The one and only Dr. Jones is back for one last hoorah in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023). This final adventure sees Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in a race against time to retrieve a legendary dial. With the help of his goddaughter, he faces off against a former Nazi with nefarious plans of his own.
Steven Spielberg’s original Indiana Jones trilogy is truly timeless in the realm of action adventure films. Temple of Doom is far from my favourite, but it stands the test of time far better than similar films of its era. Going into Dial of Destiny, my hopes weren’t that it would live up to the heights of its prior entries, as that would be an unfair comparison, but rather that it would just be an entertaining and thrilling adventure. For the most part, director James Mangold has been successful in accomplishing that. It’s not a fantastic film by any means – it has its flaws and specific areas in which it’s lacking – but it’s a fun ride with great adventure elements and a few notable surprises along the way. This film can be broken down into three sections – an action-packed first 20-30 minutes, a wildly enjoyable final 45 minutes, and everything else in between.
Let’s get the big issue out of the way – the entire second act is one big blur. From the shifting locations to action set pieces, it’s nothing more than a mildly interesting cat-and-mouse chase that trades serious thrills for a more campy tone. With each passing minute, the film devolved further and further towards mediocrity, being let down by repetitive plot beats, an overly silly vibe and the feeling that it was dragging. Firstly, the classic Indiana Jones entries always had a certain level of camp to them, but those elements were subtle and didn’t encapsulate the films’ identities. In here, the second act is too focused on crafting silly moments and comedic beats that it becomes jarring. These moments aren’t horrible, but they don’t fit with the more thrilling adventure vibes of the film’s opening and closing acts. There’s also the repetitive nature of the plot – it’s very much “heroes make discovery – villains catch up and ruin the party” for the entire second act. One of these McGuffin detours could be removed entirely to limit repetition and it would also solve the third issue – the runtime. It’s too damn long and it’s dragged down by this midsection. Cut out 20-30 minutes and you’ve got yourself a much tighter story with more impact and potentially a more consistent tone. Length doesn’t always equal quality, and this needed some trimming.
That being said, the opening and closing sections do a lot of the heavy lifting in making this an enjoyable ride. The opening sequence is an absolute blast – it’s a 20-minute mission in which a de-aged Indiana Jones infiltrates a Nazi compound and gets into all sorts of trouble. Does it have a couple of campy beats? Sure. But it’s a predominantly serious, thrilling affair that prioritises neat action over hitting constant jokes. Seeing a younger Jones in his prime undertaking a daring mission is exciting on its own, and it makes for a great opening to this new adventure. The de-aged Harrison Ford isn’t perfect, but it’s impressive enough to not rip you out of the film. Whether it was done via deepfake and/or CGI, it works way better than having to recast the role. The more distracting thing about this sequence is his voice – it really sounds like an 80 year old man voicing his younger self. While not enough to ruin the sequence, it is a little distracting. Nevertheless, this action sequence is one of the film’s best.
Then there’s the climax – talk about a surprising turn of events. The last 45 minutes or so is this film at its best, mainly as it begins to stray away from the cat-and-mouse chase. It takes the story in a crazy direction, does something entirely unexpected and includes some great, tense action moments. If the rest of the film had this sort of sensibility, without the wild plot beats, it could have been even better. These final moments are so fun that they’re what this sequel will be remembered for, in a good way. The action here and across the entire film is solid. Even in the middle of the film where it gets a bit too silly, the action is fine. Sure, you have to look beyond the fact that an 80 year-old man is performing death-defying stunts, but it’s Indiana Jones – if anyone can do it, it’s him.
Harrison Ford returning to one of his most iconic roles is great to see, and it’s good to see him giving 110%. He feels like an old, weathered Indy who hasn’t fully lost his adventurous spark. Not only does he play the role really well, he uses the opportunity to give the character a fitting sendoff that honours his legacy. He’s clearly having fun and it radiates through the screen, especially in the action sequences. The new addition in Phoebe Waller-Bridge is good. her character isn’t particularly likeable, but she brings a good amount of energy to complement Ford’s performance. By far the standout is Mads Mikkelsen, who plays the villainous Jürgen Voller. Having Mikkelsen in a villain role is about as perfect casting as you could get – he’s menacing, calculated and a tonne of fun to watch. He’s great throughout, but really shines in the final act where he lets it all out.
In the end, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is an enjoyable final outing for the famed archaeologist, though not without its flaws. The film hits the ground running with a flashback fans will love, and closes out with a bang that’s sure to be the film’s highlight. While it stumbles with a second act that’s too long, overly repetitive and at times too silly, there’s enough familiar action adventure elements to maintain a sense of fun. Now that it has hit Disney+, check out Harrison Ford’s swan song as Dr. Jones.
7.1/10
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