Disappointing

Rating: 3/10 (9 October 1999)

I loved the first two films of the Indiana Jones trilogy and was extremely disappointed with this one when it first came out, for several reasons. First of all, the opening is one of the most contrived and unbelievable things I've ever seen. It's as if the producers said, "Okay, we need a way for young I.J. to find his hat, his whip, the scar on his chin, the way he dresses, his fear of snakes, and his search for adventure all in ten minutes!"
Some of the special effects in this film are horrible--there is no explanation for the pathetic giant B-movie snake that opens its mouth and attacks young Indy. Sometimes the camera angles aren't wide enough, either. The fake-looking rhino that rams it's horn into the roof is shot way too close. This is also true of some of the scenes inside the tank, later. The angles are so tight you can only get a vague idea of what's going on.
In accordance with the first two films, I don't buy the relationship with Indy and his father. He never mentions his father in the other films (because the writers hadn't thought of him yet) and in "Raiders," Indy mentions his mother to Marcus. It is stated in this movie that she died while Indy was young. Indy's character seems slightly different in this movie as opposed to the other films. Marcus Brody, an intelligent and interesting (although short on screen time) character in "Raiders" is reduced to a goof-ball who clowns around and gets into trouble for humor's sake.
My biggest complaint with "Last Crusade" is its lack of punch as a supposed thrill-packed adventure film. It is extremely lacking in almost every aspect. Every action scene is over almost as quickly as it had started. Indy and his father get out of everything way too easily, whether it be landing a plane, boat chases, correctly selecting the right grail, or escaping Nazi-war planes. The tank battle sequence is the most impressive of the movie, although it is lackluster compared to anything in "Raiders" or "Temple of Doom." Vogel makes a pretty nasty Nazi, but the rest of the villains are boring. Donovan is just another traitorous man in a suit, strait out of a television murder mystery. Ilsa isn't very vicious as a villain, or charismatic as a love interest. Kazim just spouts prophecies at Indy on the brink of death. Where are great villains like Belloq, Toht, or Mola Ram when you need them?
The movie does insult your intelligence more than the other two. For example, why does Vogel fire a pistol at Indy while he's inside a TANK? Why does Donovan drink from the first grail before anyone else does, without testing it on anyone first, and why does he take Ilsa's word? "Shooting ME won't get you anywhere," Indy contrivedly tells Donovan, giving the villain the opportunity to shoot his father. While both of the first films had magic and supernatural elements, the scene at the end with the 1000 year old crusader really pushes it.
I recently watched this film with a close friend, a fan of the first two who hadn't seen "Crusade" yet. Halfway through it, he turned to me and said, "Let's watch one of the other ones." That would have been a good idea.