I think all the movies have the odd "bad special effects scene" or two... but besides that... chalk me up as another one who didn't like the Last Crusade opening. A part of the little Indy in me died while watching that scene... well, ok, maybe thats exaggerating a bit... but I have to agree with what other people have said about it destroying the whole mystery of the character...
As for the ToD dining scene... maybe its because I was only a kid when I first watched it, but I always thought that it was just supposed to be a gross out, comic relief gag, and never thought about it too seriously. Nowadays, when I watch the movie, I can see how some, especially Indians, would consider it offensive... but I don't think that the strange characters at Pankot Palace were meant to be representative of the average Indian. Actually, I think the scene is pretty important, because it says that there is something more to this group of people than meets the eye... that they're ALL in on the charade, along with the prime minister and maharajah... and its their strange eating habits that give them away.
Too bad there was a scene from the script that takes place right after the dinner scene that wasn't included in the final movie:
And does your average Kali cultist find ripping peoples hearts out offensive...? Maybe, I don't know... but that added to the whole deal of why the (fictional) Sankara stones were supposed to so powerful and dangerous... I mean if you can do things like rip peoples hearts out and keep them alive with just three stones, imagine the great tricks you could do with five...
Anyway, I like Indian food...