Great fun

Rating: 9/10 (28 January 2008)

The first time I saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, I thought it was okay. The more I saw it, though, the more I liked it. Indiana Jones must find his missing father who was searching for the Holy Grail. Donovan (Julian Glover) dispatches Dr. Jones and Marcus (Denholm Eliot) to Italy where he meets Dr. Schneider (Allison Dody). After a couple of attempts on their lives, they find their way to Austria and locate the elder Dr. Jones (Sean Connery). The Nazis, too, are after the Holy Grail and kidnapped the elder Dr. Jones in hope to find his notebook. It eventually falls into their hands, giving them an edge on finding the ancient relic. This one has it all: fights, chases, comedy, the father-son relationship, beautiful women, and really mean bad-guys. While I liked Temple of Doom, I liked this one much better for several reasons. The first is the introduction in which we meet a young Indiana Jones played by River Phoenix. We learn how he got the scar, his morbid fear of snakes, and his adventurous impulses. The action sequences are also well done. The scene in the dungeon with the oil gives the audience a claustrophobic sense. Following is a great boat chase. There is also a good dogfight scene. The best is the tank scene when Indy is trying to rescue his Dad. Another thing I liked was that the female lead, Dody, was a strong woman who does not appear to be all she is. Not to give it away, but her romantic interests are selfish. This does not allow it to blossom into love, and keeps the movie from being predictable. Also, I liked the villain in this one. Julian Glover's depiction of Donovan is good, giving him a subtle sinister side along with some depth. I really liked Vogel (David Byrne) as the Nazi Commander. In the first movie, we hated the Nazis just because they were Nazis. Byrne, though, portrays evil, impatience, and anger so much better--making you loath him for his character. I liked the incorporation of previous stars like Denholm Eliot and John Rys Davis (Sallah) who were both in the original. Finally, I loved the chemistry between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery as the father and son who could not connect. They made it believable, funny, and entertaining. The best scene is when they are aboard a Zepplin and cannot think of a thing to talk about. I still contest that Raiders of the Lost Ark is a superior film, mostly because of the originality. But the Last Crusade is darn close to capturing that freshness once again.