great fun

Rating: Null/10 (26 June 2002)

In this, the third in the Indiana Jones trilogy, Harrison Ford is back as Indy and getting himself into all sorts of trouble along the way. But this time around Sean Connery is thrown into the mix as Indy's bumbling father and along with Marcus Brodey they are on a quest to find the Holy Grail. George Lucas also returns with a great script and Steven Spielberg is again behind the camera working his movie magic. Spielberg uses many unique camera angles to help set the mood and generate suspense. A prime example of this is the scene in which Indy and his father have been tied up by the Nazis. The camera starts on a far off shot and slowly pulls in on Ford's face as he makes his speech on Marcus Brodey, along with the slowly rising music which gives this scene an uplifting feeling. A quick cut is then used so that the audience can see that Brodey is not all he is cracked up to be. The editing is also very believable. In the place scene we edit from plane to plane. Film makers often use this technique to make it appear as if there are more than one plane even though only one is used during filming. There is also an effective scene where the camera goes from the tail of the good plane to the cockpit of the bad plane. There are many methods of creating atmosphere in the film. The music is always dark and depressing when the bad guys are around. Also when the bad guys are making their plans you will notice that it is dark and raining outside. There are also many comedic overtones in the film to create a family oriented atmosphere. Music is key in suspense. When Indy crashes through the window into a dark room the music builds up slowly to create tension. By the time Dr. Jones talks the audience is so sure something bad will happen that they jump at the sudden sound of a voice or loud noise. The music then stops when we find out that it is his father. Between the big name cast, a strong script by George Lucas and great direction bye acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, this is one entertaining thrill ride at its best. I am looking forward to seeing the direction the series will take when the cast and crew return for a fourth Indiana Jones outing in 2005.