Indiana Jones: Does It Belong In A Museum?
- Nov 12, 2023
- 3 min read
Directed by: James Mangold
Starring: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Mads Mikkelsen
Genre: Action-Adventure
Run Time: 155 mins
Available on: Disney+
Close to retirement, Indiana Jones struggles to find his place in a world that's moving on without him. But he can't escape his past for long, as an old rival resurfaces, forcing Indy to pick up his hat and whip once more to prevent an ancient, powerful artifact from falling into the hands of his old enemies.
June 28th saw the release of James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and The Dial Of Destiny, the fifth instalment of the iconic franchise starring Harrison Ford. The new addition comes 15 years after the last Indy film, and 42 years after the original.
The big question is, when should you leave a series alone? Many fans will tell you that Indiana Jones should have been left alone before the release of Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, however, as a film that almost celebrates Indiana Jones as an older man, Dial Of Destiny almost fits into the series better.
Now don’t get me wrong, there were questionable moments in the film. Specifically the de-ageing CGI right at the beginning. Seeing the iconic character that looks and sounds nothing like Harrison Ford isn’t the best way to start a brand new blockbuster. These effects don’t last long however, and the flashback at the beginning of the film does have ties with the third instalment of the series, The Last Crusade, where we see young Indiana Jones and his first-ever discovery.
Even down to the rooftop chase along a train, the opening scenes had so much potential, yet it feels like it missed the callbacks each time. Even down to our villain, Dr Jürgen Voller, it feels like the obsession with the Antikythera was too underplayed from the beginning.
Because of this, the movie took a while to get going. However, once we got back to the Harrison Ford we all know and love, all the missed targets were forgotten. His sarcasm and general irritation with the villains were consistent with the original trilogy, and the reappearance of Sallah and later, of Marion was a heartwarming call back to the Indiana Jones franchise.
There were also new additions, however, the main one of which was Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The actress played Jones’ Goddaughter, Helena Shaw. Much to Jones’ disappointment, Helena is a main player in the auction of stolen antiquities game. Her character does grow to realise she got into that game because she loves and misses her father, and we see her transform from being ‘all about the money’ to all about the history and the people she’s with beautifully.
Indiana Jones, history, and Ancient Greece all thrown together might seem like a lot for one movie. And at points, it was. With the main characters jumping through a fissure in time and going slightly further than anticipated, we end up in 215 BC only now there are several dead Nazis only a few feet from Archimedes himself. While Jones begs to stay with one of his heroes, we see what feels like a rushed moment for Waller-Bridge’s character to come to the realisation she doesn’t hate Jones.
At this point, it stops feeling like an Indiana Jones film and travels more down the path of Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. Indiana Jones and The Dial Of Destiny will divide fans, as its predecessor did. And while there was space for a fifth instalment, I think it’s now time for Indiana Jones to be put to bed.
But what did YOU think? Hit me with your opinions, good or bad!
Written By Chloe Pollard.
Images: ©Disney
Comments