Steven Spielberg: Ranking His Movies From Worst To Best

10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

lastcrusade Often overshadowed by the first film in the series, The Last Crusade is actually quite a brilliant film in its own right. After the entertaining-but-silly romp that was Temple of Doom, Spielberg showed us he meant business with one of the greatest opening sequences of any film, featuring River Phoenix as a young Indiana Jones acquiring all of Indy's trademarks in one big, thrilling set-piece (the love for archaeology, the whip, the chin scar, the fear of snakes... it's all there). Much of The Last Crusade is a retreading of what made Raiders so good - but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It features thrilling action set-pieces that rival those from the original film, stunning imagery, intrigue and espionage, and a truly brilliant and surprisingly subdued finale that actually requires Jones to use his knowledge of archaeology for one of the only times in the trilogy. In many ways, The Last Crusade actually harbors more emotional depth and resonance than Raiders with the added element of Jones' dynamic with his father Henry, played by Sean Connery. No longer a free agent, Indy now has to worry about his poor father and keep him out of trouble, all the while still trying to seek his approval even after all these years. It's that extra layer of genuine character that truly lends this film the Spielberg touch. A true classic.
Contributor
Contributor

Oren Soffer is currently a Junior majoring in Film/Television production at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He has been harboring and fostering a love and passion for cinema since early childhood. Though he mainly focuses on making movies these days, he still enjoys writing about them as well.