Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a flawless return to form for Steven Spielberg and the entire returning cast and crew of the Indy series. Taking to heart all of the elements that made Raiders of the Lost Ark a timeless classic, this third film utilizes action, comedy, romance, thrills and chills to be an adventurous and perfect conclusion to the Indiana Jones legacy.

It is 1938, and Professor Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is still the adventure-hungry archaeologist he was two years earlier, chasing after the Ark of the Covenant. Walter Donovan (Julian Glover) approaches Jones to aid in the search for the Holy Grail, the cup Christ used during the last supper. The project leader has vanished suddenly, and Donovan knows Indiana is experienced in Grail lore. Initially Jones refuses, admitting that his father is the true expert – until he’s informed that the project leader was indeed his dad, Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery)!

Traveling to Venice, Italy, Indy and colleague Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott) join Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody) to search for clues to the city where the Grail resides. Indy learns of his father’s whereabouts during a run-in with a secretive group of soldiers who have been protecting the location of the artifact, and travels to Salzburg on the Austrian/German border. After a daring rescue attempt, Indy and his father must brave unrelenting attacks by the Nazis, who also seek the Grail, betrayal, motorcycle chases, tanks, and all manner of gunfire to arrive at Alexandretta and the Canyon of the Crescent Moon, where a final showdown and deadly trials of faith threaten the lives of all involved.

Indy’s boring day job as a school professor perfectly contrasts his natural draw to adventure and excitement. And this third film also marvelously compliments Raiders of the Lost Ark, which established Indy’s unforgettable role. The superb acting returns, along with the non-stop action, the cold-hearted villains, the femme fatale, the evil Nazis, the comedic sidekicks, and the loose ties to historical and religious lore. Sean Connery couldn’t be better as the new addition to the Jones family, and we’re even treated to an opening scene that educates us on the origins of Indy’s love for adventure, his drive for museum treasures, and his mastery of a bullwhip.

Once again traversing sea, air and land much like James Bond, but without the gadgets (indeed Indiana Jones was intended to be Spielberg’s version of Bond), The Last Crusade doesn’t disappoint with its death-defying stunts and intense action. From boat chases to motorcycle escapes to tank warfare, the explosions, fighting and well-choreographed stunts never elude the man in the fedora. Where Bond impresses with his clean-cut and gentlemanly approach to blowing things up, Indy is rugged and gruff, but just as seasoned in the art of destruction. But it’s not just the inimitable lead character with a Stakhanovite dedication to mayhem – the inclusion of such elements such as intriguing supporting roles, the occult teamed with grotesque stop-motion animation, and the unequaled father-son camaraderie make The Last Crusade arguably more enjoyable than any Bond film, and at the very top of the list for the action/adventure genre.

So many elements are staples of the Indy saga, including the blending of historical events, the Nazis, religious artifacts, spine-chilling booby-traps, and constant globetrotting. While The Last Crusade is perhaps the greatest third part to any movie franchise in the history of film, it still isn’t quite as exceptional as Raiders of the Lost Ark. But for a film that comes so undeniably close, it would be unfair to grade it as anything less than perfect.

- Mike Massie

Read the rest of Indiana Jones saga:

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

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