The finest adventure I've ever seen.

Rating: 6/10 (17 September 2008)

My opinion of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade could be deemed slightly biased. It is the first film I ever saw in theaters and it's also the first movie I purchased on video. I even own the same, worn-down, beat-up copy (and look upon it even more fondly than the widescreen edition, for sentimental reasons, of course). I think it's fair to say it's this movie that cemented my love of cinema, the high regard I hold for great escapism, which is sorely lacking from today's cinema; movies that should be fun now drag or bludgeon themselves with relentless awful scripts or MTV-style direction that turns relatively simple scenes into chaotic blurs. The Last Crusade may only be thirteen years old, but I think I can safely say they don't make them like they used to. The film stars, of course, Harrison Ford as Indy Jones, the archaeologist/adventurer who's on yet another quest, this time to find his father, who'd been searching for the Holy Grail. Said Dad is played by none other than Sean Connery, whose highly charismatic performance is quick to place this film above the others in the trilogy. The rest of the film focuses on this ongoing journey between father and son (eventually joined along by Sallah and Marcus Brody), complete with amazing action and stunt sequences, clever humor, and nasty (but fun) surprises. The script, by Jeffrey Boam, takes a few cues from Raiders of the Lost Ark, but actually improves upon that story by adding more characterization, particularly with origin of Indy himself. And as a whole, the story is more engrossing because there are more fun clues offered toward the location of the Holy Grail and, thus, more engaging little discoveries (love the "X marks the spot" scene). I'm quite certain, like with Raiders, the plot has a few holes, but they're fairly hard to notice, and I've seen the movie quite a few times, but maybe it's just my enjoyment of the film clouding that up, which I suppose speaks volumes in favor of Spielberg's direction and the performances. Given that action and adventure is the series' selling point, you can expect the thrills and wondrous delight of discovery delivered in spades. The action scenes are terrific (and matched well with John Williams' rousing, memorable score), the best being an excellent ten-minute setpiece on board (and in) a Nazi tank in a sensational chase sequence across the desert. The climax, complete with frightening booby traps, is a suspenseful venture into the unknown, which is the pinnacle adventure movies aspire to. Harrison Ford once again slides effortlessly into the role of Jones, delivering another first-rate turn. To some, the performance is a joke; to most, it's acting at its finest. But I think most everyone would agree nobody else could have fit the part half as well as Ford. It's his rapport with Connery that strikes that spark that separates this from 99% of the genre. They craft an uncannily touching, funny, and genuine bond unlike any duo in film history. You could call it a buddy picture, I suppose, but unlike any you've ever seen before. The Last Crusade is a knockout thrill ride, and I seriously doubt any action/adventure will ever surpass it.