The Pitch: It’s 1969, and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is tired, and maybe just a little adrift — the daring archeologist and professor who once faced aliens and the literal wrath of God now faces a lonely retirement in New York City. Not that he’s even in the market for an adventure, at least until his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) busts into his life after 18 years.
Helena’s not there to catch up, though — she needs Indy’s help tracking down her father’s lifelong obsession, a dial created by the one and only Archimedes, split into two parts centuries ago. And Helena’s not the only one trying to find both parts of the dial; a former Nazi scientist (Mads Mikkelsen), aided and abetted by some nascent Proud Boys, is also hunting for it, because he believes that it’s more than just an artifact that belongs in a museum — it might have the ability to affect time itself…
Enter James Mangold: For a lot of Indiana Jones fans, expectations for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hit a pretty sharp decline in early 2020, when it was revealed that Steven Spielberg would not be directing the fifth installment of the franchise. That’s not meant to put down his replacement James Mangold, who stepped up to bring Indy’s newest adventure to the screen, but instead acknowledge the fact that anyone who has to follow in Spielberg’s franchise footsteps does so knowing that the master is tough to follow.
Mangold, Joe Johnston, and Jeannot Szwarc should start a support group, or at least get drunk together sometime, because trying to out-direct Spielberg is like trying to outrun Usain Bolt, after all. However, Mangold is actually a fascinating director in the Hollywood ecosystem because he’s developed a proven ability to get the movie made, even movies he’s not directing; he was apparently instrumental in getting The Greatest Showman across the finish line.
Mangold’s projects since his 1995 debut feature Heavy have spanned pretty much every major genre of film: drama, romantic comedy, thriller, biopic, superheroes — he’s even directed not just one Western (3:10 to Yuma), but arguably two of them (Logan). As his filmography reveals, he’s developed a proven ability to take on major franchises (highly recommend watching the Oscar-nominated Ford vs. Ferrari as a meta-examination of what it means to tell an original story within the rules and using the resources of a massive corporation) and while Dial of Destiny never surpasses the Indy stories of old… well, it is better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. So it is perhaps possible, to surpass Spielberg — if you have a script that holds together a lot better than Crystal Skull’s did, and if you have Phoebe Waller-Bridge in the mix.
About a Girl: Initially, Dial of Destiny is a bit of a slog, as an opening flashback set in 1945 features a much younger Indiana Jones trying to steal prized artifacts back from the Nazis. Most of the time, digital de-aging is really hard to look past, especially when the movie makes no attempt to hide it. But between the quality of the CGI and the length of the opening sequence, I did find myself at times forgetting Ford’s actual age, and letting myself buy into the idea that 46-year-old Indiana Jones was on the screen doing what he does best: Talking about historical shit and punching Nazis.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Disney)
However, buying into the de-aging of Ford during the opening prologue means realizing that we’ve seen this before, or at least enough variations of it over the years, and while competent, Mangold’s direction fails to make it feel fresh or innovative. The sequence is then followed by revealing Indy a few decades later as a grieving borderline alcoholic toiling in academic obscurity — important character details, but bogged down with some sluggish pacing.
The movie does come alive, though, with the arrival of Waller-Bridge: While Crystal Skull failed to establish Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) as a worthy successor to Indy’s legacy, Dial of Destiny is more successful with Helena — not only does she finally kickstart the action, she’s smart, she’s funny, she’s just a little bit thirsty and dangerous, and she’s good at punching Nazis.
It’s a bit hard to envision Helena Shaw and the [Famous Historical Artifact Here] on a movie poster at this point, but the movie doesn’t actively set the character as the new lead of the franchise. Instead, she adds a essential youthful energy to the action, even if her character feels a little flat at times, due to a character arc that gets muddled by the end. She’s instantly a perfect foil for Ford, though, and a most welcome addition to the canon.
Still Looks Great in the Hat: Meanwhile, Ford’s best moments in the film — and there are a lot of them — come when embracing Indy’s vulnerabilities, such as his fear of swimming in eel-infested waters (especially after someone points out the similarity between eels and snakes), or his very real sadness at the way his life’s turned out. At this point, it’s hard to separate the perception of Ford, the actor, and what will probably remain his most iconic role (apologies to Han Solo, a close second). However, his performance here goes a long way towards giving the longtime fan a real sense of time passing, and the effect it can have on even the most fearless soul.
As for the rest of the supporting cast, Antonio Banderas shows up for a relatively small role (given the fact that he’s played by freaking Antonio Banderas) but it’s a pleasure to see him disappear so fully into a quirky character in his limited screen time. Meanwhile, Mads Mikkelsen might be Danish but slips nicely into the role of a former Nazi scientist, a role that feels like an easy layup for the acclaimed actor, in part because “former Nazi scientist” is about as deep as his characterization gets.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Disney)
The very talented Boyd Holbrook faces a similar problem, and while he lets his creepy mustache and Guile-from-Street Fighter-esque haircut do the bulk of the acting for him, he still manages a certain necessary level of menace. There’s also Ethann Isidore as a new addition to the legacy of pint-sized Indy sidekicks, who’s plucky without being annoying (no offense meant to Short Round from Temple of Doom, a.k.a. Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan).
The Verdict: Once Dial of Destiny gets going, boy does it move from chase to fight to chase again. The breakout sequence might be a genuinely thrilling race through the streets of Tangiers that makes clever use of a variety of vehicles, but in general, the last two-thirds are a lot stronger than the first. This even holds true as the climax pushes the franchise far further into the realm of science fiction than you might remember (especially if your memory has successfully deleted any recollection of the Crystal Skull climax).
As mentioned, Mangold’s steady direction doesn’t quite live up to Spielberg’s signature flair, but this is a solid entry in the franchise, solid enough to even inspire interest in future installments. That said, Dial of Destiny does end on a heartfelt note that could serve as the perfect ending for the adventures of Indiana Jones — it’s hard to see things end, but it’s even harder to see them end badly.
So, given the choice between rolling the dice on another Ford-starring Indiana Jones movie, or letting things come to a graceful conclusion… Look, Indiana Jones is an old man, a fact no amount of de-aging technology can ever really change. He’s punched enough Nazis for a lifetime. Let the man rest.
Where to Watch: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny whips into theaters on June 30th.
Trailer:
