to create the best action movie of all time - Raiders of the Lost Ark, it seemed unlikely that they could duplicate their divinely-inspired work. After a miss with the entertaining yet forgettable Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade comes pretty close to doing just that. Film history's most profitable star Harrison Ford returns to his signature role in a performance that speaks for itself, and benefits greatly from a gallery of memorable supporting characters. That includes Sean Connery, the grandest of all modern action day movie heroes (and appropriately cast, as the spiritual father of the character is James Bond). Connery plays against that, in a performance that is different than anything he has ever done, and it works. Even so, Denholm Elliott can't seem to help stealing every scene he's in as Marcus Brody, a lifelong friend of the Jones family. This movie stands by itself in the way it deals with spirituality, and is thick with religious themes throughout, without preaching to you. This is a very difficult balance to achieve in any film, and that alone makes the film stand out as brilliant. It is more abundant with humor than the previous two films, without the characters falling into irritating self-parody. Being a sequel, this is a difficult balance to achieve as well. (Look at action sequels such as Lethal Weapon 4). This film stands among the greatest action adventures of all time. I don't know anyone who hasn't seen it, but if you haven't, don't walk to see it. Run.

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade was, in my opinion, the best movie of the Indiana Jones trilogy. This movie featured the same type of humor we have become accustomed to from Jones, as well as another beautiful woman (also probably the best Indy girl) and lots of great action scenes! This movie starts off with a teenage Indy (River Phoenix) which gives us a look at an event that molds his life and character as well as his relationship with his father, Henry (Sean Connery). We also learn he is a "Junior" and that he hates to be called that. Back as an adult, Indy's father is kidnapped and he must set out to find him. His only clues are his father's diary notes, which were mysteriously sent to him earlier that day. They lead him to Italy, where he meets the gorgeous blonde, Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody), who becomes an integral part of this story. Once again, the grown up Indy (Harrison Ford) does battle with the Nazis. Apparently, Adolf Hitler is after the Holy Grail, which contains the blood of Christ. So Indiana and his father team up to get there first. Along the way, there is a great action scene where Jones fights a few Nazis on board a moving tank. Overall, as I mentioned earlier, I believe this to be the best Indiana Jones movie of the three. This action movie was good long before movie studios learned to make the great CGI and special effects. It's effects were pretty good anyways but back in 1989, things just did not look as good as they can make them today. Still, highly recommended and worth your time. 9.5/10

The second sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark is an awesome, beautifully crafted film, and arguably the best of the Indiana Jones trilogy. The film is funnier, classier and far more laid back than the other two woody story lines, mostly because of the introduction of the excellent Sean Connery as Indy's eccentric father. Spielberg and Lucas get back on track after their off the rails first sequel in which to many peoples' horror had none of the Nazis or characters that made Raiders so unique, however, what Spielberg does to make this film a classic is the use of historical data with the swashbuckling storyline of adventure and action. Not to mention that this may well be the greatest feel good film ever made...

Indiana Jones, the man, the legend, the whip. Everyone I know has seen at least one of the Indiana Jones movies and usually Raiders of the Lost Ark is their favorite. Now I loved Raiders of the Lost Ark, I also really loved Temple of Doom even though it gets a lot of hate for it's darkness. But The Last Crusade is my favorite of the trilogy and the strongest in my opinion. For goodness's sake we have Sean Connery as Indiana's father, how could we get any better than that? I love his way of saying "Junior!", always gets me in a good chuckle. Harrison Ford still has that same Indy charm that swoons the ladies, the adventure that captivates the guys and takes us on an incredible journey that we'll never forget. In 1938, Indiana finally recovers the Cross and donates it to his friend Marcus Brody's museum. Indiana is later taken to the residence of wealthy businessman Walter Donovan, who informs him that his father has vanished while searching for the Holy Grail, leaving behind partial directions from an incomplete stone tablet along with his diary containing his life's work on the Grail. Indiana and Marcus travel to Venice to investigate Henry's disappearance, meeting up with his colleague Elsa Schneider. Discovering catacombs beneath the library where Henry was last seen, Indiana and Elsa find the tomb of Sir Richard, a knight of the First Crusade who is buried with a complete version of the tablet. Indiana finds his father, only to be betrayed by Elsa, who reveals that she and Donovan are working with the Nazis to find the Grail. The Nazis steal the Grail diary and capture Marcus in Iskenderun, where he was sent with pages from the diary to seek the protection of Sallah. The Joneses manage to escape the castle and follow the Nazis to Berlin, where they recover the diary from Elsa. The Joneses, Marcus and Sallah arrive to find that the Nazis are unable to pass through three "trials" of God. After Indy's father gets shot, he doesn't have much of a choice as to pass the trials and choose the correct cup to save his father's life. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is one of my favorite movies of all time, it's just a flawless movie that will always be timeless. My future kids will watch these movies, they're just a lot of fun. Who said archeology can't be fun? This also has one of the most exciting chase scenes of all time, Indiana is trying to rescue his father and a friend from a Nazi tank and he is on a horse, a brutal fight ensues and was just so exciting to watch. I've watched this movie since I was a little girl and I still watch it with pleasure today, even with my friends we love watching Indiana and his adventures. They're an absolute blast and if you haven't seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, please take the first opportunity you have to watch it, it's a great movie. 10/10.

