Films for Breakfast

For so many people, Indiana Jones is one of the most quintessential and lovable movie heroes of all-time. Raiders of the Lost Ark is simply one of the best films ever made, and every sequel, even Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, has a section of the fanbase that will defend it. Considering that Raiders released in 1981, this makes Harrison Ford’s tenure with the character one of the longest-running franchises with the same actor playing the titular role for over 40 years. With the fifth and final instalment,Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the case can be made that the character probably should retire alongside Harrison Ford’s portrayal of him. There is simply no one who can play the role as Ford did, the character is synonymous with the actor; and Dial of Destinyfits as a sweet and fitting swan-song for both of them. 

The film picks up with Indy in 1969, in the midst of the Moon landing and Vietnam war. This is a year where some pivotal history is happening all around Indy, but he is content with being a professor and spending most of his time at home, reminiscing on archeology and the adventures he once had. However, he is quickly thrown into the middle of a race against time to retrieve a mysterious and legendary dial that can change the course of history. Accompanied by his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and her young sidekick Teddy (Ethann Isidore), they find themselves facing off against Jürgen Voller (Mad Mikkelsen) – a former Nazi from Indy’s past who now works for NASA. 

There is simply no other director in the history of cinema quite like Steven Spielberg; certainly no one else with that many classics under his belt and possibly no one with that much versatility as a filmmaker. It’s hard to imagine anyone trying to take over from all he has done with the Indiana Jones, as his style feels synonymous with the franchise – but if you were to get someone to step-in for another instalment, James Mangold is undeniably a great option, as he’s made truly great films such as Logan and Ford v Ferrari. While nothing in this film matches the highs of the original trilogy, Mangold does a really fabulous job at stepping in, crafting some really clever action sequences and an immersive sense of 1969. Another big plus for the film is the return of John Williams as the composer, and he turns in some truly riveting work; perhaps expectedly so, but it is nonetheless enthralling to hear him work his magic every time.

A lot of discourse has happened regarding whether or not Harrison Ford should bother returning to the role of Indiana Jones at the age of 80, and I think the film itself validates the return in many ways. For starters, Harrison Ford is one of the best movie stars to ever live; he has simply never turned in a bad performance and clearly loves this character with all his heart. He is absolutely delightful here, as a somewhat more tired and grizzled Indy than we’re used to; but that’s part of the fun of it. There’s a great sequence where he’s scaling a cave rather slowly and he questions why he’s even doing this when most of his bones don’t work the way they used to, due to all the adventures he got up to in the original films. The character has a really solid arc in this film, and by the end of the film, it feels necessary for the character (and Harrison’s time with the character) to have a proper goodbye to audiences. 

The Indiana Jones films are also usually defined by the supporting cast and characters that surround Indy, and this film is no exception – Phoebe Waller-Bridge really shines as his goddaughter Helena, completely holding her own with wit and charisma for days. The two work off of each other seamlessly. Mads Mikkelsen plays a somewhat basic villain with his character Voller, as he’s simply a Nazi trying to retrieve a macguffin in order to do whatever he believes is right. However, Mikkelsen brings immense gravitas and is a remarkable screen presence in just about every film he’s in – and this is certainly no exception. I love how cold and calculated this character is, and he has some really satisfying interactions with Indy in the latter half of the film. 

Franchises such as Indiana Jones are susceptible to die-hard fans debating the merits of plot points, characters, performances, etc. for what feels like eternity; just look at what happened with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull –I still see people debating it to this day! While I don’t expect Dial of Destiny to have the same level of backlash and discourse as Crystal Skulldid when it was released, I do expect there to be a divide when it comes to some plot mechanics that come into play within the latter half of the film. I’ll avoid spoilers, but the film certainly takes some big leaps in its third act – and I personally found it absolutely bonkers in a genuinely delightful and surprising way. I also found that the use of time in the film to be both narratively and thematically satisfying, as we find Indiana Jones a bit jaded this time around and letting history pass him by while he still has his head in the past. Dial of Destiny asks a simple question; why does Indy want to escape to the past and not live in the present? The film wisely and satisfyingly lets him grapple with those choices, and it makes for a really satisfying final chapter for the character where he comes to terms with himself and both his personal history, as well as the history he has sought-after all this time. 

The film isn’t completely void of issues, as I think there are some questionable decisions made in terms of de-aging and other visual effects at times that sometimes took me out of an otherwise fun ride. I also found that the film had some inconsistent pacing at times, as there were moments that were flying by, and then bits that truly felt like they dragged their feet. Overall, these aren’t major complaints – just little hiccups in what is otherwise a genuinely very solid and worthwhile curtain call for Indiana Jones. By the end, I found myself deeply moved and tearing up a bit with how sincere this film was and how much it clearly loves the franchise and character. For any misgivings that some may have with it, I think it leaves the character on an absolutely perfect note; and that’s not an easy task to achieve for someone as iconic as both Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford. 

3.5/5