An incredible movie full of great action and excellent characters

Rating: 10/10 (16 March 2016)

This is one of my top 10 favorite movies ever for sure. I actually like it better than Raiders even though I think raiders is an all-around better movie.
What makes this movie so special is the chemistry between Indy and his father. Although I loved Marion from raiders, I firmly believe that Henry Jones Sr. is the best Indy sidekick of all time. Their relationship is sorely missed in the other movies.
Just like the other two original Indy films, Spielberg made sure that this movie felt practical and real. Even though it may seem like a small thing, having real rats in the library scene went a long way. That scene feels much more real than the cgi ant scene from Crystal Skull. Spielberg also included real practical action. This meant real tanks, real horses, and real explosions. There is some cgi that doesn't really hold up (i.e. The plane scene) but for the most part the action is totally practical just like the other two films and it is awesome.
The main complaint about this film is that it is too much like Raiders. Although it looks and feels similar, the actual story itself is quite different from Raiders. The characters also encountered a lot of new things in this movie and went to different locations that Indy had never visited before (i.e. italy, Germany, Austria). In fact, besides the desert locations, decaying temples with traps, the return of some old characters, Nazis as an enemy, and the search for a famous Christian artifact, there really aren't as many similarities between the two movies as people say. Except for those five similarities, almost everything is different or is at least done in a way that feels different.
To be honest, the Indiana Jones villains have never been particularly complicated. They're all one-dimensional assholes who want to capture a famous artifact before Indy does. Donavan is not a bad villain but is nothing super special. He's exactly what you'd expect from an Indiana jones film. Sure, they could've fleshed him out a little more and made him a more interesting character, but whatever.
I loved the return of Sallah and Marcus Brody because it gave the movie that classic raiders feel again. I also liked the fact that these characters are in this movie because it made Indy feel like an underdog. Brody in particular was a total fish out of water. They were kind of shoehorned in but they added to the story rather than taking away from it. I liken them being in the movie to C-3PO and R2-D2 being in the Force Awakens. Was it necessary for them to be in it? Not at all, but them being in it added to the movie and made it feel more like Star Wars.
This is also by far the most funny Indy film to date. All of them have had their comedic moments but this one has some of the best. The majority of the film is lighthearted fun but, whenever a serious scene comes along, like when Henry Jones Sr. is shot, the jokes instantly go away. My main complaint about the film is that it does go a little overboard in some scenes, but, for the most part, I enjoy the humor. That was clearly added into this movie just like all of the raiders similarities in order to counteract the dark, depressing atmosphere of Temple of Doom. I actually love temple of doom, but I like how this film feels more like an Indy movie.
Overall, this is an incredible film and I love it to death. I just hope Indy 5 recaptures the spirit of the original films like this one.
10/10 Grade: A+