Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is now in theaters.
By Zachary Greenberg
Taking out his whip for one final adventure, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) delivers an epic conclusion to one of the best franchises of all time in the latest installment of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The film takes place in 1969, 12 years after the events from Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. While the movie was far from perfect (which is a rare adjective I would only describe certain films, including the first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, my 3rd favorite all-time movie), it delivers what the fans wanted: classic Indiana Jones fun, a formidable villain, captivating music score, and an epic quest in search of a legendary artifact.
As preparation for the film, I spent the past week rewatching each of the past movies (I skipped The Last Crusade since I had rewatched it in the past year anyways, not because it wasn’t a great film—it certainly was and was far and away the second best of the franchise). This definitely made me more excited for the film, but I knew to temper my expectations because I had been down this rodeo once before. but I knew to temper my expectations because I had been down this rodeo once before. When I was a kid, Crystal Skull was released, and it was a massive disappointment at the time. However, upon rewatching it, I realized it’s not as terrible as I initially thought, though it still falls short of being a great movie. The ending with the alien UFO was completely ridiculous and made me leave the theater feeling utterly confounded by what I had just witnessed. This is Indiana Jones we’re talking about. He hunts historical artifacts; this wasn’t supposed to be a sci-fi film.
But I digress. Dial of Destiny was certainly not a film that anyone clamored for, considering that the franchise seemed to have reached a satisfying conclusion with Indiana finally tying the knot with Marion (Karen Allen) and settling down with his son. Actually, it had felt even more wrapped up with Last Crusade when he literally rode off into the sunset with his dad and best friends and I worried that this film would once again disappoint me, like Crystal Skull had and more recently The Matrix Resurrections, which completely bombed too and seemed irrelevant to the Maxtrix franchise that had concluded decades ago.
Thankfully, though, the film was mostly a hit for me. The opening sequence takes place in 1945, during the end of World War II, right before the Nazis lost. The CGI of Harrison Ford was mostly good, but at times his face looked rubbery in certain shots, which did take me out of the movie a bit. The train sequence was a lot of fun, as Indiana tried to recover the supposed Spear of Longinus, which is alleged to have pierced the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross during his crucifixion and has holy powers. This opening sequence was exhilarating and immediately set the tone for the film that it was going to be an action-packed adventure. It was also hysterical seeing Indy continuously make use of wearing disguises and blending in plain sight to sneak past the oblivious Nazis.
Ultimately, the film felt faster-paced than its predecessors, which was both good and bad. On the one hand, there were many enjoyable fight scenes and car chases. On the other hand, it threw off the pacing and tone that we typically see in Indiana Jones films. Oftentimes, the dialogue was cut short due to the plot continuously moving along, and there weren’t enough serious conversations and playful banter. Some of my favorite scenes in the franchise include when Indiana and his dad are talking on the blimp together in the third film, and the poker game between Indiana and Short Round in the second film. Both scenes are absolutely hilarious and make Indiana feel much more like a friend than just another hero. Additionally, all of the films have scenes with a lot more dialogue, which give insights into the characters and explain the importance of the artifacts much better. Personally, I didn’t always understand what was going on during the movie and why they kept traveling to different places. The movie just kept moving and moving without giving me much time to fully process what exactly was happening and the significance of the place they were at.
Character-wise, I very much enjoyed Harrison Ford’s performance as Indiana. Despite being 80 years old, Ford was the main star of the film and gave it his all. In this film, Indiana was a complex character, struggling to come to terms with the recent loss of his son, Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), and the looming divorce from his wife Marion. Indiana’s whole world seemed to be falling apart. But when his old nemesis, Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), returned seeking Archimedes’ Dial to travel back in time in order to rewrite history and allow for the Nazis to win World War II, Indy accepted the challenge to save the world once again. This time, he had help from his old friend’s daughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge).
Mikkelsen’s performance as Voller is magnificent, as expected from the esteemed actor. With his cunning demeanor and menacing presence, he establishes himself as a competent and formidable adversary for Indy. Waller-Bridge’s character, Helena, falls into the archetype of a Mary Sue, seemingly having the answer to every problem that arises without much struggle. However, her cool British accent helps mask this by sounding more sophisticated.
Rewatching Raiders of the Lost Ark, I was reminded of how awesome Marion was in that film. Right from her opening scene, she demonstrated her toughness by triumphing in a drinking contest, establishing that she is not one to be underestimated. Marion was a multi-dimensional character, with flaws, reservations, fears, and doubts. Yet, despite these challenges, she faced them head-on in a relatable manner. While Helena serves as a decent co-lead, she ultimately pales in comparison to the depth and complexity of Marion’s character. As for Teddy Kumar (played by Ethann Isidore), he comes across as a wannabe Short Round (Ke Huy Quan) and, personally, my least favorite character in the film. He is 12 years old and he managed to fly a plane with no experience? Come on. And he needs to shave that mustache.
One area where the film excels is in its diverse range of scenic settings. From the thrilling opening train sequence to the breathtaking underwater scenes in search of the Antikythera wreck, each location offers a unique visual experience. The film also captures the excitement and grandeur of the New York City parade celebrating Neil Armstrong’s moon landing, adding a touch of historical significance to the narrative. The chase and fight sequences in Morocco, as well as the intense moments within the hotel there, were very enthralling. It was cool being transported across the globe and throughout different historical eras.
I plan on seeing it again in theaters to see how it is with another go-round to fully appreciate its intricacies. The film is by no means on par with the original trilogy, but that’s an unfair expectation. As just a stand-alone movie, it offers an intriguing plot, mostly good characters, a riveting music score, and Harrison Ford’s portrayal of the titular character, all coming together to create a spectacular final send-off for the greatest adventure hero in the history of cinema.
I give Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny a B.
TV and City 