Harrison Ford’s swan song as Indy proves to be a bit of a mixed bag.
*Special Note; At the end of this review, check out our bonus content; An INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY episode of The Cinemast Podcast!
Let me preface this review by stating the obvious;
I LOVE INDIANA JONES!!
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is the film I’ve seen the most times in my 54 years on this planet. It’s an adventure movie of the likes we very seldom, if ever, see anymore. It’s lightning in a bottle. A near-perfect motion picture experience that I simply never tire of. As much as I love both INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (and I do love both of those films with every fiber of my being), neither is at the same level as the Steven Spielberg/George Lucas/Harrison Ford collaboration that started it all. Given my absolute passion for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, however, how could any of the other entries possibly measure up?
When INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL dropped in theaters in 2008 (nearly two decades after THE LAST CRUSADE was released), I couldn’t help but be excited. Who are we kidding? I was ecstatic! At that point, I don’t think I had ever been that excited about a movie in my adult life. No…Not even with the arrival of new STAR WARS movies. Of course, expectations can be a bitch and when unrealistically high expectations enter the equation, we have no one to blame but ourselves when a movie doesn’t quite hit that sweet spot for us. That is especially true of yours truly. This is to say that sometimes when expectations for a movie are too high, we tend to look at it for what it is not instead of looking at it for what it is.
I love film so much that I am easily excitable, particularly when it comes to my favorites. That certainly dampened my experience with CRYSTAL SKULL. That was a movie I really thought I wanted but when I finally did get to see it, I realized pretty quickly that I only thought I wanted it. In fact, shortly before CRYSTAL SKULL opened, I’d joke with friends that it didn’t have to measure up to the previous 3 and that I’d settle with it being half as good as its predecessors. And wouldn’t you know it? It was, arguably, half as good.
I didn’t hate it like a lot of other Indy fans do but I’m not the big-time CRYSTAL SKULL apologist, either. There simply was no denying that for me, it was a letdown of monumental proportions. Was it those damned expectations? Partly. But a big part of it is just how unnecessary that movie feels. Yes… CRYSTAL SKULL certainly has its entertaining moments (who in their right might wouldn’t find the idea of seeing Indy and Marion together again at least moderately appealing) but in the end, that movie as a whole feels like a shadowy reflection of its former self.
An epic 15 years have now passed since CRYSTAL SKULL divided fans. After months of waiting and a plethora of speculation and online scrutiny (some warranted and some not so warranted), INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY has finally arrived. And it comes to us with the great James Mangold at the helm marking the first time an Indiana Jones movie has hit the silver screen without the legendary Steven Spielberg leading the charge. It also comes to us with a now 81-year-old Ford at its center! Not that there’s anything wrong with that as I’m sure Ford could take a man half his age in a fight.
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (which, sadly, ditches the traditional transition shot/cross-dissolve from the Paramount logo to the opening frame of the film) wastes no time plunging us into the Nazi-centric action as Indy (played by a de-aged Ford) takes on his favorite enemy once more, circa the 1930s. After an extended opening, we cut to the late 60s and are introduced to a considerably older, slightly grumpier (and shirtless) Dr. Jones who, after being awoken from his nap, gets after his hippie neighbors for blasting their rock music too loud. Now I understand how my parents felt.
Eventually, on the day of his retirement, Indy is re-acquainted with his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and before long this unlikely duo is whisked away on a globe-trotting adventure that brings them face-to-face with old Indy foes, familiar friends from the past, and the mysterious title artifact.
As expected, THE DIAL OF DESTINY deals with themes of time and age. Quite obviously, the film also deals with adventure, and through it all, Ford doesn’t let a little thing like age keep him from riding horses, punching out bad guys, and climbing mountains. Yes…Every step of the way, Ford proves that there are still plenty of years AND mileage left in this vehicle. But it isn’t just about physicality. Ford does manage to bring real emotional beats to the table (a scene in which he talks about his son with Helena is very moving) and he brings these beats when you might not expect them. In that regard, this weathered and more thoughtful Indiana Jones reminded me a little of another memorable character made popular by Harrison Ford; Jack Ryan.
Of course, the real question of the moment here is, how’s the movie? Well, Harrison’s swan song as Indy proves to be a mixed bag. This is to say that I liked parts of it but if I’m being entirely honest, by the time the end credits rolled, I sort of felt the same way I felt after I watched CRYSTAL SKULL for the first time. I just sort of felt let down. No hate here, mind you, but again, it just all felt unnecessary. Not that these last two films were ever going to reach the heights of the 80s trifecta that inspired them but it would have been nice if they were at least in the same ballpark.
