Very few franchises end in definitive fashion, and that’s truer than ever today when any property is capable of being dusted off and given a legacy sequel. However, it felt for the longest time as though Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade would indeed send the iconic title hero out in a blaze of cinematic glory.
The third installment in the original trilogy literally sent the principal cast riding off into the sunset, and there was nary a better conclusion for any long-running film series to bow out on. And yet, there was money to be made, which ultimately led us down the path towards the divisive Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, a torturous process that took almost two decades.
Temple of Doom is generally regarded as the weakest of the three by some distance, but it’s still a damn good and phenomenally entertaining blockbuster, which tells you all you need to know about the impeccable quality seeping from every frame of Steven Spielberg’s impeccable trio.
Bringing in Sean Connery as Indy’s old man was a masterstroke, and Last Crusade even manages to throw in one of the greatest opening scenes of all-time for good measure. Is it better than Raiders of the Lost Ark? Debatable. Is it a stone-cold classic in its own right? Of course, and stating otherwise would be tantamount to sacrilege.
The first trailer for fifth and final chapter Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny dropped yesterday, which may have something to do with Last Crusade embarking on a quest of its own on streaming. Per FlixPatrol, the action-packed caper has reappeared on the Paramount Plus most-watched chart, with subscribers seeking their fix of Indy goodness to tide them over until next summer.
Published: Dec 2, 2022 12:10 pm