‘CRUSADE’ FITS NEATLY INTO INDY TRILOGY

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the third and (probably) final chapter of the Indiana Jones saga, begins with a prologue in which we find the young Indiana (River Phoenix) embarking upon his earliest adventure. We see how he acquired his legendary hat, learn when he started using a whip, watch him tangle with innumerable snakes and marvel at his daredevil stunts.

Then we jump ahead to 1938, when (after tying up a loose end or two from that boyhood adventure) the adult Indy (Harrison Ford) gets caught up in a sacred quest for the Holy Grail. Along for the roller-coaster ride this time is Indiana’s father, a cantankerous medieval scholar, Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery).

The movie’s creative team – led by director Steven Spielberg, executive co-producer George Lucas and screenwriter Jeffrey Boam (Innerspace, The Lost Boys) – has been reluctant to tamper with the formula that produced the seventh (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and eighth (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) most successful films of all time.

So though Last Crusade lacks the novelty of Raiders (and, by the way, the flat-out breathless pacing of Temple of Doom), it’s an entertaining capper to the trilogy. And if it becomes the ninth most successful film of all time, no one will be a bit surprised.

Rated PG-13, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is on view at Fashion Village 8, Interstate Mall 6, Pleasure Island 10, Plaza (Sanford), UC6, Lake Howell Square, Hoffner Centre, Republic Square, Sand Lake 7, Orange Tree, Osceola West and Lake Square 6.