Posted by Adam on August 23, 1997 at 16:55:21:
In Reply to: Re: Fav Indy Movie posted by Micah on August 23, 1997 at 14:49:18:
: : Are you all INSANE? (Just semi-serious here, don't be too offended.)
: : RAIDERS is the best. Yup, yessirree. That's RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. NOT Temple of GLOOM. NOT LOST Crusade.
: Now you're getting nasty.
: Guess what. I believe ... brace yourself... Last Crusade is JUST AS GOOD AS RAIDERS.
: Perhaps its more comedic tone doesn't appeal to some, but I like it.
: However, it doesn't strike me as self-parody, cheese, or kitsch.
: I like the insight into Indy's origins in the beginning sequence,
: the father-son relationship, jousting on a motorcycle, the
: tests of faith... It's a damn good movie.
: My secret has been revealed. Oh woe is me.
: --Micah
MICAH, I FEEL SO BETRAYED AND BEWILDERED!
No, seriously, I enjoyed LAST CRUSADE a great deal. It's entertaining, and has a nice comraderie between Connery and Ford. (I saw the film three times in the theater when it was released, and have it on laserdisc, so that says something.) But, as I've said, there was something about it that just didn't do it for me...
It was more than just the clunkiness of the action scenes (i.e.: the tank chase sequence can't compare to the truck chase in the original, and the REALLY silly scenes featuring the boats in Venice and the Nazi plane crashing through a tunnel.)...it was the goofier tone of the whole film. I love comedy, and RAIDERS certainly has a lot of it, but it never bogs down into high camp like the third film. It's grittier, more intense, and the characters seem more lifelike and realistic. RAIDERS is a rare bird -- a fantasy film with fantastic elements, but told in a earthly fashion. CRUSADE misses this. There are also a lot of plot holes and rediculous situations in the sequel...not to mention the lack of originality and wit the first film captured so well.
The ending of the third film left me really disappointed. To see Indy engage in a tongue-and-cheek conversation with the Grail Knight made even the diehard INDY fans in the movie theater with me in 1989 laugh out loud at its silliness. And the LOCATION! It's not very imaginative for the filmmakers to resort to a famous landmark (also, by the way, featured in other films, like "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger") for Indy to walk into as a "new" discovery...are we REALLY supposed to say, "Ooooh...Aaaahhhhhh...." when it appears onscreen?
Anyway, I've said my peace for the moment. All you LAST CRUSADE champions have my admiration and faith....except for now!
Just kidding...
I guess I AM "getting NASTY"...
But you all "know it's true...how nice!"