Directed By James Mangold; Written By Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp, & James Mangold; Starring Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renée Wilsom, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethan Isidore, Olivier Richters, and Mads Mikkelsen.
In this day and age where legacy sequels have become quite a trend, it was only a matter of time before we got a brand new Indiana Jones film. This is actually the second legacy sequel for the franchise following 2008's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. While that movie was mostly well received by critics, longtime fans personally found it to be a big disappointment. Is this the proper legacy sequel for this beloved property?
Set in 1969, Dial of Destiny follows Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) as he is about to be forced into retirement from his teaching position because of his opposition to the practice. On his last day, Indy’s estranged goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), shows up to try locating a device that could change the course of history. Meanwhile, Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), a Nazi-turned-NASA scientist is also looking for it as he plans to alter the outcome of World War II to correct Adolf Hitler's past "mistakes."
To give you a bit of background about me, my first Indiana Jones film was actually Kingdom of the Crystal Skull when it first came out back in 2008. At the time, I wasn't following general responses to movies. Although my older brother told me about a massive spoiler which I didn't believe at all...until I saw it. Having since caught up with the first three installments (and loved them), I can definitely see how the fourth film disappointed a lot of people. For Indy's first (and final) big screen outing since then, I came prepared.
As James Mangold takes over directorial duties from Steven Spielberg, he does quite a solid job. The production values are so impeccably mounted. The action sequences are so exciting. As someone who caught this in IMAX, everything looked and sounded incredible. Above all, Dial of Destiny stays true to the roots of the original trilogy. Specifically Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade in their opening sequences as well as how Nazis are the villains going after lost relics. Plus, those movies also featured John Rhys-Davies as Sallah, whose entrance in this installment got a nice little round of applause from my audience.
Harrison Ford is still every bit of a badass as Indiana Jones now as he was when he first played it 42 years ago. His age at this point is acknowledged in the film, which gives his character a bit more of a disadvantage in certain scenes. I thought Ford not only handled that well, but also this heartfelt monologue at one point. Phoebe Waller-Bridge proves to be a great addition as Indy’s goddaughter. The two of them have a fun little dynamic throughout. I also enjoyed Ethan Isidore as the young and smart sidekick, Teddy. Mads Mikkelsen is perfectly menacing as the villain as is Boyd Holbrook who plays his right hand man.
As for qualms, Antonio Banderas felt wasted here. He’s good in his short amount of screen time, but his role is nothing more than just a glorified cameo. If you replace him with a lesser known character actor, the movie would’ve been no different. Also, I have no idea what the hell to make of the third act. What happens there isn’t as far-fetched as the end of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but it still feels removed from what we’ve come to expect from the franchise.
Nonetheless, Indiana Jones & the Dial of Destiny is a really good time. The through line was neatly put together. The expositional dialogue was creatively utilized. John Williams delivers another magnificent musical score. The two and a half hour duration didn’t overstay its welcome. The ending is really sweet. Definitely a nice sendoff for one of the greatest movie heroes of all time.
Rating: 4/5
In this day and age where legacy sequels have become quite a trend, it was only a matter of time before we got a brand new Indiana Jones film. This is actually the second legacy sequel for the franchise following 2008's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. While that movie was mostly well received by critics, longtime fans personally found it to be a big disappointment. Is this the proper legacy sequel for this beloved property?
Set in 1969, Dial of Destiny follows Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) as he is about to be forced into retirement from his teaching position because of his opposition to the practice. On his last day, Indy’s estranged goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), shows up to try locating a device that could change the course of history. Meanwhile, Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), a Nazi-turned-NASA scientist is also looking for it as he plans to alter the outcome of World War II to correct Adolf Hitler's past "mistakes."
To give you a bit of background about me, my first Indiana Jones film was actually Kingdom of the Crystal Skull when it first came out back in 2008. At the time, I wasn't following general responses to movies. Although my older brother told me about a massive spoiler which I didn't believe at all...until I saw it. Having since caught up with the first three installments (and loved them), I can definitely see how the fourth film disappointed a lot of people. For Indy's first (and final) big screen outing since then, I came prepared.
As James Mangold takes over directorial duties from Steven Spielberg, he does quite a solid job. The production values are so impeccably mounted. The action sequences are so exciting. As someone who caught this in IMAX, everything looked and sounded incredible. Above all, Dial of Destiny stays true to the roots of the original trilogy. Specifically Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade in their opening sequences as well as how Nazis are the villains going after lost relics. Plus, those movies also featured John Rhys-Davies as Sallah, whose entrance in this installment got a nice little round of applause from my audience.
Harrison Ford is still every bit of a badass as Indiana Jones now as he was when he first played it 42 years ago. His age at this point is acknowledged in the film, which gives his character a bit more of a disadvantage in certain scenes. I thought Ford not only handled that well, but also this heartfelt monologue at one point. Phoebe Waller-Bridge proves to be a great addition as Indy’s goddaughter. The two of them have a fun little dynamic throughout. I also enjoyed Ethan Isidore as the young and smart sidekick, Teddy. Mads Mikkelsen is perfectly menacing as the villain as is Boyd Holbrook who plays his right hand man.
As for qualms, Antonio Banderas felt wasted here. He’s good in his short amount of screen time, but his role is nothing more than just a glorified cameo. If you replace him with a lesser known character actor, the movie would’ve been no different. Also, I have no idea what the hell to make of the third act. What happens there isn’t as far-fetched as the end of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but it still feels removed from what we’ve come to expect from the franchise.
Nonetheless, Indiana Jones & the Dial of Destiny is a really good time. The through line was neatly put together. The expositional dialogue was creatively utilized. John Williams delivers another magnificent musical score. The two and a half hour duration didn’t overstay its welcome. The ending is really sweet. Definitely a nice sendoff for one of the greatest movie heroes of all time.
Rating: 4/5