Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, 2023.
Directed by James Mangold.
Starring Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, Karen Allen, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Olivier Richters, Martin McDougall, Alaa Safi, Nasser Memarzia, Anna Francolini, Billy Postlethwaite, Holly Lawton, Guy Paul, and Harriet Slater.
SYNOPSIS:
Archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history.
“This is not an adventure,” Harrison Ford’s iconic former treasure-hunting archaeologist and current college professor Indiana Jones mutters in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny when his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) wraps him up in a search for the legendary Antikythera dial before Nazi-turned NASA space race figure Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), secretly still a Nazi, does. According to the obsessive research of Indiana Jones’ longtime friend Basil Shaw (Toby Jones), the father of Helena, which irreparably fractured their relationship, the relic can locate fissures in time. It’s also fairly obvious what a Nazi might want to go back in time to accomplish.
The previously mentioned line shows director James Mangold (co-riding alongside Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Steven Spielberg collaborator David Koepp) is willing once again to frame a franchise film around the theme of mortality (as he brilliantly did with arguably the greatest comic book film of all time, Logan). It’s nowhere near as richly explored here, but given that 15+ years have passed since Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and that Harrison Ford isn’t getting any younger, that same mentality has to be applied to the character whether we like it or not. Indiana Jones is too old for this shit, and that’s made abundantly clear across every action set piece where such fragility is felt.
However, that doesn’t mean goddaughter Helena is treasure hunting for the right reasons. No, she made the mistake of getting involved with Moroccan gangsters and is now in financial trouble, prepared to retrieve the dial and hand it over to Jürgen for a hefty sum of cash. Indiana Jones famously believes such artifacts belong in a museum, whereas auction houses and mutually benefiting trades are more Helena’s style. The contrast doesn’t necessarily get much deeper, but at least Harrison Ford is given a slightly acceptable reason to spout such nostalgia-pandering dialogue.
Shortly after Americans have landed on the moon, Helena visits Indiana Jones during one of his lectures. She is aware he has one half of the dial, unexpectedly dropping in over a decade after having last seen one another, back when she was 12 years old, and he was visiting the house trying to find some of Basil’s lost marbles – “it’s not science unless it can be proven.” He doesn’t recognize her, but it’s not long before he is thrust into the mix due to Jürgen and his goons on her tail. The ensuing globetrotting quest sees Indiana Jones trying to find his place in the world in his twilight years, visibly heartbroken over being estranged from his wife Marion (Karen Allen from Raiders of the Lost Ark) for an unknown reason that becomes clear as the story unfolds.
Not only did I just table set the plot of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny while vaguely implying I do think there is some substance here, and an appropriately terrific curmudgeon performance from Harrison Ford, who is not only still charismatic, formidable, and resourceful but also gives a physically impressive turn (despite most of his action scenes involving vehicular chases allowing him to remain somewhat still), but I also did it without launching into one of the most creatively bankrupt, ghastly rendered, hollow, unnecessary flashback prologues in recent memory.
The opening 20 minutes here, depicting how Indiana Jones came in possession of one-half of the dial, is so aggressively offputting unless you are a fan that will squeal at the side of a hideously de-aged Harrison Ford, every nostalgic wink (including a desperate first usage of the classic John Williams Indiana Jones theme), one begins to worry and wonder that they are about to watch one of the emptiest Hollywood tentpoles in years. There is no need for this garbage (covered in an unconvincing green screen), although not just because it is grotesque to look at and listen to. Harrison Ford and Indiana Jones are old. We need to accept that. Delivering roughly 20 minutes of de-aged phony-looking fan service directly at odds with the film’s central themes is an insult, catering to the worst kind of fan, the one who will never outgrow their favorite childhood heroes. The same type of person who wants every new Star Wars movie and series to trot out Luke Skywalker for no reason and will cream themselves the second Mark Hamill is brought back to life through CGI after he dies.
The rest of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is pretty fun.
For starters, the other major extended action sequences feature more practical effects and locations while also appearing more elaborately conceived, such as a chase segment through a parade and protesters that culminates with Indiana Jones amusingly riding a horse down a subway tunnel, thrillingly avoiding trains while crossing between tracks. Then there is the menacing Mads Mikkelsen playing a villain who does get the kill the occasional character, setting the stage for some danger and urgency to be felt. The rapport between Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge is also serviceable, even if it is disappointing that the latter’s character lacks depth and personality (presumably something that can be fixed if she is the center of future adventures, which would be entertaining to watch).
However, while Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny begins as a flaming hot mess and slowly regains goodwill, it also climaxes in a genuinely bonkers 45 minutes taking the story and action to pleasantly preposterous heights. Not only that, but the filmmakers also reach an emotionally moving conclusion in touch with the story’s central themes. Now, let Indiana Jones rest.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
