There it is at last. The final Indiana Jones adventure to feature Harrison Ford in the fedora hat. Although I was extremely excited about this film since the reveal of the first trailer back in December, I must say that I was, just recently, a little scared. Even before Ford and the crew of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny presented the film at Cannes Film Festival earlier this Spring, it was already confirmed that this would be the last ‘conventional’ Indy film, closing the book on the adventures of the famous Dr. Jones after 42 years. I say this with a small tear in my eye, as I have very fond memories of the Indiana Jones trilogy when I was growing up. Indy remains one of my favourite Hollywood heroes and, to this day, I still believe Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) is perhaps the best adventure film of all time. All this to say, the expectations for this fifth film were grand, they had to deliver on their promise. So, did they? I’ll get there slowly but surely, but I promise it’s not too dramatic.

Fair to say, the first wave of reviews coming out of Cannes was mixed at best. Much criticism was heard about the abundance of CGI that was a little overwhelming and the slower pacing compared to the previous films. Now, it’s our turn to say what’s what. How good is Dial of Destiny? Directed by James Mangold (the brilliant action filmmaker behind Logan and Ford v. Ferrari), this is the first time that the legendary Steven Spielberg did not direct the film, and where George Lucas did not write the story (they do act as executive producers though). Their absence is noticeable when watching this film, I must warn you. Let’s dive in…or should I say ‘whip’ in?

We know Harrison Ford to be 80 years old during the production of this film, but we find Professor Henry Jones Jr. 12 years after the events of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, in 1969. This is a new era for the American archeologist who used to rock the 30s and 40s punching Nazis and Soviets left and right. This is not the same Indy, they made a bold choice here. The old Professor Jones we have in front of us is a depressed alcoholic wondering about his place in the world. Now living in New York City in a tiny apartment in Manhattan, Indy is still teaching archeology to undergrads before preparing for retirement…and also is strangely living alone (his wife and son are not in sight). Fair to say, the passion for his profession is fading; students are falling asleep in class, with rock n’roll, drugs and anti-war rallies on their minds. Oh and also…the Apollo 11 astronauts just came back from the Moon. It’s a new revolutionary era where science and contemporary culture are predominant, not history. Indiana Jones becomes what he always sought: an ancient relic.

Most cinephiles who read about it and saw the previews know this, the story starts about 30 years into the past, where a younger ‘de-aged’ Indy (not a bad deepfake, but still takes you out of it) is stealing artifacts from the Germans during the war, in 1944. In a pretty good action-filled prologue, Jones and a fellow archeologist, Basil Shaw (Toby Jones), infiltrate a French castle looking for a Christian relic, but find themselves fleeing a bombing raid amongst the Germans, with a first half of a certain ‘astromonical dial’.

In 1969, Jones reunites with his goddaughter, and daughter of Basil Shaw, Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who seeks him out to find the first half of the Dial that he might have kept from the war. With CIA spies also looking for it, both also catch the eye of an older Nazi scientist (Mads Mikkelsen, quite good), now servicing the interests of the American government, with whom Indy crossed path during the war…also very interested in the artifact for unknown reasons. A race around New York, Morocco, the Aegean sea and Sicily will start in order to find the missing piece of the Dial of Destiny, which can allow individuals to predict or change the course of time. Minor supernatural object…let’s agree.

Tonally, Dial of Destiny is a darker Indiana Jones film, almost on par with Temple of Doom. The characters are more serious, the deaths are more tragic and we find our hero more emotionally unstable. From the very first frame to the last of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, James Mangold and the trio of writers behind the script had a clear theme in mind: what is it like for a character to be ‘outta time’. They make an interesting correlation between the legendary pop culture hero that is Indy and the interest for archeology in modern times…they are losing steam. The movie knows this and plays with it. Let’s not kid ourselves guys, maybe that’s why the movie feels a little depressing and slower for some, Indy is 70 years old while Ford himself is ten years his senior at 80! He can’t fight his way across the world like he did in his previous adventures, so it would be unfair to expect a similar action-packed thrill ride. We get a fair share still, but they made the mature decision to respect Indy’s age and limitations as a human. Speaking of which…

The Great and Eternal Harrison Ford!

