Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Movie · 1989 · Adventure, Action · 2h 7m · PG-13 · English

Curator score: 8.2/10 (1.6M ratings)

Have the adventure of your life keeping up with the Joneses.

Overview

In 1938, an art collector appeals to eminent archaeologist Dr. Indiana Jones to embark on a search for the Holy Grail. Indy learns that a medieval historian has vanished while searching for it, and the missing man is his own father, Dr. Henry Jones Sr.. He sets out to rescue his father by following clues in the old man's notebook, which his father had mailed to him before he went missing. Indy arrives in Venice, where he enlists the help of a beautiful academic, Dr. Elsa Schneider, along with Marcus Brody and Sallah. Together they must stop the Nazis from recovering the power of eternal life and taking over the world!

Ratings

Director

Steven Spielberg

Production

Paramount Pictures, Lucasfilm Ltd.

Cast

Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, Alison Doody, John Rhys-Davies, Julian Glover, River Phoenix, Michael Byrne, Kevork Malikyan, Robert Eddison, Richard Young, Alexei Sayle, Alex Hyde-White, Paul Maxwell, Isla Blair, Vernon Dobtcheff, J.J. Hardy, Bradley Gregg, Jeff O'Haco, Vince Deadrick Sr.

Where to watch

Disney Plus, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential

Curator Review

Verdict

A crowd-pleasing adventure with sharp comedy, brisk pacing, and a surprisingly warm father-son core. It blends pulpy Nazi-fighting spectacle with classic Spielberg energy and remains one of the most rewatchable action films of its era.

Best for

  • fans of old-school adventure movies
  • viewers who like action-comedy with heart
  • audiences looking for a fun family-friendly blockbuster
  • people who enjoy charismatic rivalries and banter
  • Spielberg fans

Skip if

  • you want grounded realism
  • you dislike broad humor or heightened pulp
  • you are tired of treasure-hunt plots
  • you want a darker or more serious sequel

Overview

This is the rare sequel that feels both bigger and more personal. The set pieces are inventive, the jokes land, and the film keeps finding new ways to turn archaeology into pure entertainment without losing the emotional thread between Indy and his father.

Worth noting

What makes it endure is the balance: swashbuckling action, clean storytelling, and a genuinely touching family dynamic. Sean Connery is a perfect counterweight to Harrison Ford, and their friction gives the movie more texture than a standard chase-for-the-artifact plot.

Bottom line

It’s also one of the great anti-Nazi adventure films, using pulp thrills to deliver an easy, satisfying moral clarity. If you want a blockbuster that feels classic without feeling dusty, this is one of the safest bets in the genre.

Top Letterboxd reviews

maria (4★) · 6027 likes

han solo and james bond said fuck dem nazis

liam f (5★) · 5398 likes

my favourite part was when Indiana Jones subtly indicated his hatred for the Nazis when he said "Nazis. I hate these guys"

Karsten (5★) · 4738 likes

A day late but this is the quintessential father's day movie.

James (Schaffrillas) (5★) · 3714 likes

No ticket.

Robert Franco · 3313 likes

father and son bond over having sex with the same woman, killing nazis, and becoming immortal. pretty cool.

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Topics

adventure, action-comedy, pulp, blockbuster, 1930s setting, anti-Nazi, family dynamics, treasure hunt, mythic quest, lighthearted

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