Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: Review

 

(Spoiler Free) 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" is not a bad film. It boasts engaging, visually stunning action sequences, particularly within the first 40 or so minutes. The plot, far from being atrocious, holds up well, and the locations are well-chosen and exciting. The heroic character of Indiana Jones remains unscathed, not reduced to a failure or a has-been. Additionally, Mikkelsen (as always) delivers a compelling performance as the antagonist.

However,

While the action sequences are fine, they serve as a stark reminder of why Mangold will never be a Spielberg. Every action sequence in Spielberg's movies is a complex set piece, a kind of mechanism that narrates an exciting story, building tension, and delivering timely humor, unexpected twists, and a satisfying conclusion. On the contrary, in this movie, an action scene merely strings together a series of thrilling stunts, aping Spielberg's camera angles but lacking his refined storytelling prowess.

The film also shows that Phoebe Waller-Bridge, as much as I like her in "Fleabag," lacks the charisma and presence that Harrison Ford has as an action hero. The writing for her character doesn’t help: she starts as mildly irritating, evolving into mildly likable by the end of the film.

Another point the movie illustrates clearly is that no child sidekick can tug at the audience's emotional strings as Short Round did in "The Temple of Doom." Short Round was adorable and brimming with energy, while the kid in this movie is just a nice kid.

The John Williams score remains superb, as one would expect.

However, the dialogues in this film are noticeably more stilted than in the previous movies, most of the jokes fall flat, sometimes due to ill timing, and aside from Mikkelsen, the villains are comically exaggerated and cartoonish.

The final scene is arguably the best scene of the movie. I confess it stirred my emotions, sending chills down my spine and slightly wetting my eyes. Age is making me a softie.

So, in conclusion, while an enjoyable watch that brings to mind many great moments from its predecessors, therein lies the issue: each nostalgic echo only reminds you of the extraordinary nature of the older films, which, by comparison, leaves this new installment feeling rather ordinary.