26 Jun Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Review

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY

Professor and archaeologist Indiana Jones is once again called upon to fight the Nazis. Indy must battle the clock in a race against both time and geography to obtain a dial built by Archimedes himself that could greatly alter the course of history. Accompanied by his goddaughter Helena Shaw, Jones finds himself up against former Nazi officer Jürgen Voller as they both seek the dial for their own ends.

Returning with his iconic hat and bullwhip is Harrison Ford in (one of) the role that catapulted him into the stratosphere. The love Ford has for the character is more than evident; the dusty, grizzled octogenarian appears to be having the time of his life in this sendoff for his favorite character. While it’s evident he’s lost a few steps (something that was evident in the previous film a decade and a half ago), Ford still manages to find a way to convey both the tiredness and pep of Indy. While not his finest outing as the character (that honor goes to The Last Crusade), Ford’s performance shows audiences that he’s still got it, even it takes him a little longer to get there.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena Shaw almost manages to steal the show from Ford. While she’s no stranger to the cheeky, fast talking rogue (she’s made her career off it so far), Waller-Bridge also manages to provide some decent action chops as well. Rakishly outfitted throughout the story, Shaw serves as Jones’ part time partner and part time antagonist. The relationship between Jones and Shaw makes for an interesting dynamic, as Waller-Bridge’s biting snark and sarcasm mixed with playful charm provides a great foil for Jones’ weary grumpiness.

Mads Mikkelsen makes his way to the Jones franchise as Jürgen Voller, a former Nazi turned NASA engineer. While not on the level of Elsa Schneider or even Colonel Dietrich and Major Gobler, Voller’s ambitions are no less lofty. With a plan that would rattle even the staunchest of Nazi attractors, Voller unfortunately lacks the menace or presence to properly convey any sense of dread within the viewer. On par with this is a number of characters that support Voller: Boyd Holbrook as Voller’s impetuous right hand man Klaber and Shaunette Renee Wilson as a government agent are barely ingredients in the overall stew; in the case of both characters, they could be completely removed from the story and the narrative flow would hardy change a ripple.

Directed by James Mangold, Dial of Destiny is packed with action scenes. Perhaps one sequence too many. At 154 minutes, the runtime is one of the story’s biggest issues. In an attempt to pay homage to lore that came before it, screenwriters Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and legend David Koepp (along with Mangold) have stuffed too much into this movie. There’s plenty for Indiana Jones admirers to ooh and ahh over, but this fan service comes at the hindrance of the story itself. As far as Mangold’s direction, the veteran is more than up to the task, crafting set piece after set piece that manages to harken back to the glory days of Indy’s misadventures. The emotional beats, what few there are, are created with the same amount of deftness, with a sloppily handled third act soothed over by a lovingly handled final five minutes.

Overall, Dial of Destiny is by no means down at the depths of Crystal Skull, but it also never quite reaches the heights of Raiders of the Lost Ark or Last Crusade. An overly long film, made needlessly complicated and convoluted, are its main detractors, along with spots of shoddy visual effects. Harrison Ford looks and feels his age while Phoebe Waller-Bridge manages to charm her way through the adventurous romp. James Mangold’s direction is steady and competent and on the whole, the movie serves as a fun summer blockbuster. Much like Skyfall, all the old beats are revisited for one last go round, making for a film that will serve most any fan of the franchise. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hits theaters June 30th.

Review by Darryl Mansel