Keep Up with the Jonses

Rating: Null/10 (30 June 2017)

Learning of a Nazi plot to steal the Holy Grail, archaeologist Indiana Jones sets out to stop them, a quest that leads to him working alongside his estranged father in this second sequel to 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. Sean Connery is well cast as Indy's father, with very natural banter between them and there are some great action sequences - most notably a fight on a wooden boat being crushed by a propeller. Nothing quite matches the riveting opening few scenes though in which River Phoenix plays Indy as a lad with bits and pieces that explain his fear of snakes, love of whips and iconic hat. Many curiously regard this as better than 'Temple of Doom', yet for all its flaws and Kate Capshaw's shrillness, the second movie feels like a motion picture of its own whereas 'Crusade' is more of a rehash of 'Raiders' than a tribute to it. The plots are near identical, with Nazi bad guys and a Biblical artifact McGuffin, and neither 'Raiders' nor 'Crusade' can match the non-stop action thrills and humour of 'Temple of Doom' with most of the comic relief this time coming from Denholm Elliott being turned into a bumbling old man. All three films are technically well-made and riveting at their utmost best. As popular as 'Last Crusade' is, personal preferences will likely determine whether one likes it the most of the original trilogy or not.