Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Rating: 10/10 (15 March 2005)

The first film Raiders of the Lost Ark is critics' favourite, the second Temple of Doom went just a tiny bit off the rails, and this third instalment is my personal favourite, besides the original, from director Steven Spielberg (Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan). The first ten minutes see young Indiana (River Phoenix) having his first adventure to rescue an artefact, a cross, and getting his iconic chin scar and fedora felt hat. Then, 1938, grown up Indy (Harrison Ford) is on a ship fighting to get the cross (oh, it is meant to be three years after he found the Lost Ark). Then the real story begins, he meets artefact collector, Walter Donovan (Julian Glover), who shows him a tablet marker with details about the cup of Christ (that he used during the last supper), the Holy Grail, which if drunk from will give eternal life/immortality. Donovan tells him to pick up where the scientist expert left off in Venice, Italy, believed to be the location of the second tablet marker, oh, this expert is Indy's father! So, he meets his Dad's assistant, Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody), they find the second marker under the library in the sewers, and some cultists dedicated to stopping anyone finding the Grail are after them for a while. He reaches his Dad, Professor Henry Jones (the excellent BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Sir Sean Connery), and after escaping the Nazi Germans (yes, their back) they are on the run trying to get to the resting place of the Grail first. Old friends Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliot) and Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) also join them along the journey. Also starring Michael Byrne as Vogel, Kevork Malikyan as Kazim, Robert Eddison as Grail Knight, Richard Young as Fedora, Alexei Sayle as Sultan and Indy even comes face to face with Adolf Hitler (Michael Sheard). I should mention that Indiana's real name is Henry, that's why his Dad insists on calling him 'Junior' (George Lucas as writer named the character after his dog, Indiana, just like in the film). It won the Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing, and it was nominated for Best Music for John Williams and Best Sound, and it was nominated the BAFTAs for Best Sound and Best Special Effects. Steven Spielberg was number 56 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, River Phoenix was number 69, Sir Sean Connery number 8, and Harrison Ford number 5 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, Connery was also number 3 on The 50 Greatest British Actors, and Indiana Jones was number 2 on 100 Years, 100 Heroes & Villains. Outstanding!