Rating: **** out of **** My opinion of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade could be deemed slightly biased. It is the first film I ever saw in theaters and it's also the first movie I purchased on video. I even own the same, worn-down, beat-up copy (and look upon it even more fondly than the widescreen edition, for sentimental reasons, of course) (but nothing beats the pristine quality DVD). I think it's fair to say it's this movie that cemented my love of cinema, the high regard I hold for great escapism, which is sorely lacking from today's cinema; movies that should be fun now drag or bludgeon themselves with relentlessly awful scripts or MTV-style direction that turns relatively simple scenes into chaotic blurs. The Last Crusade may only be thirteen years old, but I think I can safely say they don't make them like they used to. The film stars, of course, Harrison Ford as Indy Jones, the archaeologist/adventurer who's on yet another quest, this time to find his father, who'd been searching for the Holy Grail. Said Dad is played by none other than Sean Connery, whose highly charismatic performance is quick to place this film, acting-wise, above the others in the trilogy by giving Ford a genuine acting equal (let me put it this way, he's only half a notch below Harrison Ford/Indy in charisma and appeal if that tells you anything). The rest of the film focuses on this ongoing journey between father and son (eventually joined along by Sallah and Marcus Brody), complete with amazing action and stunt sequences, clever humor, and nasty (but fun) surprises. The script, by Jeffrey Boam, takes a few cues from Raiders of the Lost Ark, but actually improves upon that story by paying more attention to characterization. The delightful opening scene (all three movies really open with a bang, don't they?); which details how young Indy got his scar, whip, hat, and fear of snakes; makes for a better prequel than Temple of Doom (and any of The Adventure of Young Indiana Jones, for that matter). The story is engrossing because there's a lot of fun clues offered towards the location of the Grail and, thus, there's a lot of engaging little discoveries (love the "X marks the spot" scene). I'm quite certain, like with Raiders of the Lost Ark, the plot has a few holes, but they're fairly hard to notice, and I've seen this movie quite a few times, but maybe it's just my enjoyment of the film clouding that up. Either way, it speaks volumes in favor of Spielberg's direction and the performances. Given that action and adventure is the series' selling point, you can expect the thrills and wondrous delight of discovery delivered in spades. The action scenes are terrific (and matched well with John Williams' rousing, memorable score, also the best of the trilogy), the best being a fantastic ten-minute chase sequence on board (and in) a tank, possibly the best action sequence of Spielberg's career. I also loved the motorcycle chase and the Zeppelin setpiece, where the heroes go about dispatching of two enemy fighters in unexpected, but quite hilarious, fashion. The climax, complete with frightening booby traps, is a suspenseful venture into the unknown. The Last Crusade is far more humor-oriented than its predecessors, but part of the movie's effectiveness is that it's able to deliver belly laughs without defusing the tension during the action sequences. Some of the jokes are just brilliant, including one with Indy armed with a Luger in confrontation with a trio of Nazis on board a tank that's even funnier than the swordsman scene in Raiders (well, to me, at least). The supporting cast is all-around superb; John Rhys-Davies is back as Sallah, wonderful as ever and displaying a bit more enthusiasm searching for the Grail than he did digging up the Ark of the Covenant. The late Denholm Elliot also returns as Marcus Brody, the most lovable goof of a museum curator. Alison Doody is interesting as Elsa, the blonde historian whom Indy falls for; a twist involving her character and her actions towards the climax make her not as one-dimensional as she may initially appear. Julian Glover is the best of the main Indy villains, he's far more menacing than Paul Freeman's Belloq and less over-the-top but equally enjoyable as Amrish Pruri's Mola Ram. I also enjoyed Michael Byrne's performance as the Jones hating Colonel Vogel, who relishes in torturing Indy and his father. When it comes to pure delightfully nasty villainy, Byrne is even more fun to watch than Glover. Harrison Ford delivers his best Indy performance (maybe even his best performance, period) in this particular adventure. With the addition of Connery as his father, it reveals a personal side to Indy we haven't seen before. It's his rapport with Connery that separates this film from the rest of the genre. They craft an uncannily touching, funny, and genuine bond. That, coupled with the superb action and thrills, solidifies The Last Crusade as the pinnacle of high adventure summer entertainment.

