My Favorite of the Series

Rating: 9/10 (21 December 2012)

Last Crusade is without a doubt my favorite of the Indiana Jones series, and I think a lot of people would agree. Sure there are some people who prefer Raiders of the Lost Ark, but this film is often regarded as one of the best sequels of all time. As it should be, it fixes most of the problems with it's predecessors, and enhances on the stuff that made that film work.
There really isn't that much wrong with the movie, at it's worst moments it can be a little boring. But I also get confused as to what the movie is trying to do with with Dr. Shnieder. Spoiler Alert, but it turns out she's a Nazi, but then she's crying at the book burning, then she's clearly evil again, then she's good, then evil, by the end I wasn't sure if I was supposed to like her or not.
The best part about this movie are the scenes between Indy and his dad. Harrison Ford and Sean Connery are downright hilarious at times, and have great chemistry, I actually believed that they were father and son. The action scenes are fantastic, and unlike Raiders the pacing is perfect, a perfect blend of action, comedy, drama, and adventure. Most of the special effects have held up pretty well, sure some stuff is obvious green screen but most of it's not noticeable. The villains are good, not quite as good as the ones from Raiders, but very threatening. The adventure element is great, it's sort of a mystery as well as a treasure hunt. And River Phoenix looks exactly like a young Harrison Ford.
Despite not being a hardcore Indiana Jones fan, I say Last Crusade is one of the best adventure movies ever made. It's funny, exiting, has some great characters, and is very well written and directed.