“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” Review
Harrison Ford returns to play the iconic archeologist Indiana Jones in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” the fifth and final film in the series.
My introduction to Indiana Jones came with the release of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” when I was eight years old. While it’s the weakest entry in the series, I still have a soft spot for the film that showed me how awesome an archeologist with a fedora and a whip could be. After growing up with a borderline unhealthy love for this series, the fifth and final film has arrived and I was so excited that I had to physically temper my expectations since I’d basically been waiting for this film for 15 years. With so much anticipation, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” was a marvelous send-off to one of cinema’s most iconic characters.
In 1969, an aging Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) feels uncertain about his place in the world as he is faced with retirement. As the Space Race reaches its peak, the Vietnam War rages and the culture of the world dramatically shifts, it seems like Jones has become like one of the relics he admires. However, everything changes when Jones reunites with his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who is pursuing the mystical Dial of Archimedes as Dr. Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), an old enemy of Jones’, wishes to use the ancient device to change the course of history.
Like most of you, I was nervous about how well this film would go over. Not only was “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” divisive amongst fans, but the fifth film would not be directed by Steven Spielberg. However, I became more excited when it was announced that James Mangold would be helming this film. With a diverse and entertaining catalog of films like “Cop Land,” “Girl, Interrupted,” “Walk The Line,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “Logan” and “Ford v Ferrari,” James Mangold was more than qualified to direct a period-piece film that contains strong action, exciting energy and the kind of fun you want from a summer movie.
As a director, Mangold brings that cheery feeling you get when you watch “Raiders of the Lost Ark” for the first time. What makes the Indiana Jones films so unique is that Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and other filmmakers took the crazy ideas of those old-fashioned adventure serials and combined them with modern techniques while having a timeless quality. Mangold does a fantastic job bringing that sensibility to the table while also injecting his talent for hair-raising action and putting personable characters in the center of it.
At 80-years-old, Harrison Ford shows no signs that he’s slowing down but he does have this profound awareness of how far he’s come and how much he’s got left. As Indiana Jones, Ford brings his all to the role and clearly shows just how much this character has meant to him. Like all the great action heroes, what makes this character so compelling is how he has real-world problems and that he can be hurt physically and emotionally.
As an old man taking on one last adventure, Jones’ vulnerability is ever present and Ford doesn’t shy away from this. He plays Jones as someone who is tired and looking back on the legacy of his life. However, he still has that spark that compels him to take on this journey. In one scene, where Jones is teaching a class at Hunter College, the entire class is not with him as he’s giving a lecture about Archimedes and even Jones seems disinterested. When someone in the class starts answering his questions, that light in him is lit and Jones fully displays his passion for archeology. That’s what makes Indiana Jones. He’s someone who loves history and archeology so much that it’s borderline crazy. Any film that understands that is clearly doing something right.
The film’s supporting cast is full of wonderful characters that I feel stand well alongside the iconic people who have gone on Indy’s many adventures. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is marvelous as the goddaughter of Jones who is just as much of a genius with archeology. However, her motivations are pretty murky so, while Indy is learning how to be an adventurer again, Helena is realizing why archeology is more important than finding treasure and getting glory. Alongside a kid (Ethann Isidore) who makes for one hell of a getaway driver and an old friend of Indy’s (Antonio Banderas) who makes daring ocean dives, there’s more than enough incredible people for Jones to share the spotlight with.
Alongside his goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Indy traverses several countries to find his most exciting artifact yet.
As a villain, Mads Mikkelsen is a fairly captivating take on a common trope in the “Indiana Jones” franchise. Like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “The Last Crusade,” “The Dial of Destiny” has Nazis as the main villains and Dr. Voller wishes to use the Dial of Archimedes for evil and in a way that feels pretty fresh. Mikkelsen feels like a wonderful match for Ford since they both play experts in archeology who will go to eccentric lengths to get what they want. But it’s Voller’s ruthlessness combined with his calm demeanor that made him so intimidating.
When you go to an “Indiana Jones” film, you want good, exciting action scenes combined with a sly sense of humor. While it’s hard not to be amazed by sequences like the iconic truck chase in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” or the mine car chase in “The Temple of Doom,” it’s also equally hard not to laugh when a Nazi shoots Indy in the arm and starts repeatedly punching the wound or watching Short Round beat the shit out of a possessed child who’s been torturing people with a voodoo doll.
With “The Dial of Destiny,” the action sequences are masterful with sweeping camera shots, precise editing and a wonderful sense of fun. In particular, the film’s opening prologue is fantastic as we see Indiana Jones go on a secret mission in World War II where he encounters Dr. Voller for the first time while chasing down an artifact on a train. With motorcycle chases, Indy narrowly surviving a hanging attempt and so many Nazis to kill, this instantly assured me that James Mangold understood what makes Indiana Jones work. When Jone Williams’ iconic theme started playing about ten minutes in, I felt this incredible shiver go up my spine.
Other exciting moments in the film include a chase in New York City that sees Indy steal a police horse and ride it through the subway system, a suspenseful car chase through the narrow streets of Tangiers and a climatic third act that I won’t dare spoil. Not only does this film know how to maintain a strong feeling of excitement but there are plenty of funny one-liners and visual gags that keep this film interesting.
While this was originally supposed to be John Williams’ last ever score, he has since reconsidered retiring and now plans to keep making music until he drops. While this is admirable, especially since he’s easily the most iconic film composer of all time, his score for “The Dial of Destiny” would have been a good one to retire on. The theme he gave Helena was masterful and the overall score is the perfect balance of familiar themes with new, exciting music. Alongside his incredible work on “The Fabelmans,” it shows that Williams’ best days are still ahead.
There’s certainly a lot of fun to be had with “The Dial of Destiny,” but it doesn’t quite reach the highs of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” or “The Last Crusade.” In comparison to the other films, I would say that this film manages to equal the enjoyment I got from “The Temple of Doom” while surpassing “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” “The Dial of Destiny” has some pacing issues that make the second act feel slow at times with some scenes dragging. At two-and-a-half hours, this is the longest “Indiana Jones” film and you do feel it at times.
While the film’s practical action and stunts are fantastic, there are computer generated effects that don’t really enhance the atmosphere. There’s a sequence where Indy and Helena dive down to a shipwreck that showcases both problems by going on for too long and featuring CGI eels that feel out of place and lack suspense. While the first and third acts of this film are well-edited and keep things lively, the second act needed to be trimmed.
What “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” offers aside from excitement, daring adventures and a wonderful portrayal of the iconic archeologist is a definitive ending that Indiana Jones justly deserves. While many franchises can exist for an incredibly long time, “Indiana Jones” is so closely tied to its lead actor that it has to come to an end. “The Dial of Destiny” might not be the best film in the series, but it certainly knows how to hang up the fedora and whip with style.
