 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
- Review Date: September 13, 2005
- PG-13
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 1989
Common Sense Media says
Thrilling third Indy actioner focuses on hunt for grail.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has lots of hand-to-hand combat, action-filled chases, and gun fights. Main characters are in near-constant peril, and one is shot point blank and almost bleeds to death. Minor characters are killed in somewhat gruesome ways, including beheading; a bad guy meets his end in a fairly disturbing scene. There's a bit of kissing/banter, and it's implied that two men have slept with the same woman. Language is mild, and there's ultimately a strong message about the importance of the father-son relationship.
What's the story?
It's 1912, and young Indiana Jones (River Phoenix) risks his life to save Coronado's Cross. But his father, Henry (Sean Connery), isn't impressed. A jump to 1938 finds Indy (Harrison Ford) discovering that his father has vanished while searching for the coveted Holy Grail. Off to Venice, where Indy is followed by a secret brotherhood dedicated to maintaining the secret of the grail. Indy finds his father, but a run-in with Nazis leads to a whole new set of problems. Can father and son save one of the world's most precious relics from Hitler's minions?
Is it any good?
The chemistry between Ford and Connery is fun to watch. Both actors have impeccable timing and are obviously enjoying themselves. While some of Indy's previous sidekicks were annoying, Connery's character is a worthy companion and foil. Since father and son have a past, you care about their relationship.
THE LAST CRUSADE also includes the return of Indy's milder-mannered side -- a hero who can be tremendously awkward when not battling bad guys or untangling ancient mysteries. Much of the movie's success is due to a tongue-in-cheek attitude that begins when young Indy can't find the rest of his Scout troop and loudly declares that "everyone is lost but me." Ahh, that's the Indiana Jones we know and love.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about what Indiana Jones stands for. If he's a good guy, why does he break the rules? Is that OK? What separates him from the "bad" guys? Are real-life bad guys as thoroughly evil as the ones in movies?
What are the effects of the frequent use of cartoonishly evil Nazis as "bad guys" in action movies? Does it trivialize or obscure their real atrocities, especially the Holocaust?
How does Last Crusade compare to Indy's other adventures? Which one do you like best?
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- Teens & kids
Kid, 12 years old
October 8, 2009
AGE
Off For Ages 7 And Under; Iffy For Ages 8-10; On For Ages 11 And Up
Some blood: like the scene where Indy's father gets shot.
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Kid, 8 years old
June 7, 2010
AGE
Haha!
I saw this movie when I was 5, and when the guy drank from the wrong Grail, I was REALLY scared. Now, I laugh at it. Good for 9+
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Kid, 12 years old
January 26, 2010
AGE
Great, action-packed, and funny, but also gory.
This is my #2 movie of all time. It's incredibly well-acted and has plenty of cool action scenes and even some solid comedy. Artistically, it's bolstered by a wonderful soundtrack and good cinematography.
Violence: some shooting with occasional blood. Most notably, a bullet ricochets into a German's head and we see blood trickle down his forehead. A man is shot in the stomach and blood soaks through his shirt. Extras are gunned down occasionally. There are many explosions and a few other deaths. People are crushed, burned, and drowned. A blade slices through a man's neck and we watch his bloodless head roll down a set of stairs. A man drinks from a cup that causes him to age rapidly: his flesh rots away, his eyes sink into their sockets, and he eventually turns into a skeleton. Plenty of hand-to-hand combat.
Sex: Indy and Elsa begin kissing passionately in Venice, and then they fall to the ground. Sex is implied. There is insinuation that Henry Sr. also slept with Elsa.
Language: not much. An occasional "h**l" or "d**n" and a few religious exclamations.
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Teen, 14 years old
February 8, 2010
AGE
This movie shouldn't be marketed at kids. There's a lot of blood and gore, and the big finale includes decapitation. Not for kids, but good for teens.
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Kid, 12 years old
October 1, 2009
AGE
Sigh. Great series ruined by this awful third blunder. Bad storyline with little to no excitement. A chore to watch.
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Teen, 14 years old
May 25, 2010
AGE
Great ending to a great series!
Yes! Now we're getting somewhere! Sean Connery stars as Indie's dad in this intense, action-packed, thrill ride! This is the sad ending to the Indiana Jones trilogy...BUT...This is a great addition to the trilogy, and it went out with a BANG! On that note, this last episode(or so we thought ;) in the Indie saga sets foot on new ground, taking new risks, and dodging new bullets. It starts to take intense, and grisly action scenes instead of the original, regular action-packed kind. Also, more VIOLENT in some of the violence! Most of which is a severed head and a body disintegrating. The tank scene is one of my favorite scenes in the series! It's intense, makes you chew your nails, and grab your seat for dear life, afraid if you let go, you'll suffer the same fate as you think Indie might. It's also got a sort of spiritual them, whereas the others only had small spiritual backgrounds. And a bit more cursing than the last two is noticeable, but not very much so. It also got a better, more mature sense of humor. And sort of got close to a buddy comedy. Ford and Connery's chemistry is great and, despite the fact that they hate each others guts, put aside their differences and give us not just selfless role models, but a good positive message as well. It is DEFINITELY one of my favorites in the series! Great ending to a great series!...right?
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Adult
June 9, 2010
AGE
Fun Sequel
Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade is an enjoyable sequel. The movie is full of humor, at times there is a little too much of it but the humor is generally pretty charming.The action is good but with the exception of the thrilling tank chase scene it is not quite as good as the action in Raiders. While not a classic like the original Last Crusade is a fun and relatively kid friendly action movie.
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Teen, 15 years old
July 3, 2009
AGE
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Kid, 11 years old
February 27, 2011
AGE
This movie I feel is appropriate for 10 year olds and mature 9 year olds....there is lots of violence with some blood, and also a beheading. Indiana is also kind of a risk-taker so he's not the best role model. But lots of movies these days have Indiana Jones type role models. There was a little bit of sexual behavior and "PG-13" kissing included between Indiana and a Natzi girl he's interested in. But that's about it, 10 year olds are usually old enough for that, but not always, mature 9 year olds might be, but, then again, not always...this movie is rated PG-13, so if your child isn't ready, don't push them to be...they don't always need to be exposed to that yet, but it's your decision! Hope this review helped!!! :)
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Kid, 12 years old
August 5, 2010
AGE
Watch It if you're Six or Seven
On the contrary, Indiana Jones is a great role model for kids of all ages, and can also get kids interested in ancient items and texts and archaelogically. Love this movie!!! My friends from the street came across to see it and their six-year old sister, was there too. It wasn't completely appropriate for her... but almost there.
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| Topics: | adventures, history |
| Studio: | Paramount Pictures |
| Director: | Steven Spielberg |
| Cast: | Harrison Ford, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Connery |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 128 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | May 24, 1989 |
| DVD release date: | October 26, 1999 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | violence |
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