Indy faces the Nazis once more in a race for the Holy Grail

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2017)

After a brief prologue in which a young Indiana Jones tries to retrieve an artefact from a profiteering archaeologist we get on to the main story. Walter Donovan, a wealthy collector of antiquities, approaches Indy saying that he has a lead to the location of the Holy Grail, the cup Christ drank from at the last supper which some believe have the power to grant immortality to those who drink from it. Indy is initially reluctant but then he is told that another archaeologist Donovan employed has gone missing Indy's father. The first lead takes him to Venice where he meets Dr Elsa Schneider, an Austrian archaeologist. Together they find further clues that, when combined with information that Indy's father had written in his dairy, will show the Grail's location. The adventure is far from over though; before they get to the site Indy will have to rescue his father from his Nazi captors, escape in a zeppelin. Later he must fight Nazis on top of a tank and eventually navigate a series of traps, which have killed numerous people already before reaching that room that contains the Grail even now there is a final test.
After the darker feel of 'Temple of Doom' this returns to the lighter tone of the original 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' this is both a strength and a weakness. On the plus side there are lots of thrilling moments that are exciting rather than scary and the Nazis always make great villains; on the down side it feels too similar to 'Raiders' with the search for another biblical artefact while going up against Nazis. Things open well; I liked how this one section managed to explain so much about Indy; most notably his whip and iconic hat. The main story contains lots of great set pieces as well as some good unforced comedy moments. The cast does a fine job; Harrison Ford is on great form as protagonist Indiana Jones and Sean Connery is a welcome addition as Indy's father. Other fine performances came from Denholm Elliott as a somewhat bumbling friend of the Joneses who gets caught up in their adventure; Julian Glover who is an effective villain. Overall I heartily recommend this for anybody looking for a fine family friendly adventure that should thrill, rather than scare, viewers of all ages except perhaps younger children.