Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) -2025 Revisit

 

Let's face it, if Sean Connery is in a movie, I want to see it. Sunday we did two Sean Connery films. 
Highlander" and "The Untouchables". That is a very satisfying Father's Day. 12 years ago we did a different double feature of Sean Connery films, "Goldfinger" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. If you would enjoy a little piece of history, below is a vlog post I did for that event. 

We went to see the film again this week, almost exactly a year after our last big screen viewing, which you can read about here: Last Crusade 2024. 

I don't have a lot of new things to say, I have written about the film many times before, but as I promise in the header, "If I Saw it in a Theater, you will read about it here."

The chemistry between Connery and Harrison Ford is incredible, It's too bad they did not get a chance to work together again, because I could imagine an action film like "The Hunt for Red October" with a cerebral thriller featuring these two great actors. I love the scene between them on the airship where Indy is reminiscing about their strained relationship and Dr. Jones Senior takes him to task for leaving just as he got interesting. The flummoxed look on Harrison Ford's face and the defiant tone in Connery's voice made for a humorous but also personal moment in the film. 

Connery also got to ham it up with Denholm Elliot in several scenes and leave us with a much better impression of his character than the stern and cold father that Indy remembers. When in doubt, ALWAYS see "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", and always see it on a big screen. 

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) Father's Day 2024

 

There is a long history of seeing "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" on Father's Day. Here is a link to a video blog post on one of those visits several years ago. 

This film has a couple of great ideas, that play out perfectly for a Father's Day screening. The opening sequence, featuring a Young Indiana in what must have been his first big adventure, sets up both the character, and his somewhat contentious relationship with his father. We hear Dad's voice but barely see the back of his head. When Sean Connery returns in full force later in the picture, he is the personification of the impervious father figure. It is as the adventure plays out that Junior and his dad start to mend fences and build bridges to a more familial relationship.

I love the sequences in Venice, the Austrian Castle and the rally in Berlin, they all remind us of the time and places that Dr. Jones lived in and how he boldly traversed the world. The action scenes that take place in the deserts of the Middle East however, are the most memorable, including a tank/horse chase that is choreographed brilliantly.

The film is loaded with memorable moments, some of which have become memes that are used all over the internet. This is not a full blown review, but there are other remarks you can find on the site if you like.