Adventure, Action, Comedy

Adventure Time

Whether it's his first crusade, last crusade, or even that ill-conceived crusade he made against aliens, Indiana Jones is synonymous with adventure. He remains Hollywood's go-to guy for archaeological swashbuckling.

Adventure films are often marked by their exoticism and energy, and Last Crusade overflows with both. From stately Castle Brunwald to Alexandretta and the ancient Holy Grail temple, the film has no shortage of striking locales, each serving as the backdrop for some high-octane exploits. We're talking about things like speedboat chases, tanks careening over cliffs, bareknuckle brawls, and dogfights (war planes, not puppies).

Last Crusade, like the rest of the Indiana Jones films, also pays homage to the adventure serials of the 1940s through its focus on treasure hunting and heroism. Indiana may not be the best-prepared protagonist, but he's a hero through and through, as he always does the right thing and saves the day. And when it comes to treasure, prizes don't get much more prestigious than the Holy Grail and its promise of everlasting life.

One Punch by Land, Two If by Sea

You can't make a cake without breaking a few eggs, and you can't make an adventure movie without breaking a few noses. For this reason, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is also an action movie. Indiana faces obstacle after obstacle as he tracks down first his father, and then the Holy Grail. He gets into everything from fist-fights with Nazis to high-speed chases on land, on sea, and in the air. He overcomes each with his physical prowess.

Sometimes that means straight-up violence, but that's just another hallmark of the action genre. Kicking butt and taking names isn't always pretty. In Last Crusade, it's often hilarious, though.

Holy Grail, That's Funny

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is also a comedy, because when we think "comedy," we think about religious artifacts and Nazis.

Okay, not really.

But we do think of heightened situations, awesome stunts, and rib-tickling dialogue, and Last Crusade features all three.

For example, while Brody's ineptitude creates its fair share of comical moments, a perfect example of all three of these genre elements coming together in one scene is the sequence when Indiana and Henry hijack the plane attached to a zeppelin and outmaneuver the Nazi gunners chasing them. Heightened situation? Um, yeah. Awesome stunts? Only if you think dogfights at 10,000 feet are awesome. Rib-tickling dialogue? Try this on for size:

INDIANA: Dad, you're going to have to use the machine gun! Get it ready!

Henry turns around and readies the gun. Indiana spots an approaching plane.

INDIANA: Eleven o'clock! Dad, eleven o'clock!

HENRY: (Looking at his watch:) What happens at eleven o'clock?

If you have parents—and we're willing to bet that you do because, you know, biology—we don't have to tell you that the father-son dynamic in Last Crusade provides ample opportunity for humor, even in the middle of a high-speed chase, and even if sometimes it's in the form of a charmingly cheesy dad joke.