‘Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny’ Review: “A Strong Curtain Call”

Ever since the beginning, the Indiana Jones franchise has been about exploring the past. The first three films embraced the tropes of adventure serials from the 1930s, while the previous film – 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – dived into science-fiction and 1950s paranoia. Now with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, we’ve transitioned into a period piece that references the moon landing and the hippie movement. Of course, the slightly more modern setting is just a backdrop for what the movie really has to offer.

Taking place mostly in 1969, Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones (Harrison Ford) is in the process of retiring from teaching when his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) shows up looking for information on Archimedes’ Dial, an artifact that drove her father mad. What follows is a collision of events as they both race to get the dial, preventing Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) from using it to rectify Hitler’s mistakes.

To get to the main plot, however, you have to get through a lengthy prologue that relies on face manipulation. This is where we follow a young Indy, brought to life with elaborate de-aging on Ford’s face. The de-aging looks decent for the most part, but there are a few sequences where it looks utterly wonky. The biggest issue in the opening act is the fact that it’s old man Ford’s voice behind him. In de-aging Mark Hamill for The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian, they also altered his voice to make him sound younger. That does not happen here, and that leads to a noticeable mismatch in the performance.

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Other than that, the only issue I really had were some of the scenes in Morroco. In particular, the car chase sequence. It drags on for far too long, despite the fact that I always love the franchise’s standard chase. The ex-fiance of Helena is also just… done wrong. I know he’s the son of a mobster, but the stuff with him is just drawn out. It adds some helpful characterization to Helena, but he feels like a non-entity by the time he exits the narrative.

Visually, there is a lot of CGI involved, but I don’t think it detracts from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at all. Do I miss Ford doing his own stunts, yes, but ultimately, it’s not a knock on the film’s look. Budget-wise, at one of the most expensive movies ever made, might be a different conversation. This movie is definitely too long, by about half an hour. I’m missing the deft touch of director James Mangold’s work on Logan, where every scene felt important and needed. There are several points like the aforementioned car chase scene which could use some finesse.

There is no escaping the third act in talking about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, so let’s get into it, spoiler free of course. For a final film, it certainly makes bold choices. It leans into Ford’s desire to showcase not being afraid of aging. But it also shows how things can change as you age. There has always been a suspension of belief needed for some scenes in the franchise, and this is no different. The final scene of the movie is also fitting for a character who’s always struggled to communicate his desires.

Overall, this is a superb film to end the franchise on. Dial of Destiny hits the nostalgic points without being overbearing. It’s not a topper of franchise favorites like Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, but it’s a much better note to end on than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It’s not without faults, but it’s a love note to the ever-changing structure of life and best intentions. – Katie Rentschler

Rating: 8/10

Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny is in theaters now.

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