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 archaeologist dad, Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery), has disappeared while on a quest for the Holy Grail. Indy embarks on a search for both his dad and the much-coveted artifact. THE LAST CRUSADE has a unique twist to the series' traditional opening-sequence cliffhanger. Actor River Phoenix plays an adolescent Indy who, while on a field trip with his Boy Scout troop, finds adventure on a circus train. Spielberg wanted to make the film about a father-and-son relationship, and Connery was his first choice to play Indy's dad. The selection was perfect, considering Spielberg and producer George Lucas first came up with the idea of the series as a rival to the James Bond movies in which Connery had starred. Before shooting THE LAST CRUSADE, Spielberg was planning on directing RAIN MAN with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise but gave up the project to fulfill his contractual obligation with Lucas to make a third Indiana Jones movie.
When Indy's archaeologist dad, Prof. Henry Jones, embarks on a quest for the Holy Grail, he is kidnapped by the Nazis, who also desire the priceless chalice. Naturally, Indy comes to the rescue, joining his father in the search for the Grail. The audience is in for a wild ride "keeping up with the Joneses" as the two men battle enemies, trade insults, encounter rats, evade traps, become involved with the same woman, and meet Hitler. The film is a loose retelling of the Parsifal myth.
Theatrical release: May 24, 1989.
The film was shot at the EMI-Elstree Studios in England and on location in Texas, Utah, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Italy, Germany, Jordan, and Spain.
The film made nearly $200 million at the domestic box office and nearly $500 million worldwide.
Harrison Ford and River Phoenix acted together once before in a film--as father and son in 1986's MOSQUITO COAST.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio:
Dolby Digital Stereo - English
Director of Photography
Douglas Slocombe: British Cinematographer/ 1940s-1980s, INDIANA JONES movies
Executive Producer
Frank Marshall: American Producer
Executive Producer
George Lucas: Director/Producer, STAR WARS (1977)
Production Designer
Elliot Scott: Production Designer
Sound Design
Ben Burtt: Sound Designer - Star Wars films
Story
George Lucas: Director/Producer, STAR WARS (1977)
Story
Menno Meyjes: SCREENWRITER
Special Effects
Industrial Light and Magic:
Review 1:
"...The wildest and wittiest Indy of them all....Ford and Connery make a sensational team; their relationship charges the film..."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.31 06/15/1989
Review 2:
"...In its own way THE LAST CRUSADE is nearly as good [as RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK], matching its audience's wildest hopes....Boisterous adventure..."
Source: New York Times
p.C15 05/24/1989
Review 3:
"...Harrison Ford is still in top form..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.C1 05/24/1989