A return to form

Rating: 9/10 (9 March 2000)

After a slightly disappointing second film in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", Indy makes a triumphant return to form in this third and final chapter of the trilogy.
The action elements are all present and correct...fisticuffs, tanks, Nazis, horseback chases...as well as a nice intro sequence featuring a young Indy and the origins of his chin scar, fear of snakes, whip and hat. River Phoenix really captures the mannerisms and facial expressions of Harrison Ford in this sequence.
As for the rest of the movie, John Rhys-Davies and Denholm Elliott make welcome returns to the cast but the true strength of the film lies in Sean Connery's casting as Indy's father, Professor Henry Jones, Sr. The scenes shared by Ford and Connery positively light up the screen with wit, and there's a definite (non-sexual!) screen chemistry about them.
All-in-all, not quite as good as Raiders of the Lost Ark, but pretty close all the same.