The chemistry between its two stars is a thing of dreams, but the plot is a tad too episodic to make it a classic.
Comment
05/05/08
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
89
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:54
Fresh:48
Rotten:6
Average Rating:7.9/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 8 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: Steven Spielberg's third action-packed entry in the Indiana Jones trilogy evokes the cliffhanger Saturday matinee serials of yesteryear. It's 1938 and Indy (Harrison Ford) receives word that his... [More]
Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, John Rhys-Davies, Alison Doody
Director: Steven Spielberg
Reviews for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Top CriticSpielberg's direction is typically manipulative, but the stars and megabucks spent maintain our interest.
05/05/08
Top CriticJeffrey Boam's script dabbles with themes of neglect and reconciliation, but there's nothing ponderous about the duo's near death scrapes and light-hearted tussels over the same blonde Fräulein.
06/24/06
Top Criticthoroughly entertaining
02/26/05
A brilliant coup sees the film kick off with an extended flashback to Indiana's early days and our young hero (Phoenix) having his first taste of adventure during a scout trip in Utah.
01/10/02
Top CriticLast Crusade is pure kicks, and I would never fault this spunky blast of quips and near-misses for trying to vanilla its way back into the hearts of millions.
08/26/09
It shows us Indy's origin and even ends with him riding off into the sunset after completing the ultimate quest of finding the Holy Grail. I mean how do you top that?
10/18/08
Captures some of the sense of fun that infused the first movie while using the addition of Sean Connery to up the comedic ante and provide a father/son dynamic.
06/10/08
...it's impossible to deny the film's status as the very best of the series' sequels...
05/26/08
This is reportedly the last time producer/writer George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg will treat movie fans to an Indiana Jones adventure, and it's pretty obvious they were determined to send Indy riding off into the sunset in style.
05/22/08
There's considerable pleasure in watching these two lions spar, but sometimes Last Crusade mistakes dotting every I and crossing every T for detailed character development.
05/21/08
Connery brings out a vastly appealing dorky-kid side of Ford we haven't seen before in the Indy films, and Ford parries with Connery angrily yet lovingly.
05/21/08
Now only twilight and sunset. Illumination fades; the self annihilates in silhouette. And all (father, son, and spirit) is one.
05/19/08
The eventual arrival of towering screen presence Sean Connery as Dr. Henry Jones, Sr. alongside Harrison Ford as Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. allows for what may be adventure cinema's most potent pairing. [DVD]
05/14/08
A blueprint for how a blockbuster sequel should be done.
05/07/08
...although I personally find The Last Crusade a little less energetic and inspired than Raiders, there is much to enjoy in both pictures.
05/07/08
What was conceived as a child's dream of a Saturday matinee serial has evolved into a moving excursion into religious myth.
05/05/08
Top CriticDespite strong acting (the slapstick energy between Ford and Connery is wasted), obligatory chases and stunts and splendid art direction, the virtuoso technique evident in every frame remains formulaic -- unaccompanied by revelation, epiphany or surprise.
05/05/08
Top CriticThe fast pace and force-fed wisecracks are as seamless as ever, but rarely has audience laughter sounded as hollow.
05/05/08
The third, most Freudian and weakest of the three chapters of the Indiana Jones saga that began so well in 1981 with Raiders of the Lost Ark, but then gradually declined.
05/04/08
Latest News for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
July 28, 2008:
Lucas Considers a Fifth Indiana Jones 
George Lucas is bringing Clone Wars to a theater near you, getting down to work on the Tuskegee Airmen-inspired Red Tails, and -- oh yeah -- contemplating a fifth Indiana Jones... More...
May 22, 2008:
Box Office Guru Preview: Indiana Jones Set To Conquer Multiplexes
The summer movie season gets a big shot in the arm as the highly anticipated launch of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull kicks off the extended Memorial Day... More...
May 21, 2008:
Indiana Jonesin': How Does the Latest Chapter Measure Up?
Everyone has their favorite Indiana Jones movie -- and their own thoughts on if Raiders of the Ark is better than Last Crusade. (Sorry, Temple of Doom -- there's no contest). ... More...
May 12, 2008:
RT on DVD: Indiana Jones Box Set, Narnia in Blu-ray, and a Porn Virus Epidemic?
Spaced, the UK cult hit series, is finally headed to the States this summer - but guess what's here now? A 3-disc Indiana Jones DVD collection and Narnia in Blu-ray! (Plus, we... More...
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