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The Bargain Nexus - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
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List Price: $9.95
Our Price: $1.00
Your Save: $ 8.95 ( 90% )
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Manufacturer: Paramount
Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott, John Rhys-Davies
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786305570462
Format: Closed-captioned
ISBN: 630157401X
Label: Paramount
Manufacturer: Paramount
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Paramount
Release Date: 1999-10-26
Running Time: 127
Studio: Paramount
Theatrical Release Date: 1989-05-24
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Comment: I haven't seen this movie since it was last premiered in theaters. It was good then and it is still good today.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: The Man With the Hat is Back, This Time With His Dad...
Comment: After preventing the Nazis from gaining control of the all-powerful Ark of the Covenant, and freeing slave children from an oppressive cult, Indiana Jones is back once again for yet another thrilling adventure. Series star Harrison Ford returns as the title character, along with John Rhys-Davies reprising his role of Sallah from "Raiders of the Lost Ark", and new to the series we have the original James Bond himself, Sean Connery ("007: Goldfinger") as Indy's long lost archaeologist father. With two highly successful films already established in the series, the third one would no doubt enthrall fans to some degree, but would the quality of the first two films remain intact all the way through the third; or has Indiana Jones finally met his match?
Upon receiving disturbing news that his father, Professor Henry Jones, Sr. (Sean Connery) has gone missing while on his lifelong quest to discover the Holy Grail; Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) embarks upon a search to save his estranged father from the clutches of some familiar enemies... the Nazis. Assisted by his loyal friends Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) and Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott), Indy will do everything within his power to save his father, stop the Nazis once again, and maybe even discover the resting place of the mystical Holy Grail in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade".
After the success of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", I'm somewhat surprised, when looking back, by the five year gap between the second and third movies. Especially when in numerous interviews, director Steven Spielberg has stated that he felt that "Temple of Doom" was kind of a letdown to audiences and was far too dark of a picture, and that he wanted to make another adventure to sort of redeem the character and himself. I guess one could make the argument that by not rushing into a third film, Spielberg and co-creator/producer George Lucas could avoid making another movie that would be viewed as a disappointment in at least their eyes, and perhaps even in the eyes of fans and critics. I just thought Spielberg would have pushed for a little faster turnaround in regards to the supposed redemption of the series; instead of waiting five years to do so, but that's me and I'm not in charge.
Apparently throughout the five year lull between sequels, both Spielberg and Lucas, along with writer Jeffrey Boam ("Lethal Weapon 2"), took advantage of the time and were able to create what I believe to be the absolute best Indiana Jones adventure yet. The concept of linking the quest for the Holy Grail to Indy's quest to prove himself to his father was a very strong backbone with which to base this newest adventure. This approach allowed for some really interesting, and at times incredibly fun, moments within the film for the actors, and the team behind the camera, to mine for cinematic gold.
One of the major strong points this film has working in its favor is the smartly written banter between Indy and his father, with both of them constantly trying to get the last word in on any topic. Plus, it's intriguing to see that everything Indiana has done, his father has most likely done, and in his own opinion, has done it better; so for Indy, we get a sense that he feels as if he's constantly living in his father's shadow, which becomes a major source of contention for the father/son duo. I also enjoyed the return of the Nazis as a villain for the series, the Thuggee cult in the second film was good, but the Nazis were a much more lethal threat, and given the time in which the films are set, they seemed an appropriate choice for Indy to tackle. Lastly, the tease at the beginning of the film that introduced us to a young, inexperienced Indiana Jones was very refreshing, and provided some neat bits of exposition regarding Indy's fear of snakes, his code of honor in regards to tomb raiding, and even went so far as to explain the scar on his chin. All of these little moments early on in the film, coupled with several more that were sprinkled throughout, just added to the overall enjoyment I had with this movie experience.
Harrison Ford really surprised me by his ability to bring even more depth to a character that he's already played twice. With this being the third time Harrison played this role, I would have thought that he had done all he could with this character, and if his father hadn't been introduced into the series, then perhaps there would have been no new ground to cover. Thanks to that addition, Harrison was given some new areas of Indy's life and personality to explore, allowing for the character to not only remain fresh for him, but also for the audience that has followed him throughout all his adventures. Just to clarify, even if Harrison was unable to really cover any new ground with the character; that would have been fine too, so long as this movie was to be intended as the final chapter in the character's franchise. Because once a character quits growing/evolving, the audience will quickly lose interest, due to it being more of the same old thing, and the actor playing the part will most likely feel the exact same way; therefore resulting in a sub-par performance and inferior sequel.