"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" was supposed to be the final movie in the "Indiana Jones" series. At least that's what director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas said at the time this film hit theaters. But now they've said there will be a fourth "Indiana Jones" film. I really don't know if that's a good idea, because the "Last Crusade" was a fitting end to a great movie series. Harrison Ford returns for his third go around as swashbuckling hero Indiana Jones, this time accompanied by Sean Connery as Indy's father, Dr. Henry Jones. These two actors work beautifully together as they fight off the Nazis in search for the Holy Grail. Two actors from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" reprise their roles to great effect in "Last Crusade": Denholm Elliott as Marcus Brody and John Rhys-Davies as Sallah. Alison Doody is the heroine (good or bad?); Julian Glover is the villain; River Phoenix portrays a young Indy at the beginning to see how this character really got his start. "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" not only has great characters, it also has a decent story (taking place in 1938), plus exciting action scenes and special effects. It's better than the second film "Temple of Doom" and comes very close to topping the first film "Raiders". The "Indiana Jones" series should stay right where it is with the "Last Crusade" as the finale. Unless Spielberg, Lucas, and Ford can prove us wrong and make a really good fourth film in the series, we shall see. I loved all three movies in the "Indiana Jones" series. If the fourth film does gets made, I hope it'll be equally as good as the first three. **** (out of four)

I loved the first two films of the Indiana Jones trilogy and was extremely disappointed with this one when it first came out, for several reasons. First of all, the opening is one of the most contrived and unbelievable things I've ever seen. It's as if the producers said, "Okay, we need a way for young I.J. to find his hat, his whip, the scar on his chin, the way he dresses, his fear of snakes, and his search for adventure all in ten minutes!" Some of the special effects in this film are horrible--there is no explanation for the pathetic giant B-movie snake that opens its mouth and attacks young Indy. Sometimes the camera angles aren't wide enough, either. The fake-looking rhino that rams it's horn into the roof is shot way too close. This is also true of some of the scenes inside the tank, later. The angles are so tight you can only get a vague idea of what's going on. In accordance with the first two films, I don't buy the relationship with Indy and his father. He never mentions his father in the other films (because the writers hadn't thought of him yet) and in "Raiders," Indy mentions his mother to Marcus. It is stated in this movie that she died while Indy was young. Indy's character seems slightly different in this movie as opposed to the other films. Marcus Brody, an intelligent and interesting (although short on screen time) character in "Raiders" is reduced to a goof-ball who clowns around and gets into trouble for humor's sake. My biggest complaint with "Last Crusade" is its lack of punch as a supposed thrill-packed adventure film. It is extremely lacking in almost every aspect. Every action scene is over almost as quickly as it had started. Indy and his father get out of everything way too easily, whether it be landing a plane, boat chases, correctly selecting the right grail, or escaping Nazi-war planes. The tank battle sequence is the most impressive of the movie, although it is lackluster compared to anything in "Raiders" or "Temple of Doom." Vogel makes a pretty nasty Nazi, but the rest of the villains are boring. Donovan is just another traitorous man in a suit, strait out of a television murder mystery. Ilsa isn't very vicious as a villain, or charismatic as a love interest. Kazim just spouts prophecies at Indy on the brink of death. Where are great villains like Belloq, Toht, or Mola Ram when you need them? The movie does insult your intelligence more than the other two. For example, why does Vogel fire a pistol at Indy while he's inside a TANK? Why does Donovan drink from the first grail before anyone else does, without testing it on anyone first, and why does he take Ilsa's word? "Shooting ME won't get you anywhere," Indy contrivedly tells Donovan, giving the villain the opportunity to shoot his father. While both of the first films had magic and supernatural elements, the scene at the end with the 1000 year old crusader really pushes it. I recently watched this film with a close friend, a fan of the first two who hadn't seen "Crusade" yet. Halfway through it, he turned to me and said, "Let's watch one of the other ones." That would have been a good idea.

One thing you gotta say for this series: it isn't boring. And "Last Crusade" has enough thrills, chills and spills to fill up a few dozen old Saturday afternoon serials. Right down the line, everything about this film is superb. Ford and Connery do the father and son routine superbly. Rhys-Davies returns as Sallah, as does Elliott who plays Brody with as much befuddlement as Connery does his role. And who can blame him? And the FX: there's so many you lose count. But don't bother, just sit back, relax and get swept up in the moment. You can't help yourself but to get into this "Crusade". Ten stars. A classic Ford with a bright Sean.