Hands down, the absolute best part of Dial of Destiny is its central performance. Harrison Ford is yet again fantastic as Jones…even as a 70-year-old grumpy hero. It’s obvious to the naked eye that Ford likes to be Indiana Jones. He chews the scenery with the usual good dose of charm, but he makes room for more intimate moments with him and his monsters, making it impossible to ever NOT root for him. They chose to “de-age” him in the prologue and in one scene as a flashback, and yet again, it unfortunately takes us out of the experience, even if it feels like a good typical Indiana Jones action sequence.

However good Ford’s performance is, how Indy is portrayed in this film will be divisive. Considering his age and where he is in his life, Harrison plays his character with more gravitas, but as a sad figure and not a celebrated hero. For all his heroics, his service during the War and his knowledge, Indy becomes what too many seniors eventually become: forgotten and taken for granted. Powerful message, but a tragic one. I respected it!

His Weaker Companions…

Now, where the movie lost most of its aura is unfortunately in its supporting cast. I had difficulties caring for and relating to the character of Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who is the main accomplice to support Indy throughout the adventure, like Marion, Short Round, his father and his son were in the past. As the daughter to a friend of Indy we never knew before, meaning no prior emotional connection, we’re first introduced to her as a young school genius (not unlike Hermione Granger) who knows as much about archeology as Dr. Jones. She starts as a cool nerdy intellectual, but quickly shape shifts into a greedy capitalist who surrounds herself with mobsters and young thieves. The whole sequence when she’s in her gambling element, in Tangiers, lost me completely and I couldn’t care less about her moving forward. The same can be said of the young Teddy (Ethann Isidore), Helena’s little accomplice, who mumbles his lines constantly. Nothing against the actors, but I think that the final role for an Indy accomplice should have gone to Ke Huy Quan to come back as an older Short Round. This is the first film in the franchise to officially acknowledge the existence of Temple of Doom, it would have made sense. Indy’s old friend Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) also comes back in a few scenes, which is a pleasant sight!

When talking about James Bond films or action flicks, some say they are as good as their villains. In the present case, I would say we are well-served. Mads Mikkelsen, as we know, is a fantastic actor, and the second to be both a Bond and Indy villain (second to Julian Glover in The Last Crusade). Voller, a Nazi scientist who fled to America to serve Western interests after the war, is a scary idealist who belongs in another era of repression, same for his thugs. There’s a chilling scene that includes him, an hotel service worker and a discussion about race…this sets the tone quite efficiently.

Without going into spoilers, a lot of criticism about Dial of Destiny concerns the climax of the film and the final action set piece. How much you like it will depend on your ability to suspend your disbelief, as we are still in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull territory, but with a different supernatural concept. On my end, although it was quite intense, I did not dislike it. The rule with Indiana Jones movies is that they can scratch the surface of the supernatural, without ever falling entirely into the fantastic or science-fiction. As its predecessor that included inter-dimensional beings and flying saucers, the fifth film will also be as bold. You’ll be the judge of that.

To wrap things up, I find that we live in a ‘movie-going’ era that is cruel to films; people either adore or hate entertainment, it’s hard to find opinions in the ‘in-between’. In this case, that’s where I’m at. I can’t say I agree 100% with the people who destroyed this film after its Cannes premiere, it’s definitely not a bad adventure…but it’s not the greatest either. There is perhaps too much CGI instead of practical effects, a slower pacing and a few dull moments, but I expected worse based off of initial reviews. I’m curious to see if I’m in the minority here, but I actually found Dial of Destiny to be better than The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, notably for Ford’s superior performance as Indy, and also the stronger thematic elements around aging and feeling obsolete. Perhaps my opinion will change over time.

It’s not even a discussion, the original trilogy of films remains the absolute best Indy adventures and classics of movie history. However, even if the third act is playing with the ridicule a little too much, it remains a fitting end to the adventures of Indiana Jones in my opinion. So yes, for fans and non-fans alike, this movie still is a good entertaining ride and I recommend that you see it in theatres!

FINAL GRADE: 7/10

Just for the fun of it, while the ranking of the Indiana Jones movies is pretty consistent for most fans, I’m sharing mine to close this review!

1. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
4. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

And so…goodbye Indy! I’ll miss you…

For our spoiler review, click here!