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Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny Movie Review: So, there is some good news and some bad news. To begin with the good news, Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny is actually better than The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull! The bad news is that the franchise deserved a grander and a more emotionally compelling story as a fitting end to the character of Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford). There are good ideas here that film just can’t build an emotional momentum to, and this in turn just makes the story seem very anticlimactic. Indiana Jones Dial of Destiny: Harrison Ford Reveals His Otherwise Invincible Character Has a Weakness ‘Ravaged by Time’.
Directed by James Mangold, Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny follows an older and grumpier than usual (a Ford classic) Indy who after years of teaching is ready to hang up his cap. But, when reunited with his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who is in search for the Dial of Archimedes, a device that can be used to travel through time, Indy is forced back into his old swashbuckling ways to track down the artifact alongside her and beat the Nazis gunning for the same item.
When you think of the Indiana Jones films, a few things come to mind: stakes, adventure, and the thrill of venturing into the unknown. While The Dial of Destiny undoubtedly has the latter two, it lacks stakes. Lacking an emotional hold needed to bring you into the story rather than it feeling like a Saturday morning viewing - that was ultimately the film's biggest shortcoming.
It's funny that Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny is directed by James Mangold, the man behind Logan - a movie about a hero beyond his prime discovering that the world has moved past him - and yet the movie plays its themes far too safe. You never get the hero's send-off that Indy deserves, and there are emotional undertones established in the film that are treated more as throwaway dialogues.
Watch the Trailer for Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny:
At his essence, Indiana Jones is an adventurer and risk is his nature. Harrison Ford demonstrates in a great performance that shows age does not matter when it comes to punching Nazis, but the film chooses to overlook his own place in the world. He is sad and lonely, and his relationship with Marion is in disarray. While these are all driving circumstances for telling a story about a guy past his prime, the film just takes a more sanitary approach that has come to be anticipated from Hollywood blockbusters.
The same can be said for Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Helena Shaw, who could have been a younger comparison to Ford's own ageing archaeologist but is given little to do in the film. It's a shame, because Waller-Bridge is a brilliant actor who is clearly capable of much more. Mads Mikkelsen, on the other hand, is a good fit for the role of Jurgen Voller, a Nazi scientist obsessed with discovering the dial. Unfortunately, it is Boyd Holbrook and Antonio Banderas who fall short here, since the film treats them as mere extras.
However, Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny gets a lot of its action right. There are some amazing set-pieces, such as a vehicle chase in Morocco and a plane sequence that feels highly influenced by Uncharted 3, and it is in these times that the film is able to capture your attention. Ford is as agile as ever in these moments given his age, making the most of what he can do, and the banter between fights is what makes so many of these situations amusing.
But while there is action, excitement and bullets flying everywhere with Mangold’s direction shining in these moments, they aren’t enough to carry the film. I was looking for a hook that I just couldn't find. Even in the final act, where it seemed like Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny was going to startle the audience with a bold turn, it slams on the brakes and retreads on its narrative decisions. Not to mention, the ending itself is anti-climactic in such a way that I didn't leave satisfied. Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny: Harrison Ford Gets Emotional After Receiving a 5-Minute Standing Ovation For His Action Film at Cannes 2023 (Watch Video).
Also, there was some huge talk about de-aging Harrison Ford for the first twenty minutes of the film, and the effects just weren’t all that pleasing to see. It’s no Luke Skywalker from The Mandalorian, Ford actually does look like he has some life behind his eyes, however there is still an uncanny valley feeling behind it.
Final Thoughts
"That belongs in a museum!" I said as I exited Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny, hoping that Hollywood would finally put this old franchise to rest. Ford definitely deserved a better send-off than this. A film incapable of maintaining any emotional stakes in order to tell a safe story, Harrison Ford’s swashbuckling franchise ends on a whimper. Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny is playing in theatres right now.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 29, 2023 10:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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