Twigs - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
The exciting adventure ends.
[Note: This review will discuss elements of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny that were revealed in promotional material, such as trailers. If you’re someone who enjoys going into new movies knowing as little as possible, you may want to skip reading this review.]
Every Indiana Jones movie has always excelled at one thing: Excitement.
Even the fan-panned Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had plenty of exciting action and worldwide adventure that defines what an Indiana Jones movie is like. Unfortunately, the fourth film’s over-reliance on CGI and shift toward sci-fi instead of religious fantasy was met with mixed opinions. While I personally didn’t mind some of the computer-generated elements and sci-fi plot aspects of the film, I think that’s because Crystal Skull maintained the spirit of adventure present in your typical Indiana Jones movie. The shot composition was similar. The chemistry between actors was believable. Harrison Ford is clearly putting his everything into the performance. And while the tension of the action scenes don’t hold a candle to The Last Crusade or Raiders of the Lost Ark (tied for personal favorites), Crystal Skull still felt like an Indiana Jones film for the modern age.
As for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the movie left me a bit torn.
The film was exciting. I had a good time watching the many action scenes and chase sequences while listening to John Williams’ bombastic score. Once again, Ford brought his all to the character, convincing me that he was an older, more jaded Indy trying to make his way through the post-Vietnam era of American history. The film also had an interesting idea for its plot. The movie centers around Indy’s goddaughter, Helena Shaw, asking him to help her find the Antikythera, an ancient device that her father—and one of Indy’s close friends in the past—believed could be used to travel through time. While Indy has the first half of the ancient dial, the second half’s location is unknown. Indy attempts to find it alongside a not-so-trustworthy Helena before NASA scientist and secret Nazi Jügren Voller can get his hands on both halves, attempting to change history so the Nazis win World War II.
On paper, the story sounds like your typical Indiana Jones adventure: Find THE THING before the bad guys find THE THING and use it in an irresponsible way. It’s the basic structure of every Indiana Jones movie, and it’s what makes the franchise feel fun and adventurous. A simple premise, sure. But what exciting things will they do with it? But while the movie had plenty of massive action scenes and exploration in places Indy’s never been to before, there were a few unfortunate hiccups within the movie that dragged it down. There are many small plot holes throughout the film—including a character surviving what should have been a killing blow without a scratch—that make the movie feel less logical than the four that came prior. An especially egregious plot development about 45 minutes in was perhaps the most cliché thing an Indiana Jones movie has ever done. And, sadly, the events for the rest of the film hinge on said plot development…which then never gets a resolution.
There are many smaller moving parts in Dial of Destiny that this happens to. Plot details that are small but important which either never get resolved, or are rushed toward a conclusion. Knowing the history of the movie going in—extensive rewrites and reshoots that caused the film’s production budget to balloon to around $300 million—its behind the scenes struggles are very apparent. New characters come and go in odd ways. The villains have a habit of killing innocent bystanders almost every time they catch up with Indy to remind the audience they’re the bad guys. And the themes of the film feel improperly resolved, as if someone had been weaving thread and forgot to tie the last few inches together. It’s unfortunate that the longest Indiana Jones film—by a half hour margin, I may add—had the weakest story out of all five.
The excitement of the film also feels very different from any that have come before it. Much of this has to do with the way the film is shot and presented. Dial of Destiny is the only Indiana Jones film that doesn’t have Steven Spielberg directing or George Lucas working on the story. And it shows, for better or worse. Oddly enough, Dial of Destiny’s action sequences were more akin to a Fast & Furious movie than an Indiana Jones one. The scenes are long, over-the-top, and occasionally nonsensical. However, it feels like a purposeful route for the film to steep Dial of Destiny in the presentation of modern, big-budget action films to show the adventurer living in a new era. I can’t be too disappointed in the movie when it’s clearly trying to differentiate itself from all the other Indiana Jones films before it. I had a good time with the action and adventure elements of the movie, even if they didn’t feel like your typical Indiana Jones movies. It definitely wasn’t as tense or enthralling as action scenes in the previous films, which may disappoint some fans. But it still served as decent popcorn entertainment despite its different style.
I also ended up liking some of the additional characters introduced in the movie too. Mads Mikkelsen’s Voller was a solid performance. There was a sinister air in every scene he was in, and the story made it clear how ruthless he was willing to be in order to get the dial. He was very reminiscent of Cate Blanchett’s Irina Spalko from Crystal Skull in his demeanor, which made for a familiar yet different villain for Indy to face off against. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena was also a decent addition. Her character is more complex and self-centered than the Dial of Destiny trailers let on, making her a good foil to Indy as he tries to find the other half of the dial. Unfortunately, her character ultimately becomes a quippy plot device halfway through the movie. There is a lot of interesting setup for her in the first half of the film, which seems to fall to the wayside at the end. Nonetheless, she was a welcome newcomer with a character arc that—while rushed—made for a compelling element for (some of) the film.
I would talk about the other new characters in Dial of Destiny, but I don’t remember them. Helena had a sidekick, a kid whose name I didn’t catch. Voller had two henchmen, one short and skinny, one big and bulky. Again, I don’t know their names. But they all served their plot-intended purposes well enough.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is not a perfect film. It is constantly marred by story issues, obvious rewrites and reshoots, and a presentation that doesn’t feel like an Indiana Jones movie. However, as a fun summer blockbuster full of mindless action and a generally serviceable final act, Dial of Destiny hits a satisfying number of notes. Ford brings it his all for one last time as Indiana Jones, and while the bookends are rushed, it serves as a decent enough final chapter to the franchise. While it’s not as triumphant as the end of The Last Crusade, nor as poetically pleasing as the end of Crystal Skull, Dial of Destiny may still satisfy fans of the series open to change. Even if, story-wise, that change often comes about in mediocre ways.
Despite its flaws, Dial of Destiny is still an exciting, semi-satisfying end to the Indiana Jones series.
***
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