Like an archaeologist brushing dust off of a historic relic, Disney has once again unearthed the Indiana Jones franchise with the fifth entry,Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. However, much like an artifact that has been weathered and degraded by years spent buried in the sand, this series is showing its age. It’s been speculated that this is the final ride for Doctor Jones, and with how this movie turned out, that’s probably for the best.
This is the first movie in the series not to be directed by Steven Spielberg, withLoganandFord v FerrarihelmerJames Mangold (who is also tapped for DC’s Swamp Thing) taking the reigns. Indiana Jones fans have made it clear that the belated fourth entry, the much-malignedKingdom of the Crystal Skull, was a huge misstep, but in trying to course correct for a proper sendoff, Mangold may have ended up doing more damage.
RELATED:Steven Spielberg Reveals His Indiana Jones 5 Reaction After Screening
Dial of Destinybegins with a flashback sequence in which central starHarrison Ford is put through the de-aging process. This seems to have become standard operating procedure for legacy franchises under Disney’s umbrella, and while the technology has improved over the years, it still leaves much to be desired. There’s also the fact that, as demonstrated inThe Irishman, Ford is still an 81-year-old man, and as such, his physicality doesn’t quite match the youthfulness in his face.
It’s in this opening sequence where many of the problems with the movie become immediately apparent. Far from the daring stunts and setpieces of past films,Dial of Destinyonce again leans heavily into the use of CGI. Setting the sequence at night is also an obvious way to hide these effects (especially Ford’s facial replacement). There are some very brief flashes of what the franchise used to be, but for the most part, it’s an underwhelming start used mostly to introduce Mads Mikkelsen’s villain Dr. Voller and the McGuffin du jour, that being the fabled Antikythera mechanism.
The movie then jumps forward to 1969, with Ford looking more like himself. He’s still teaching, but about to retire. It seems like he’ll be out of the game for good until Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), the daughter of his old friend, ends up pulling him back into another adventure to find the other half of the Antikythera mechanism. Meanwhile, Dr. Voller and his henchmen are on the hunt for the mechanism as well, with a plan to use it for their own dastardly purposes.
There’s a bit of novelty in the early sequences set in New York, with the city celebrating the successful return of the astronauts after the moon landing. The period-accurate cityscape is rendered with plenty of care, and adds some flavor to the proceedings. However, it’s a shame that the action sequences never quite live up to them. Even watching Indy ride a horse through a ticker tape parade doesn’t elicit the same kind of excitement anymore.
That underwhelming nature applies to the rest of the movie’s action sequences. What used to be a staple of the series, the thing that made Indiana Jones stand out among its blockbuster peers, has devolved into looking like everything else out there. That could be a symptom of the oversaturation of big action movies at the box office, but there’s a distinct lack of excitement and kinetic energy in these setpieces. Mangold has done some very good work previously in this realm, but his style seems oddly reigned in onDial of Destiny. This might all be an overcorrection forCrystal Skull’s overt silliness, but at least that entry had memorable sequences (even ifnuking the fridge is considered outlandish, at least people remember it).
This feeling of everything being a little bit underbaked extends to the lead performance as well. At 80 years old, Harrison Ford can only do so much to carry the film.WhenCrystal Skullcame out 15 years ago, audiences were already questioning whether the actor was too old to keep playing the part. If only they knew. Ford still has that same movie star charisma, even if it’s shifted with his age, but his energy in action sequences is decidedly muted, with Waller-Bridge having to carry much of the burden. Her performance as Helena (though Indy affectionately calls her ‘Wombat’) is much better, which helps the fact that she ends up driving most of the story. Meanwhile, Mikkelsen is fine as the requisite baddie (he does fit the bill of any villain pretty much perfectly), but his story is annoyingly one-note, and nowhere near as memorable as other villains of Indy’s past.
It’s that last part whereDial of Destinyreally feels like a letdown, though. More than any other entry in the series, it really feels like the characters are just moving from point A to B to C without any real twists or turns. They end up in a scenic locale, find a clue to the next destination, get into a fight or a chase, escape, then head off. All of this culminates in what has to be the franchise’s most outrageously silly third act ever.It may go down as the worst ending in the series,which is saying a lot. Nothing will be revealed here, but viewers should be prepared for theaters full of rolled eyes and annoyed groans.
Dial of Destinyhas been touted as Indiana Jones’s final adventure, and that is definitely for the best. There’s plenty of affection for the material in this outing, but the magic of the series is just gone. Considering that Disney seems to havescrapped the plans for a potential Indiana Jones Disney Plus seriesnot long before this movie’s release, the House of Mouse might have decided that much like a cursed tomb, this franchise is best left buried.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinyopens in theaters on June 30th.
MORE:Indiana Jones 5 Might Do Worse Than Crystal Skull At Opening Weekend Box Office
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the fifth entry in the Indiana Jones franchise, directed by James Mangold and starring Harrison Ford in his final portrayal of the titular character. The film will see Jones in 1969 on an adventure with his goddaughter, Helena Shaw, as they find themselves in the middle of an uneasy space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, with the former enlisting the help of former Nazis with ulterior motives.
