Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ***** (1989, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott) – Classic Movie Review 3076

Director Steven Spielberg’s 1989 third Indiana Jones adventure has everything it takes to entrance fans of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984): Harrison Ford, exciting stunts and special effects, horrid snakes and rats, and nail-biting chases.

But the star of the show is undoubtedly Sean Connery as Indy’s archaeologist dad, Professor Henry Jones, making up an inspired duo together with Ford’s adventurer Indiana Jones on the trail of the Holy Grail, hotly pursued (again) by vicious Nazis who want to use it to enslave the world.

With a screenplay by Jeffrey Boam, the plot is as audaciously improbable as Connery’s casting. British cinematographer Douglas Slocombe provides the striking images, John Williams as usual provides the score and the production designs are by Elliot Scott. And Spielberg directs with the utmost verve, conjuring up all the old-style magic Hollywood can afford to lavish.

As a bonus, for the young and the young at heart, there’s a very rousing prologue with the late, much lamented River Phoenix as the young Indy.

Also in the cast are Denholm Elliott as Marcus Brody, Alison Doody as Elsa, John Rhys-Davies as Sallah, Julian Glover, Michael Byrne, Kevork Malikyan, Robert Eddison, Richard Young, Alexei Sayle (Sultan), Alex Hyde-White, Paul Maxwell and Isla Blair.

It for long remained the last movie of a trilogy, until the belated arrival of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).

The temple in Petra, Jordan, which doubles as the Holy Grail Temple in Alexandretta, later became a popular tourist destination.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3076

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