INDIANA JONES & THE LAST CRUSADE

REVIEWED BY CARISSA HORTON

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: violence, language, gruesome images

Rated:

It’s the year 1912 and young Indiana Jones (River Phoenix) starts off his adventurous career with a bang. Treasure hunters have located the Cross of Coronado in Utah, and who else would happen to be out on a horseback trip with his fellow scouts. Yes, it’s Indy. Knowing the cross belongs in a museum and not a rich man’s pocket, Indy snatches the cross from the table, and is then forced to run for his life. In this sequence, we learn how Indy becomes the Professor Jones we know today, right down to his fear of snakes and his use of a bullwhip.

Twenty-six years pass and Indy (Harrison Ford) has only just recovered the Cross of Coronado so it will have its rightful place in a museum. Well, better late then never, and one chapter of his life is finally closed, much to his relief, and just in time for another adventure to track him down. Walter Donovan, a well-known collector of antiquities, has Indy brought to his home where he reveals a sandstone tablet with intricate instructions on the location of the Holy Grail. Fascinated as he is, Indy refuses the job at first, until he learns that his father, Henry Jones (Sean Connery) has gone missing in the search for the Grail. With his dad’s Grail diary in hand and old friend Marcus Brody to assist him, Indy heads off to Venice where he attempts to pick up his father’s trail. Prof. Jones’ partner, Dr. Elsa Schneider offers her assistance and they examine the library where Henry Jones was last seen.

Through an amazing coincidence Indy manages to unearth the second marker needed to find the Grail. After nearly losing their lives, being chased by Guardians of the Grail, and accidentally misplacing Marcus, Indy and his compatriots learn where Professor Jones Sr. is being held; a castle located on the Austrian-German border. Getting into the castle with Elsa is no problem, but discovering it’s run by Nazis puts a damper on the ability of escaping with Professor Jones, particularly when Indy is betrayed into Nazi hands by one of their party who shall remain nameless. However, thanks to Indy, the Grail diary is useless to the Nazis for a map was torn out and given to Marcus Brody for safekeeping (not exactly the smartest move in the world, for Marcus is an academic and not very adept at escaping trouble).

Despite Indy’s attempts at sidetracking them, Marcus is discovered and captured, right under the nose of Sallah (John Rhys-Davis), a faithful ally of Indy’s. Father and son make one of the most humorous escapes in history, then head to Berlin to recover the diary taken by the Nazis. (It turns out the diary is indeed needed to get by three challenges before reaching the Holy Grail.) Their escape plan seems to be going rather well; they have passage in a dirigible out of Germany and the Grail journal is safe and sound. That is until the dirigible is turned back toward Germany and they are forced to vacate it in an airplane which was fastened to the bottom. Indy’s father and Marcus are caught, then rescued at least twice, before they finally make their way to the Canyon of the Crescent Moon, marked in the diary’s map. All Indy need do now is evade the enemy and locate the Holy Grail. No small task, but for Indy it should be a piece of cake, right? I think you’ll be surprised!

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is on the minor side of PG13. Had it been made today, I’m sure it would have earned the rating, but the good outweighs the bad which makes it most entertaining. There are a few faults, naturally, such as one prolonged kissing scene between Indy and Elsa. A few swear words are scattered throughout such as d*mn and some abuses of Jesus’ name. (However, I was impressed that Indy’s father rebuked him for blasphemy, though a facial slap was hardly necessary.) It’s also obvious that Elsa slept with both Indy and his father. Nothing is ever shown, but the innuendo says it all. The violence it what you really need to watch out for. Many vehicles are blown to smithereens, gunshots are shown entering and exiting bodies, a man’s head is sliced off and rolls down some stairs (there’s no blood), and another man hideously shrivels and dries up in vivid detail. There’s also a scene when Indy and Elsa are nearly burned alive along with hundreds of rats.

Despite the few problems and violence (which most people can take) this is a thoroughly enjoyable movie. Of course I don’t believe in the Holy Grail, but it makes for a fascinating storyline. The relationship between Indy and his dad is tense at times, but in the end you see how much they truly love each other. Harrison Ford and Sean Connery are the best father and son team I have ever seen in a movie, and they share so many uproarious moments you can’t help but laugh. I was enthralled with the many twists and turns of the plot, and the ending caught me completely off guard. This really is a must-have for any Harrison Ford fan (myself included).