I disagree with your moral analysis of the Last Crusade. They were adventurers and not saints. And our heros are always imperfect. King David slept with Bathsheba and had a son named Absalom yet God still called him a man after his own heart. Dispite his misdeeds, he is still the hero in one of the Bible’s great stories. Men are men and while you don’t have to admire Indy and his dad’s sexual exploits, it provided some healthy comic relief as father and son realize they have had an immoral act with the same woman.
You are however right on with your point about the biblical themes. They resonate with most American viewers even if they don’t all go to church. Furthermore, it gave the movies a good moral message about the triumph of good over evil and the ultimate power of God over man. Not a bad thing for kids to see as well. I agree that the lack of that message was the fundamental reason that the Temple of Doom failed as well . In our minds and souls we are more likely to believe that power comes out of the Ark rather than an alien’s eyes. Lucas and Spieldberg have learned nothing from their audience.
