The third instalment of the Indiana Jones franchise promised to be a lavish, globetrotting affair much the same as the previous ones. However, the audience was surprised to find it starting with the young Indy exploring the Nevada desert with some scouting friends. Young Indy, played with incredible skill by River Phoenix, manages to save a golden crucifix, declaring, in true Indiana Jones style, that “it belongs in a museum!” Unfortunately, Indy has to return the item, but along the way, he is inspired to use his famous bullwhip to control a Lion, gets freaked out by snakes and makes a decision regarding his ongoing look and fashion sense.
Brought bang up to date, namely in the 1930s, Jones is telling his friend, Doctor Marcus, about how he has finally found the crucifix that was originally stolen in his youth. He then gets the news that his father has gone missing when hunting in Europe for the Holy Grail. Jones Jnr is approached by the man who sent his father to find out what happened to him.
Indy’s Dad has spent his entire life searching for the Grail. While most academics consider it to be a myth, Doctor Jones Snr is convinced it is real and left Jerusalem under the care of three crusader knights. The Grail is thought to be the “cup of Christ”. It is the very cup that Jesus used at the last supper. It is believed to provide immortality to whoever drinks from it.
Indy follows his Fathers trail to Venice. It is here that the instructions state that in a library, X marks the spot. Indy is annoyed at his Fathers perceived nonsense until he notices that the floor, in a certain light, does have an X on it. As the museum closes, Indy bashes a hole in the floor. It leads to the infamous Venetian sewers. This is where they could have done with some CCTV Drainage Surveys like those from www.wilkinson-env.co.uk/drainage-services-cctv-surveys-midlands/cctv-drain-surveys/cctv-drain-surveys-gloucester. They could have told him that apart from an important part of the quest there is also a large number of rats that will need to be avoided.
Indy and his new friend Elsa descend into the depths and find the tomb of one of the Knights who transported the Grail. There then follows fights with Nazis, one of the worst Scottish accents ever recorded on film, a Zeppelin, a tank, some fiendish traps and a very sad-looking Knight who is rueing his life choices.