Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

“Harrison Ford returns to the role of the legendary hero archaeologist for this highly anticipated final installment of the iconic franchise– a big, globe-trotting, rip-roaring cinematic adventure. Starring along with Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”), Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Shaunette Renée Wilson (Black Panther), Thomas Kretschmann (Das Boot), Toby Jones (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Olivier Richters (Black Widow), Mads Mikkelsen (Doctor Strange) and newcomer Ethann Isidore. Directed by James Mangold (Logan, Walk the Line) and written by Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and David Koepp and James Mangold, based on characters created by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, the film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, has once again composed the score.”

Indiana Jones may very well rank as one of the most beloved characters in cinematic history, I know he’s one of mine. It’s certainly bittersweet, seeing the character again on the big screen, and knowing it will be the last time that we do. Harrison Ford has gone on record stating that when he’s done with the character, the character will be no more, and that’s how it should be. No reboots, no spinoffs, going out with the dignity and respect the character deserves.

It’s hard to put into words exactly what makes the franchise and the character so memorable. The tumblers really fell into place with the writers, director and actor whose contributions to the films created something truly magical. There really is no other franchise where my favorite of the bunch could change depending on my mood, but that’s how it is with this one, a franchise I could watch over and over again and never get tired of it.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny had its work cut out for it after the luke-warm reception of the previous film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. While I personally don’t dislike the film like many do, except perhaps Shia LaBeouf and the monkey scene, it seems impossible to meet the expectations of some fans who grew up with the franchise and who dislike any deviation from what they love. As we move away from the 30’s and 40’s time period where the world still feels like a much larger place with undiscovered mysteries at every turn, Indiana Jones has to come to terms with that changing world, as well as getting old. That change isn’t as fun as him fighting Nazis that are searching for mystical religious artifacts, but nevertheless a part of life and the character’s journey.

Spoilers ahead.

The main theme of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is time. Not only time travel in relation to the quest to seek the Antikythera, but time as in age, and the end of Indy’s journey. The film opens in 1944 during a ‘quest’ that Indy embarks upon with his friend Basil Shaw (Toby Jones). He’s captured by Nazis of course, while trying to steal back artifacts that have been stolen and about to be shipped off to Germany. During the daring and action-packed escape, we meet Dr. Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), who is obsessed with the Antikythera, convinced that when combined with the other half, will lead to fissures in time that will allow the user to travel to the past.

We fast forward decades later, now 1969, as Basil Shaw’s daughter, Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) has taken up the search for the missing half of the Antikythera, not for scientific or archeological research, but for personal gain. She unwittingly gets Indy involved in the search as Dr. Voller has returned to reclaim what was his, with a bold plan to travel back in time and turn the tide of World War II.

First and foremost, that opening sequence. Wow. De-aging aside, the sequence itself was fun, filled with action, comedy, everything you’d expect from an Indiana Jones film. It set the tone for what was in store for the rest of the film, and I thoroughly enjoyed the mini-adventure we got with younger Indy. Now, de-aging technology still is not perfect, but it’s come a long way in a few short years. Still, there were times, no matter how good it looked, that something was ‘off’. Movement of the eyes, how Ford looked turning his head suddenly, and most importantly, the voice doesn’t quite match up pitch-wise from the younger man we’ve seen battle Nazi scum before. Harrison Ford has always had a gravely, gritty voice, but it’s only gotten more-so during the years, and it doesn’t feel right coming from his younger self. Despite these little nitpicky moments, the whole sequence was, for me, as good as it gets.

For the rest of the film, story wise, it’s honestly hard to see such an iconic character in his current state at the opening of the character’s present day. Living in a tiny apartment in New York, having to yell at kids to turn down their music, teaching at what seems to be an unfulfilling position at a public college. It’s depressing. But, that’s what makes his journey that much more exciting when he begins to find himself again. Some of the deeper character moments are really heartbreaking, including those having to do with his son.

The character of Helena Shaw was certainly different than any other character that has embarked on these journeys with Indy. I wouldn’t call her a side-kick, as she can more than handle herself in any situation, and has her personal interests at heart. While she can seem a bit unlikable, especially at the beginning of the film, I think that’s why I enjoyed the character so much. She’s not another damsel in distress that’s along for the ride. She controls the ride half the time, and her wit and charm is a good antithesis to Indy’s brooding and solemn nature.

I especially enjoyed Mads Mikkelsen’s character Dr. Voller. Besides the fact that he’s a fantastic actor born to play villainous roles, I’ve always been intrigued by the person on which he’s based, Wernher von Braun, a brilliant German scientist responsible for developing the V-2 rocket and contributing factor of the United States winning the space race. Though the character doesn’t have much depth (what Nazi does?), what I enjoyed most was his devotion to his scientific beliefs that were so radical, even for today. His hubris eventually spells doom for himself and his group, but at the very end for a split second, he saw that he was wrong.

Director James Mangold has a stellar filmography, and did a fantastic job with the character and the story. Besides the opening sequence being 100% Indiana Jones, there are others, like the rickshaw chase scene in Morocco that gives us an ample helping of danger and laughs that reminded me quite a bit of previous films. Overall, it’s an incredible journey from start to finish, with an ending sequence that tops any other film in the franchise.

My only complaints about anything in the film have to be with some of the CG. Whether or not the filmmakers were not given enough time to put polishing on some of the shots in which Harrison Ford’s face is superimposed on a stunt-double, or the technology just isn’t there yet, I’m not certain. There are moments, such as the parade sequence, where some of the shots just look awful. You can tell in what places the money went, and it wasn’t when he was riding the horse. There were many practical effects shots intertwined with CG, so the inconsistency with good looking to bad looking was pretty distracting.

We were given a digital code to review Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which is now available on Digital. There is currently no release date yet for physical copy of the film, which should be sometime this fall. Purchasing the digital copy also allows you access to some bonus features, including a 5-part documentary on the making of the film. While the bonus features are nice to get digitally as well, I for one will be holding out for the 4k release, as watching the film the day-of-release I saw some significant bandwidth and buffering issues that made the video look pretty bad at some points. But if you cannot wait to see this one again, and I can’t blame you, look for it now on Digital!

Here’s a list of extras you’ll receive with the digital copy:

Bonus Features

The Making of Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny

• Chapter 1 – Prologue – Harrison Ford leaps back into action as Indiana Jones! Journey to 1944 as this featurette reveals the filmmakers, characters, stunts, locations, and incredible visual effects that make up the thrilling opening of Dial of Destiny!
• Chapter 2 – New York – Blast off to adventure as James Mangold showcases the re-creation of 1969 Manhattan for the Moon Parade chase. This featurette spotlights Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) as John Williams conducts his beautiful new theme for this compelling character.
• Chapter 3 – Morocco – The man in the hat is back! Explore Morocco as this featurette breaks down the white-knuckle stunts of the medina tuk-tuk chase and hotel brawl. Meet Teddy (Ethann Isidore), Indy’s precocious new ally in the hunt for the dial!
• Chapter 4 – Sicily – Meet Renaldo (Antonio Banderas) as he guides our heroes on a perilous underwater treasure hunt! Catch up with Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge on location in Sicily and explore the caverns, traps, and bugs surrounding Archimedes’ tomb!
• Chapter 5 – Finale – This featurette breaks down the thrilling climax to the Indiana Jones series. Cast and filmmakers James Mangold, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, John Williams, Steven Spielberg, and Harrison Ford bid farewell to one of the greatest heroes of all time.