Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the first “buddy movie” entry into the big-screen Indiana Jones series. While it may be about the “Last Crusade” (“Last Crusade” is the technically appropriate description, since it is about the Christian Crusaders and their quests for the Holy Grail), it is really not the last adventure we will see about our favorite archaeologist/adventurer in a brown fedora. “Crusade” is set in the year 1938, and the new “Indy” movie, set for release on Thursday, May 22, 2008, titled Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, is about another adventure of Indy’s set in the year 1957.

It is going to be difficult to top what the three Indiana Jones films (Raiders of the Lost Ark [1981], Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom [1984], Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade [1989]) have given us in truly classic screen adventure. One hopes that we will not be treated to an overabundance of Lucas’ digital CGI and special effects which tend to eclipse the dramatic interplay of the human characters, as many feel muted the impact of the “prequel” Star Wars films (I., II., and III.) as compared to the “original trilogy” (films IV., V., and VI). Personally, I also hope no CGI equivalent of Jar-Jar Binks comes strutting through the kingdom of the Crystal Skull either. Just my little “new hope.” Also, like some readers may have done, I bought the boxed set of the Indiana Jones DVDs some time back, thinking that was the “complete set”, and now another DVD is on the horizon, spoiling my illusion of a complete grouping all in one box. But seriously, adding another “Indy” movie to my collection some day, especially if it will be as good as I suspect it will be, is a small price to pay to see Harrison Ford in this role once again. May 22, 2008 will come sooner than we think, and none too soon for this.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is in many ways equal to or even greater than Raiders of the Lost Ark, in my opinion. As a lover of the acting skills of Sean Connery, who plays Indy’s father in the film, I am biased of course. Ford and Connery are superlative actors of the action/adventure film genre, and to see them complementing each other here is one of those rare experiences where the sum of both actor’s work is greater than the sum of the parts.

The story is heavily dependent, of course, on the tone we have seen in the first two films. Indy is on a quest this time to find the Holy Grail, the legendary cup Jesus Christ is said to have used at the Last Supper. According to legend, and not found in the Christian Bible, by the way, is the idea that to drink from the Holy Grail is to have eternal life. Once again, greedy men, especially the Nazis, want to get their hands on the cup.

We learn some new and interesting information about Indy in this film. We find out Indy’s real name: Dr. Henry Jones, Jr., nicknamed “Indy”. The fact that Indy is a “junior” obviously means that there is a Dr. Henry Jones, Sr., of course, and we discover that Indy’s father is also an archaeologist/adventurer played by Sean Connery.

Dr. Jones, Sr., is a man who is every bit as charismatic in his own way as Indy, but of course older and, alas, a bit stuffier, although his tastes seem to follow many of the same paths as his redoubtable son. The senior Jones is a man obsessed with the Legend of the Holy Grail, and he has been lost (kidnapped?) in his own quest. Thus Indy’s quest for the grail now is about more than finding the Grail; it becomes about finding and saving his father also.

In the early scenes of the film we also find a young Indy as a Boy Scout who happens onto a treasure in the desert, and we learn how he became a seeker after antiquities. This synchronizes not only with Indy’s passion for finding rare relics and saving them from private scavengers, but also how and why he (literally) is following in his father’s footsteps in this later-years escapade, on the trail of the Grail.

Studying his father’s Grail notebook, Indy follows a path from America to Venice, Italy, where he delves into the rat-infested aquatic catacombs. From there he moves on to the deserts and caves of the Holy Lands. Along the way he contends with not only Nazi spies and soldiers, but greedy Fascist industrialists and Christian soldiers who are sworn to the death to protect the location of the Grail.

He finds an alluring partner in the early stages of his quest in a beautiful blond female art historian named Dr. Elsa Schneider, played by Alison Doody. Eventually he finds his famous father, and here is where many of the greatest delights in the movie unfold.

The two Jones, father and son, have many of the same father-and-son tensions that all fathers and sons have. We have in the earlier episodes seen Indy as a man, and indeed a man’s man, red-blooded and brave but with a few weaknesses which only emphasize that he is not a super-hero. We have known him as a human being who gets hurt, bleeds, and feels pain in a way with which we can identify, and yet as a heroic, independent man standing on his own two feet all the same.

Now, when Indy is paired with his father, Dr. Jones, he is treated to quite a bit of fatherly condescension and brow-beating. Not only young children and youth who have disciplinary parents, but adult children who have older adult parents, can identify with the “independent” adult Indy’s chafing under Dr. Jones’ rebukes. And yet, these interactions of the father telling the son what to do and what not to do are comical in the highest order. And we can see that Dr. Jones, too, has some weaknesses in his makeup, as do all parents. This “buddy-style” interaction of support, criticism, and mutual task-handling is great fun to watch and enjoy. Connery might have stolen the show were he not the secure and excellent actor that he is.

The quest finally leads to the Holy Grail itself, and, as always in these films, the climax ultimately hinges not on special effects nor outward heroics, but on the decisions of inner character. That is what makes these films so satisfying and sets them apart, and what makes this one, in my mind, up on the level with the stunning first in the series.

As always, Spielberg and Lucas pull out all the stops in their evolving creative partnership to give the audience the very best of sets, costumes, action scenes, and circa-1989 special effects. There are chase scenes, romance scenes, and of course, a snake scene. The acting, again in the scope of what an action-adventure film requires, is of the highest order. And, topping it all off, is John Williams' rousing musical score.

After delving into the dark tones of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, this third film in the big-screen series represents a return to the brighter tones of the first movie. It is probably essential that if you have never seen the first two films, that you see this one after viewing them. Only then will the nuances have the depth of meaning essential to the full impact of the story.

So what happened to Indiana Jones after the “Last Crusade” adventure? What happened to him in those years from 1938 to 1957? Will these answers come to light with the fourth film? What surprises await us?

Some have said that ending the series with this film may have been fitting and all that we need. We look forward to “Indy IV.” For the answer to that.

Five Stars/ *****



Other Reviews:

Raiders of the Lost Ark: http://www.epinions.com/content_406203567748

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: http://www.epinions.com/content_406281686660


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older