The Last Crusade Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: The Last Crusade
Year: 1989
Director: Steven Spielberg
Country: US
Language: English

Compared to the near horror quality of Temple of Doom, the third installment of the Indiana Jones franchise is far lighter in tone and attempts to maintain humor throughout its run-time. The Last Crusade is ripe with exposition as we hear about Indy's familial turmoil through a prologue reaching back into Indy’s rebellious teen years. Essentially our hero now has daddy issues and, in true Spielbergian form, must confront his emotional history. 

When Dr. Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery) suddenly goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, eminent archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) must follow in his father's footsteps and stop the Nazis. 

Film critic Pauline Kael famously griped about the characterizations in Raiders of the Lost Ark by claiming they are nonexistent; any personal touch was removed for the sake of an adventurous story. Last Crusade makes up for this by putting Indy's psychological issues at the forefront, greatly overcompensating for any previous lack of character development. Did audiences really want to know that more about Indy? I felt his lack of backstory made him a more enticing mysterious figure. 

Spielberg can't help but explore father-son relationships reflective of his own broken rapport from childhood. The failure to connect with his own father is reflective in his works and thus can make them quite tragic. Unfortunately this theme doesn't belong in a franchise like Indiana Jones, which is supposed to take place in locations far from the familiar and domicile. Even though it is not devoid of action or suspense, infact many scenes can be absolutely enthralling, the sentimental undercurrent distracts from the mythical quality of the story. 

Overall, Last Crusade didn't impress me as much as Raiders of the Lost Arc and Temple of Doom did. I wasn't as engrossed in Indy's exotic world because of its focus on humor and familiarity. Sure it has more humanity, and is Spielberg's most personal entry into the franchise, but overall it falls flat. We did not need to understand Indy's motives and we certainly didn't need to see a father-son dynamic.