Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny had one job, make up for the debacle that was Crystal Skull and win back the fans. Ok, that was two jobs but they go hand in hand. One of the most iconic characters and franchises in pop culture cinema needed a strong finish. This one does just that. Tons of action, humor, and Jones worthy adventure.
This one does dabble in the realm of unbelievability but it is forgivable. I was worried that it was going to go out in a campy implosion. Instead it finds its footing and leaves us with all the right feels.
We get young and old Indie in this one as the story starts in the past and works its way forward. Once we get to the current Jones it is fun to see and aged Ford step in the role. I found it akin to seeing Han Solo again in The Force Awakens. We missed Dr. Jones and wanted to see him in a believable skin. Also, like Solo, Jones is in a funk do to problems in his marriage and the guilt of his son. Sound familiar?
Plenty of nostalgic bits to nibble on as well. It was endearing to see familiar faces regardless of age. The new additions are appreciated as well. I am a fan of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen. They bring another layer of enjoyment in both performance as well as franchise synergy. If you are expecting to see Short Round, spoiler alert, you won’t. That to me is a missed opportunity. With the success of his last film and award wins it would have been so easy to bring Ke Huy Quan to this one. Even if it was for a 30 second funny encounter. would he have done it? Absolutely.
The Dial of Destiny, in case you don’t know, has real super powers. Kidding. I doubt it was real. Neat concept though. The apparatus was created by Archimedes (Nasser Memarzia) and points to a fissure in time and space that allows for time travel. Luckily the film is more about getting the dial than using it. In Indiana Jones fashion this one takes us through harrowing adventures to get it. Obviously that is what we love about the franchise. To get high stakes adventure and Harrison Ford is a win win.
Do we miss Spielberg at the helm? I don’t think so. Director James Mangold made sure that fans got what they wanted while also delivering a summer popcorn flick. Many of us rewatch the early films again and again. We can now add this one to that list.
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