After not loving “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” it’s nice to review a good Indiana Jones film. “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” starts off with a bang as we’re introduced to a young Indiana Jones (played by River Phoenix, who has all the charm as a young version of Harrison Ford) as he gets his first thrill of adventure trying to take an artifact away from shady characters.
When it gets to the present day, 1938 in this film, Indiana Jones learns that his father, Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), has disappeared while searching for an object which he has sought for over 40 years, the Holy Grail. Soon, Indiana Jones finds himself once again up against the Nazis as he tries to stop them from taking the power for themselves.
“Last Crusade” truly just feels like an Indiana Jones film as it gets back to the adventure and the thrill of the treasure hunt as they look for the Holy Grail. It also features that great trope of these films, where someone—usually Indiana—does all the work finding something and then having to hand over the goods because they’re being held at gunpoint. It just feels like Indiana Jones and it’s all good old-fashioned adventure for this one.
As Dr. Jones teaches his archaeology class, he tells them that “we do not follow maps to buried treasure, and “X” never, ever marks the spot.” I very much like how screenwriter Jeffrey Boam handles this as there are some scenes that are a good old-fashioned treasure hunt as Jones learns that at one point that, yes, “X” does mark the spot as they’re looking for the Holy Grail. It’s also interesting how, in that same lecture, Jones tells his students that “archeology is the search for fact, not truth;” so how Boam is able to explore this (and the fact that Jones is after the Holy Grail, which could very much be considered “truth” and not “fact”), a sort-of bedtime story, was brilliant to me. The Holy Grail and the idea of eternal life is just something that fascinates me, as well. I think that’s what helps me love this film as much as “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” because, like that film, I was enamored by the exposition and the explanations of what artifacts they’re after and learning about the history of these artifacts and their importance. In “Temple of Doom,” I didn’t think it had a significant enough artifact to keep me thoroughly intrigued.
“The Last Crusade” did keep me intrigued throughout—and it’s just a relentlessly entertaining, well-made action film. The sort-of love interest character, Elsa (Allison Doody), also felt much more integral to the story than Willie Scott ever did, and I generally found her to be well-written. The antagonists here are also well-written. They’re Nazis, so they’re not always super-developed, and there’s not one that’s as memorable as Toht in “Raiders,” but there are a couple notable ones here. I was also able to somehow avoid that character spoiler of this film and I frankly did Nazi see that coming because I wasn’t on the lookout for it.
I had to use that pun, sorry.
Sean Connery and Harrison Ford in a scene from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (Paramount Pictures, 1989).
The action scenes here also rarely let up, and when they do it’s usually for a good laugh. I laughed a lot during this, especially when Indiana Jones takes Elsa’s cap and pretends to be a Scottish lord to get into a Nazi mansion to save his father. It is hysterical. The pairing of Harrison Ford and Sean Connery is also just pure fun. The character dynamic is so great and so is their banter, and it brings a great layer to Indiana Jones. Sean Connery is great and his voice just sounds like the equivalent to a fine whiskey. They deliver on the action and more importantly they deliver in their character moments.
The aspect of Henry Sr. being a bookworm instead of a field guy, as Indiana puts it, is cool to watch as Sr. becomes more adept to the field and shows that he can hold his own just fine—especially that scene involving seagulls; even if the way he handles himself isn’t how Indiana would handle certain situations. It was also just fascinating see them working together as both Indiana Jones and James Bond are iconic, smooth-talking ladies’ men; and watching Indiana and the actor most popularly associated with James Bond learn that they had both won Elsa’s affection is hilarious. I also really liked how the love interest wasn’t the main focus of this film and it was Indiana’s relationship with his father instead.
It’s especially a great pairing after watching Willie Scott and Short Round in “Temple of Doom,” as it’s night and day in quality of sidekicks. I also totally felt Indiana Jones and Henry Jones’ mutual passion for archaeology and for the Grail, and when they became giddy like schoolboys, I became giddy, too, as this adventure and these characters made me feel like a kid because the treasure hunt is so exciting. Watching Steven Spielberg masterfully direct grown men chasing treasure to stop the Nazis feels so right. I also got super excited when Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) from “Raiders” shows up here as well. That familiarity was welcome and feels organic to the story.
The story just flows so well here, with the comedy and the action, and I thought a theme that greed would always be man’s downfall to be strong as well. There’s so many moments in this film that I felt the tension and I just never really felt that in “Temple of Doom,” either. Sure, the stakes don’t feel as high when you know Indiana survives since there’s another film after this one, but I think I will always feel some tension with this one since it’s so well-written. After years of not watching this series or at least not remembering them as an adult, I feel like I’ve found two new favourite films with “Raiders” and “Crusade.”