Joining Harrison Ford on his quest we find a few familiar faces, such as John Rhys-Davies as Sallah, Indiana's trusted ally in Cairo. I was pleased to see Sallah's return to the series, after feeling like there was much more that could have been done with the character in "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Also returning was actor Denholm Elliott as Marcus Brody, Indy's close friend and associate; actually he seems more like a manager when it comes to his various archaeological adventures, but let's not split hairs. Joining the cast is screen legend Sean Connery, who brings Indy's father to life in all his cantankerous, scene chewing glory. As terrific as the dynamic between father and son proved to be in this film, Sean never ceased to steal every scene he was in, even when Harrison was at the top of his game matching Sean quip for quip. As great as Sean was in the role, one thing did bug me about his casting. Although he did attempt to hide it, his accent was still apparent in several scenes. Yet for some reason, no one ever made note of it. I guess we were just supposed to ignore it, but I for one would have liked some form of explanation for why he has an accent that his son clearly has no hint of. This doesn't seem like too far-fetched of a request, especially when the writer was going so far as to explain why Indy has a scar on his chin and even where he got the nickname Indiana from in the first place. Maybe I'm the only one that's had this thought; and if so, I guess that's fine, but it just struck me as odd was all.
If director Steven Spielberg was hoping to redeem himself with "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", for what he felt was a failure with his previous effort in the series; then, I would have to say he has succeeded brilliantly. I agree that the darker tone of "Temple of Doom" did feel different from "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but I also felt that it was a natural progression for the character and the series (generally the middle chapter is the darkest); that being said, I was happy that this movie was more in line with the tone of the original film. Even though the tone for this movie was similar to that of the first, there is one major difference between this film and its predecessors; this one seemed like it was done much better, and felt more polished than either of the previous two ever came close to being.
Overall, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" is a great sequel, and for me, it is the best the series has ever been. Loaded with great storytelling, terrific acting, some truly touching moments, and even some hilarious ones, this is one movie that is definitely worth watching.
"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" is rated PG-13 for violence and brief language.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great, great, great, great, great!
Comment: Just as good as the first, see it as soon as possible. Sean Connery is excellent, this deserved Best Picture.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Illumination
Comment: As the title so prominently mentions, INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE was originally intended to be the last of the Indiana Jones film series. The movie is an origins story and fills in many of the questions that fans had about the character, e.g. where did Indy get his scar, where did he get his whip, why is he afraid of snakes, etc.
The extended opening of the film begins in Utah where Indy (played by River Phoenix here) and his Boy Scout troop are out for a day of riding and exploring. Indy and a fellow Scout separate from the group and stumble upon a group of men who have just discovered the Cross of Coronado. Indy believes the object belongs in a museum, while the men just want the fortune the find will bring. Indy steals the cross and the diggers chase after him. It's a race through the rough terrain that climaxes aboard a circus train.
After explaining some of Indy's origins, the film fast forwards to 1938. Indy (now once again played by Harrison Ford) is hired by a wealthy "collector of antiquities" to find the missing pieces of a map that reveal the resting place of the Holy Grail. He learns that is father, Dr. Henry Jones (Sean Connery) has already gone missing in the quest. In order to find his father, Indy takes the quest. The journey takes Indy from Italy, Austria, and the Middle East. The Nazis are once again the villains and are intent on adding another spiritual artifact to their growing collection as preparation for their attempt of world domination.
Out of all the Indiana Jones films, INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE is my favorite. The film has some wonderful acting, particularly by River Phoenix in the opening segment and by Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in the rest of the picture. Ford and Connery have a great rapport between each other and their relationship grounds the picture in reality. The movie is chock-full of action. I also like how the film brought back the characters of Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) and Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott). There is some criticism of the character of Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody), but the beautiful and conflicted Schneider makes a perfect female foil for Indy in the movie.
INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE is sometimes criticized for being less realistic in its action sequences than the two previous films and having too much physical comedy. The movie is lighter in tone than the previous two films in the franchise, but that doesn't make it any less realistic nor does it overshadow the serious journey that Indy, his father, and their companions are on. Continuing a theme that was hinted at in INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE is a film that despite the action and humor is really about renewal and redemption. It's a movie that when the final credits roll at the end a person can sit back and really feel like they have found "illumination."
Customer Rating:
Summary: INDIANA JONES meets JAMES BOND!!!
Comment: The third chapter of Indiana Jones is awesome and hilarious! Sean Connery co-stars as Indy's dad who always calls him 'Junior' Indy's dad is being held hostage by Nazi's, so Indy must save his dad, and find the Holy Grail before the Nazi's do! Indy's dad makes the movie a lot funnier, like when Elsa is talking to Indy about 'how great IT was', and Indy's dad thinks she is talking to him! I also love God's booby traps while Indy was trying to find the Grail to save his dad because the Nazi's shot him! I highly recommend INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE!!!
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Editorial Reviews:
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The third episode in Steven Spielberg's rousing Indiana Jones saga, this film recaptures the best elements of Raiders of the Lost Ark while exploring new territory with wonderfully satisfying results. Indy is back battling the Nazis, who have launched an expedition to uncover the whereabouts of the Holy Grail. And it's not just Indy this time--his father (played with great acerbic wit by Sean Connery, the perfect choice) is also involved in the hunt. Spielberg excels at the kind of extended action sequences that top themselves with virtually every frame; the best one here involves Indy trying to stop a Nazi tank from the outside while his father is being held within. For good measure, Spielberg reveals (among other things) how Indy got his hat, the scar on his chin, and his nickname (in a prologue that features River Phoenix as the young Indiana). --Marshall Fine
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