Indiana Jones y la última cruzada

An army of fascists seek to plunder, an artefact so precious it's a wonder, an archaeologist will resist, using whips and guns and fist, in a treasure of a film, packed with adventure.

There are puzzles to be solved and riddles broken, the dialogue's a joy, beautifully spoken, action packed from start to end, returns a massive dividend, engaging all the way, and thought provoking.

When the two greatest filmmakers in the world teamed up to create the best action movie of all time - Raiders of the Lost Ark, it seemed unlikely that they could duplicate their divinely-inspired work. After a miss with the entertaining yet forgettable Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade comes pretty close to doing just that.

Film history's most profitable star Harrison Ford returns to his signature role in a performance that speaks for itself, and benefits greatly from a gallery of memorable supporting characters. That includes Sean Connery, the grandest of all modern action day movie heroes (and appropriately cast, as the spiritual father of the character is James Bond). Connery plays against that, in a performance that is different than anything he has ever done, and it works. Even so, Denholm Elliott can't seem to help stealing every scene he's in as Marcus Brody, a lifelong friend of the Jones family.

This movie stands by itself in the way it deals with spirituality, and is thick with religious themes throughout, without preaching to you. This is a very difficult balance to achieve in any film, and that alone makes the film stand out as brilliant. It is more abundant with humor than the previous two films, without the characters falling into irritating self-parody. Being a sequel, this is a difficult balance to achieve as well. (Look at action sequels such as Lethal Weapon 4).

This film stands among the greatest action adventures of all time. I don't know anyone who hasn't seen it, but if you haven't, don't walk to see it. Run.

One thing you gotta say for this series: it isn't boring.

And "Last Crusade" has enough thrills, chills and spills to fill up a few dozen old Saturday afternoon serials.

Right down the line, everything about this film is superb. Ford and Connery do the father and son routine superbly. Rhys-Davies returns as Sallah, as does Elliott who plays Brody with as much befuddlement as Connery does his role. And who can blame him?

And the FX: there's so many you lose count. But don't bother, just sit back, relax and get swept up in the moment. You can't help yourself but to get into this "Crusade".

Ten stars. A classic Ford with a bright Sean.

This is a must see movie for fans of adventure. It came out when I was seven, but I saw it again recently and must admit it aged really well. A testament to the quality of story, acting, cinematography and oh my, the music!

"Last Crusade" is always a joy to watch. At 2hr 7 mins the time just flies by, there is never a dull moment. There is a great variety of action, they manage to fit in horseback, train, car, airplane, boat, motorcycle and tank action scenes. All of these scenes are done at the very top of their class.

All the main cast work off of each other perfectly, and there is fantastic chemistry between Sean Connery and Harrison Ford as the father/son duo at the core of this film. The real predecessor to Indiana Jones is James Bond, so it makes sense that Sean Connery would play the father of Indiana Jones. But beyond stunt casting, Sean Connery's Henry Jones is a delight, and is memorable in every scene he is in.

This film also blends together action and comedy perfectly. It never clashes with the tone and always allows the serious moments to sink in. But when they do a joke, it is legitimately a very funny joke.

And how I can go without mentioning the music? John Williams delivers some of the best music of his career in this entry. The music compliments what is going on on screen so well, you could picture the scenes in your mind just through listening through the soundtrack.

Where some may prefer "Raiders of the Lost Arc" for its originality and grit, I prefer "Last Crusade" for its refining and perfecting everything the series had set up. The ending of this film is also just more satisfying and exciting than the ending of "Raiders". The Holy Grail is the best maguffin of the series, and possibly of all time. There is something inherently legendary about people questing to find the Holy Grail.

If you haven't seen this film: WATCH IT. If you have seen this film a dozen times already: go ahead and watch it again. It is always entertaining, exciting and illuminating. What a great way to END a great trilogy.