It should have remained the last

Rating: 7/10 (20 May 2013)

Summer 1989. I was 8 years old. I only managed 2 movies that summer, one being Ghostbusters 2 (which blew my eager young mind at the time) and Last Crusade (which also blew my mind). I don't think I could have asked for two bigger blockbusters to choose from. Having been a rabid child fan of Raiders and Temple of Doom all things Indy were fresh in my mind and even as an 8-year-old I truly 'got' Last Crusade.
Set 2 years after Raiders, and 3 years after Temple of Doom, Last Crusade opens with a flashback to Indy's youth and an aggravating cameo by River Phoenix in the role. His anachronistic hair, androgynous physiognomy, and that fact that he looks absolutely nothing like Harrison Ford take me out of the film every time, and spoils the long opening scene for me. The opening does nothing apart from establish all of Indy's trademarks (the hat, the whip, the scar, the fear of snakes), which he apparently all got within five minutes. Luckily the film soon jumps forward to 1938 and the opening quickly is forgotten about as shady antique collector Walter Donovan encourages Indy to go after the Holy Grail.
With Der Fuhrer also after the sacred chalice Indy must once again face off against the despicable Nazis, rescue his bumbling father (Sean Connery, having the time of his life), and keep one step ahead of Donovan with Sallah and Brody tagging along.
There is loads of inventive, exciting action in many exotic, breath-taking locations and all of it is immaculately photographed by Douglas Slocombe in lovely anamorphic Panavision. Even with today's many advancements in movie camera technology you'll rarely see a film as beautifully photographed as this. All very high-key, mind you, the polar opposite of the dark, subterranean Temple of Doom.
Now, herein lies my only gripe with Last Crusade (other than River Phoenix) is the fact that it's just too light-hearted. Spielberg expressed regret over the fact that he made Temple of Doom very dark and mean-spirited (which I don't agree with as it is my personal favorite) so he compensated by making Last Crusade more cheerful and bright. It's not an annoying shift in tone, but it could have been balanced out with a bit more blood and gore.
Last Crusade makes the perfect end to the real Indiana Jones trilogy. Spielberg really should have left it as our hero, his dad, and his two sidekicks rode off into the sunset. How can you top that? How can you come back from that? But 19 years later he tarnished many reputations and spoiled many memories with the deeply, DEEPLY misjudged Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
It was an amazing film to see as a child, and it's a shame that kids these days are not exposed to anything as good. If you can turn a blind eye to River Phoenix you will surely have a great time with Last Crusade. It's not the Snake Car on the train he ought to worry about, it's the Viper Room on Sunset Boulevard.