Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade:

So to start off I’m gonna say that this is my favorite Indiana Jones movie. This film has more comedy, a good story, and great fight sequences. Also, this film is nowhere near as violent as Temple of Doom, because of all the backlash that movie got for how dark and violent it was. So basically Steven Spielberg decided to make this film more in the tone of Raiders of the Lost Ark: somewhat violent, but also with fun moments and comedy.

Also here’s the DVD intro for this film – enjoy:

The first 15 minutes of this film show Indiana Jones as a kid, and we finally find out where he got his signature whip and fedora—and how he got his fear of snakes. Turns out he got his fedora from a guy who is just listed as “Fedora”… yeah, because that’s such a normal name. Fun fact: the fedora was originally going to be from Abner Ravenwood (Marion’s father). Why they changed that, I’ll never understand—that could’ve been a great idea.

Another fun fact: if you’re wondering why Indiana Jones has a scar on his lower chin in all three movies, it’s because Harrison Ford got into a car crash in real life. So of course, this film shows how Indy got the scar—he accidentally whips himself in the face. Clever.

So anyway, the plot of this film is that a man named Donovan (fun fact: the actor also has a small role in The Empire Strikes Back) hires Indiana Jones to find the Holy Grail—and also to locate Indy’s father, who has disappeared during his own Grail search. This time around, Indiana’s boss Marcus Brody joins him on the adventure.

They travel to Venice, where a female librarian named Dr. Schneider (Elsa) helps them investigate where his father was last seen. They find clues in the library—specifically Roman numerals—and Indy breaks through the floor to find catacombs underneath. Cue rats. And a rotting knight. And fire.

Then we meet a group called the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword, a secret society trying to protect the Grail. After a wild boat chase (great action sequence!)…

Here’s the clip – enjoy:
https://youtu.be/mG1vn39lP3M

…Indy learns that they’re not bad guys. They just want to make sure no one abuses the power of the Grail.

Eventually Indy finds his father—who’s being held in a castle in Berlin. And he’s played by none other than Sean Connery. Yes, the Sean Connery. Rest in peace to a legend.

(✨ Moment of silence. ✨)

Anyway, Indy finds out Elsa was working with the Nazis the whole time (dun dun dunnnn!), and Donovan—yep, same guy who hired Indy—is actually the main villain. He wanted Indy to find the Grail for him all along.

Also, we find out Marcus Brody is a total doofus. Indy brags about how capable Marcus is: “He speaks a dozen languages! He’ll blend in, disappear, you’ll never see him again.”

And then it hard cuts to Marcus in the middle of a random market yelling:
“DOES ANYONE HERE SPEAK ENGLISH? OR EVEN ANCIENT GREEK?” 🤣

Marcus ends up captured too. Meanwhile, Indy and his dad get tied up in a room, and it catches fire. That whole escape sequence is just pure comedy gold.

More standout moments:

Nazi book-burning in Berlin, where Indy comes face-to-face with Hitler, and Hitler autographs the Grail diary thinking it’s just a fan’s book.
The blimp escape scene, where Indy throws a Nazi out a window and tells the passengers: “No ticket.” 😂
Plane chase with Indy and his dad, where Connery accidentally shoots their own plane wing off and says: “Sorry son… they got us.”

Eventually, they regroup with Sallah and head into the desert. There’s a tank sequence where Indy rescues Marcus and his dad, nearly dies falling off a cliff, and gets one of the best emotional hugs of the series.

Then comes the finale: the three deadly Grail trials.

A blade trap that slices a man’s head off.
A puzzle requiring him to spell Jehovah correctly.
A literal leap of faith—over an invisible bridge.

He passes them all and meets the last surviving Grail knight. Donovan, being an idiot, chooses the wrong cup (a flashy one), drinks from it…

And here’s what happens – enjoy your nightmares:

Yup. He rapidly ages, shrivels, turns to dust. The knight delivers the iconic line: “He chose… poorly.”

Indy picks the right cup (a humble carpenter’s cup), saves his dad with it, and narrowly avoids falling into the abyss himself.

As Indy dangles, trying to reach for the Grail, his dad grabs his hand and gently says: “Indiana… let it go.” And that’s the first time he calls him Indiana. Beautiful moment.

They escape, and then we get the perfect final exchange:

Henry Jones: What about you, Junior? Indiana Jones: Junior!? Dad— Sallah: Please—what is this ‘Junior’? Henry Jones: That’s his name. Henry Jones Jr. Indiana Jones: I like Indiana. Henry Jones: We named the dog Indiana. Marcus Brody: Can we go home now, please? Sallah: The dog!? You were named after the dog? Indiana Jones: (grumbling) I have a lot of fond memories of that dog.