Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, rated PG-13
** ½
The fifth and final film in the Indiana Jones series, the first in fifteen years, and the first not directed by Steven Spielberg, features the soon to be 81-year-old Oscar nominee Harrison Ford (Witness), reprising his iconic role. The film was enjoyable, but lacked the spark to be more than just “OK”. The film was overly long at two hours and thirty-four minutes, and featured too many chase scenes that frankly began to get boring.
The film was directed by two-time Oscar nominee James Mangold (Ford v. Ferrari, Logan), and written by Jez Butterworth (Ford v. Ferrari, Spectre), John-Henry Butterworth (Ford v. Ferrari), David Koepp (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) and Mangold (Logan, Walk the Line). The movie looked great, and cost approximately $295 million to make.
The film starts at the end of World War II. Jones and his friend and archaeologist Basil Shaw, played by Emmy nominee Toby Jones (The Girl), are captured. Ford is digitally transformed to look much younger than his actual age. The Nazis are originally interested in the Lance of Longinus, and plan to take it to Hitler, but soon realize it is a fake. But there is another prized ancient artifact that is not a fake, one half of Archimedes’ Dial. Dr. Jürgen Voller, a Nazi astrophysicist played by Mads Mikkelsen (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore), is extremely interested in the dial which needs two parts in order to work.
The film then moves forward to 1969. Indy’s son Mutt has died in the Vietnam war, and he is separated from his wife Marion, played by Karen Allen. He is approaching retirement as a college professor. Shaw who had become obsessed with the Dial, has died, but his daughter Helena, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Indy’s goddaughter, shows up in one of Indy’s classes that he is teaching. She is looking for the part of the dial that her father gave to Indy, on the condition that Indy would destroy it. He didn’t carry through with that promise.
But the Nazi doctor and his mob come after them, setting up the rest of the film. Helena’s partner in crime is young Teddy, played by Ethann Isidore. We’re not told exactly why the dial is so valuable until late in the film.
The film features very little adult language and no sexuality. It includes some exotic locations and an outstanding musical score by five-time Oscar winner John Williams (E. T. the Extraterrestrial, Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope, Jaws, Fiddler on the Roof, and Schindler’s List).
Although I enjoyed the film, it could have been a better end to the Indiana Jones franchise. My primary concern with the film was its length and the amount of chase scenes.
