Blockbuster or Bust: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
“If you are looking for a final chapter on-par with the rest of the series, I think you may be in for a treat.”
I must confess: before this year, I had not seen any of the Indiana Jones sequels. While I have watched and enjoyed the classic Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark a few times in my life, you must know that this review will be free from the bias of nostalgia. I applaud the great fun in each of good ole Indie’s adventures, but I must admit they are far from perfect and lacking in more modern representations. Unfortunately, I’m sure many people nowadays wouldn’t agree with his well-known “it belongs in a museum mentality, but who can resist that sense of adventure? This is going to be a hot take, but if you are looking for a final chapter on-par with the rest of the series, I think you may be in for a treat.
Story
The devilishly handsome and sharp-tongued Harrison Ford is now a washed up old Indiana by the time this final installment. Beginning with admirable de-aging CGI, the film accomplishes a great deal of thrilling action sequences to get audiences engaged. From a classic run in with some Nazis on a train to our elderly protagonist atop a horse in the New York City subways, I think it’s fair to say that Indiana Jones has still got it. The rest of the film manages a typical sort of structure venturing between countries and evading bad guys in search of this “Dial of Destiny” for which the movie is named. With a refreshingly capable female lead and an okay kid sidekick, Indie’s final leg of his journey takes him farther than any artifact has led him before. While some may argue that the film momentarily “jumps the shark” by allowing the dial to take hold of the story, I would first like to remind you that Kingdom of The Crystal Skull had aliens sucking people into an alternate reality and taking off in a UFO. In that sense, Dial of Destiny is much more in-line with the other films. Plus, with a subtle emotional arc, it arguably possesses more heart than its predecessors.
Characters
Even in his old age, Indiana Jones is true to his charming and impossible self with just the right amount of jaded old man to match. I feared that Indie’s femme fatale for this film would reek of a need to compensate for previous character’s shortcomings with an excessive girls-can-do-things-too mentality. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised by Helena’s effortless cool, confident, and imperfect persona, serving as a clean-cut crook in perfectly tailored pants. She was just reminiscent enough of young Marion with a fresh new spin. Jurgen Voller, our villain, earns my greatest criticism for his contrived nazi bad-guy personality. Although, I found something much more interesting in his aryan-race, gun-happy, henchmen who felt incredibly similar to the neo-nazis we see on the news today.
Quality of Sequel
As far as the many Indiana Jones sequels go, this was a good one. If I were watching the saga again, I certainly would not leave this one out. It does a keen job of touching on past events with tactful exposition and subtext to keep the story from becoming bogged down between action sequences. His wife and son remain present in the story regardless of the fact that their physical presence is complicated to say the least. While I am sure there will be a great debate of where this film ranks among the others. I would keep towards the top of my list. Certainly after Raiders of the Lost Ark but perhaps at second or third place.
Is it Worth the Watch?
Honestly, I appreciate a movie that reminds us that there is no expiration date on life. For that reason, I’d say it’s definitely worth the watch. Is it the best Indiana Jones movie? No. Is it a good movie? Absolutely. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny isn’t trying too hard or pretending to be something it’s not. The color palette gives a pleasing 70s adventurer aesthetic, and the cinematography remains enticing from all angles. James Mangold stays true to Steven Spielberg’s vision, and if you are invested in the Indiana Jones saga, it’s worth the watch.
