Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989)

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989)

8/10

Starring

Harrison Ford

Sean Connery

Denholm Elliott

Julian Glover

River Phoenix

Directed by Steven Spielberg

What could be better than seeing what led to the whip and the hat that became the trademark of our hero? What could be better than seeing Indiana Jones on a quest with his father, and probably his mentor, as they face odds and spiritual powers in high places?

The thing that makes Indiana Jones movies a must-watch is that they cross various genres like action, adventure, thriller, and spiritual/supernatural. It keeps the viewer intrigued by the blend. The father and son relationship is one blend that Spielberg did well, as it was never a dull moment with the duo.

The chase scene on the train, where we see young Indy in a Boy Scout uniform, is one I really applaud. It doesn’t play on your intelligence and explores the roots of Indy’s attributes and what led to them.

The movie’s plot is centred on the Holy Grail. It starts with an introduction to a younger Indy (played by the late River Phoenix), where we see moments that shaped who he is, like what led to his fear of snakes. 

It moves from there to a classroom, where Indy is teaching his students, and once again he's drawn away to embark on another adventure—to find the Holy Grail and his missing father. His journey eventually leads to Nazi involvement, as they want the Grail and the eternal life that comes with it.

Shot in Spain, Italy, England, Turkey, and Jordan, the movie was a financial success, earning over $474 million at the box office. It also won an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg, who dropped out of directing Big (1988) and Rain Man (1988) to fulfil his promise to make this film with executive producer George Lucas.

The Last Crusade is the third instalment (and was meant to be the last) in the Indiana Jones franchise.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was seen by many as the best of the best in the franchise, especially after Temple of Doom was seen as falling short of the pedigree the first one delivered. The Last Crusade went through several drafts and rewrites to serve as an apology to fans and win back their love for the whip and the hat. To me, Temple of Doom is not as bad as they say, and Spielberg and Lucas owed no one anything.

Here’s one Indiana Jones film you don’t want to miss. Include it in your collection, as the first three are the classics and far ahead of the fourth addition, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).