Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade-Last? There’s Still Money to be Made!
Sometimes with blockbuster films, elements that may not seem highly significant turn out to be, in fact, key. Obviously, if you have read the other two reviews of the Indiana Jones films you know that casting is extremely important, but rarely can casting alone reinvigorate a film franchise. In the case of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, that is exactly what Lucas and Spielberg accomplish. Casting Sean Connery as Professor Henry Jones and Indiana Jones’ father was pretty brilliant. Oddly enough, Lucas and Spielberg successfully transform the film into something of a buddy movie and open up all sorts of new avenues of comic opportunities.
Building upon the box-office draw of the Indiana Jones name and innovative twist by incorporating Indiana Jones’s father, Lucas and Spielberg not only breathe new life into the series but make the film more attractive to a wider audience by adding a older character in a key role. In turn, this was likely of some assistance in having the film take in quite a bit more at the box-office than the previous release in the series, The Temple of Doom.
Perhaps more significant than adding Connery is the fact that with The Last Crusade, the series once again focuses on a mythological quest that is more familiar to audiences with a overall tone that is less dark and adult than the previous film. The interaction between Connery and Ford infuses more comedy than in The Temple of Doom and the great chemistry between the two actors only served to fuel further ticket sales via its relatively family friendly tone.
It should go without saying that this film could have been about searching for a holy cheese grater instead of the Holy Grail and it would have still been successful. However, the fan favorite Nazi’s are back and there are some fun action sequences. Once again audiences have the very clear good guy versus bad guy dynamic laid out at their feet and done so with humor and style. All of which leaves the audiences hoping for yet another chapter in the series.
Story A-
Acting A (Connery and Ford are great together and really make the script pop with fun.)
Visuals A
Originality/Innovation B
Enjoyability Grade A
Home Theater/HD Factor A
Overall Grade A
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