Archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history.
Chuck says:
Daryl Zanuck once said, “The secret to success in Hollywood is giving the public what it wants, before it knows it wants it.” Truer words were never spoken and when this once-in-a-blue-moon event occurs, the excitement that accompanies the sense of discovery viewers experience is hard to duplicate. As a result, when a conscious effort is made to repeat this phenomenon, nine times out of ten, the result often falls short. This is the onus all sequels carry and while some follow-ups may in fact be made with the same amount of skill as the initial entry in a franchise, that sense of the new and the thrill that comes from meeting the characters in question and their world for the first time simply can’t be replicated.
I mention this because I’m not sure what critics and viewers expect out of something like “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” the fifth and final entry in the action franchise that started over 40 years ago. Advanced reviews have been lukewarm and while the film opens in the States this week, I fear the response among filmgoers will be, “It was good, but…” and the nitpicking will begin. The fact is this is a very well-made movie that does everything an “Indiana Jones” feature should do. The adventure, modeled after the serials from the 30’s and 40’s, is ridiculous but engaging, the action set-pieces defy logic yet are absolutely thrilling, the film never takes itself seriously, its meta-humor effective throughout and its larger-than-life hero is still as appealing – I would argue more so- as he ever was. And yet, I don’t think will be enough for some.
When it was announced that yet another entry in the series was to be made, I was skeptical. Harrison Ford, as fit as he is, in my mind was simply too old to convincingly pull off the required derring-do and would look ridiculous trying. Thankfully, he, director James Mangold and screenwriters David Koepp and Jez and John-Henry Butterworth lean into this aspect of the character, resulting in a poignant look at a man who’s studied history all his life and, in a sense, has become part of it, yet fails to understand the modern world he lives in.
The most effective parts of the film are when it focuses on the anachronistic aspect of the character. Seeing Indy trying to navigate America, circa 1969, and the turmoil it contained is a hoot. Ford’s resigned reactions to space fever, precipitated by man’s landing on the moon, the music of the Beatles and Vietnam War protests, are the highlights of the movie, which would have benefitted from more moments such as these. As it is, Dr. Jones is swept away on a final adventure, this time by his goddaughter Helena (an inspired Phoebe Waller-Bridge), a fellow archeologist who seeks a lost artifact of which she thinks our hero knows the whereabouts.
The McGuffin in question is the Antikythera, a dial invented by the mathematician Archimedes that can supposedly manipulate time. Separated into two pieces, Jones is in possession of one of them, which soon falls into Helena’s hands, while the rest of the film is a globetrotting search for the missing half, with former Nazi engineer, Dr. Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) looking for it as well.
Of course, there’s plenty of action in the film – some of it works, some it bores. Mangold goes out of his way to provide plenty of fan service but at times, doesn’t know when to rein things in. An extended prologue set in the waning days of WW II, which introduces Voller and the dial, is effective but would have been more so had it been trimmed by five to ten minutes, while an underwater sequence later in the film is so murky, it’s hard to distinguish just what’s going on. Still, the hits outweigh the misses, as a chase during a New York City ticker tape parade for the Apollo 11 astronauts is fun, the climax, about which the less said the better, ends things on a high note, while another chase through the streets of Tangiers stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best set pieces in the franchise.
Perhaps a more accurate title would have been “Indiana Jones’ Greatest Hits,” as the callbacks to pervious entries are numerous. Jones’ aversion to snakes pops up in a slightly altered form, as do insects of the largest and most grotesque kind. A tip of the hat is given to some of his most famous escapes and threats, while a character cut from the same cloth as Short Round, Teddy (Ethann Isidore, very good in a thankless role) is present as are two key figures from “Raiders.”
None of this should be seen as lazy screenwriting. No, these allusions are all a part of a great summing up of this franchise, its seminal character and Ford’s work in developing him. It’s no accident that time – how we waste it, how we long to have it back – is at the core of this farewell. Jones’ obsession with history and his pursuit of its artifacts have made him a man out of time, his actions blinding him to the wonders of the age he lives in and the people in it. He discovers his folly too late, as he’s left bitter and alone. As the present holds nothing for him, the desire to become part of history is tempting, the titular dial giving him the opportunity to do just that.
The conclusion of “Dial” is bittersweet, and if you were to say it’s a bit too neat, I wouldn’t argue. Yet, it’s the way it should end, and is not without its irony. Jones needs to be rescued and the only person who can do so comes to his aid. That he accepts the proffered help proves to be a heroic act in its own quiet way.
3 1/2 Stars
Pam says
The “Indiana Jones” franchise is now complete with the fifth and final installment “The Dial of Destiny” starring none other than Harrison Ford as our beloved tough guy and omniscient archeologist Indiana Jones. Many of us grew up with the original, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and we will argue that it started a new genre of film, influencing hundreds of films to follow in its path. I am one of those who loved every snake pit, maze-running, high stakes scene that never blurred the lines of good versus evil. And some of those faces still haunt my dreams at night.
Can Ford keep his character going full steam ahead? The answer is a resounding yes, at least for a good 50% of the film. The story takes us back to WWII as the evil Nazis lose the war and attempt to steal the art and artifacts from those they plundered and tortured. Indiana Jones (Ford in CGI youth effects) fights his nemesis, Dr. Voller (Mads Mikkelsen also in CGI youth form) battle for the possession of the most coveted artifact aboard the train: one half of Archimedes’ Antikythera. Lore has it the dial can transport you through time, but the effects could be detrimental to the world as we know it.
Thankfully, this 1940’s scene is just to lay the foundation and we are transported into the current day of 1969 as the Apollo 11 is landing on the moon. Jones has seen better days as he sits in his boxers yelling at his neighbors for their loud music. (It’s The Beatles. I’d have yelled, too.) He’s got a few issues as he pours a bourbon into his coffee, ready to start his day teaching young minds about the past. But today, there’s an interested student seated in the back of the class who is engaged with the topic matter of Archimedes. Helena aka Wombat (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Jones’s goddaughter, challenges Jones about the long-lost dial her father and Jones fought so bravely to attain. And now the cat and mouse chase begins as Dr. Voller and his crew of crafty henchmen blow people away to find the dial and change the outcome of WWII.
“The Dial of Destiny” follows the successful formula of the franchise we’ve grown to know so well. They have several callbacks to the original as well, making it bitter sweet. Jones has a new compatriot with Helena although she seems to vacillate between the right side and her side which adds a bit of intrigue to the story line. We also have a young yet skilled boy named Teddy (Ethann Isidore) who becomes Helena and Jones’s valued sidekick.
The treasure hunt and race to the finish line is a heated one with the bad guys just a step or two behind and Mikkelsen, no stranger to playing the villain, sends chills down your spine with his utterances. Waller-Bridge adds her own style and sense of humor to her role giving this supporting acting position the vim and vigor it requires. And together with Ford, the two have a sweet yet antagonistic chemistry that is entertaining and engaging.
This rendition of “Indiana Jones” is a bit heavy on the fight scenes, light on humor, but by the second act and rounding out the third, it’s got heart. This one also is a bit more violent than I recall, but perhaps I’m just a little more sensitive to it than before. The stunts are incredible as is the CGI from airplane maneuvers and horseback riding through the streets of New York to the youthful Harrison Ford and fighting on top of a train narrowly missing a tunnel or two. While that’s nothing new, it’s still thrilling to watch. Ford may have aged, but he’s done so gracefully and keeps the heart and soul of Indiana Jones alive and kicking. Nothing will ever compare to the thrill of experiencing “Raiders of the Lost Ark” for the first time, but this isn’t a bad way to end the franchise.
3 Stars