THE DIAL OF DESTINY does feature a handful of noteworthy moments that feel like vintage Indy. This film also manages to be more grounded than CRYSTAL SKULL, that is…Until a wild and altogether bonkers finale that is sure to divide fans just as much, if not more, than any interdimensional being ever could. That said, it isn’t the ridiculousness of this finale that bugged me but rather the way the characters are acting amidst all of the craziness. I just didn’t buy into it. Yes…I know it’s fantasy, and yes, I’m fully aware that Indy jumped from a plane in a raft and managed to survive a nuclear blast thanks to a refrigerator but even by those standards, the finale of this picture is pretty damn silly. I suppose the original trilogy is more effective for me because they are of the more faith-based variety. Even when faces were melting, hearts were being ripped from bodies, and baddies were rapidly aging, there was more of a mystical aspect to the proceedings as opposed to the odd sci-fi bent so prevalent in the last two films.
Again, THE DIAL OF DESTINY certainly makes an attempt at something more somber and more grounded. Sometimes to a fault. As nutty as CRYSTAL SKULL was with its interdimensional beings-centric plot and despite the obvious CG overload, there was a propulsive energy to the action set pieces and a kind of magic to them, particularly the motorcycle chase across the college campus. Nothing in THE DIAL OF DESTINY rivals that particular set piece. No, not even the much-talked-about tuk-tuk chase. Technically speaking, the tuk-tuk chase is fine, but somehow, it simply isn’t as exciting mostly because it feels like it’s going through the motions and because there’s no real sense of urgency and no real honest-to-goodness stakes. That’s a real shame, too, because James Mangold (insert “Ford vs. Nazi” jokes here) is no slouch. He’s a perfectly capable director. Look no further than an incredibly diverse resume that features the likes of COP LAND, WALK THE LINE, 3:10 TO YUMA, LOGAN, and yes, FORD VS. FERRARI. That said, one can’t help but wonder just how in charge Mangold was here. This is to say that there are times when INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY feels more like a film that was made by committee and again, that sucks…Especially with a storyteller as creative and as talented as Mangold in your corner.
As for the character work, it should come as no surprise that this is Ford’s movie, even when jokes are being made at his expense. There’s been a lot made of Bridge’s involvement in this film and as it stands, she’s okay. Whereas Indy co-leads go, she’s far less shrill than Willie Scott (Kate Capeshaw) and has more personality than Elsa Schneider (Allison Doody) but a Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) she’ll never be. As for her purpose and motivation, Helena Shaw is often selfish and even a little shifty in this movie, and that makes her somewhat unlikable to a certain degree. And it’s aggravating that even though she commits said shifty acts throughout the movie, there’s a complete switch with her in the final act that feels unearned.
On the other hand, in some ways, Helena is driven in the same sort of way that the Indy of old was so taking her as such, you can feel what Mangold and crew were going for here. Her occasional swipes at Indy are sometimes obnoxious, and a pivotal moment during the finale (it involves a punch) didn’t work for me at all. Thankfully, though, Helena isn’t quite the harbinger of woke that some fans feared she might be. Granted, it’s clear that there was some softening in the editing room.
Far more problematic in the character department is Helena’s sidekick, Teddy (played by Ethann Isidore), a role all too reminiscent of Short Round in TEMPLE OF DOOM only without the natural likability of Ke Huy Quan. This is by no fault of Isidore. It’s simply the character as written. Seriously, there is virtually no reason for this character. He does serve a silly purpose in the finale but that purpose could have just as easily rested in the hands of Helena.
Elsewhere, THE DIAL OF DESTINY is populated by a handful of supporting characters. Some familiar (Sallah makes an all too brief return) and some new to the series (watch for bit parts by Antonio Banderas and Toby Jones.) When some of these new characters come face to face with danger, we don’t know them well enough to feel for them as much as we probably should, and that sometimes hurts the emotional impact of the movie. Thankfully, though, actors like Banderas and Shaunette Renee Wilson are charismatic enough to make their brief appearances at least a little engaging.
As for this film’s big bad, we get the great Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Jurgen Voller. I count myself as a fan of this actor (if you haven’t seen his understated work in ANOTHER ROUND, do yourself a favor and go check it out.) and while it’s great seeing him front and center as the heavy, I’d be lying if I said the writing didn’t let him down a little bit. Translation; There have been stronger Indy foes and Mikkelsen was put to better use as a villain in CASINO ROYALE. Likewise, Boyd Holbrook is a competent enough actor but despite his vicious nature in this movie, I didn’t find his Klaber particularly interesting. He’s just kind of one-note.
More disappointing, though, is Olivier Richters’s lumbering henchman, Hauke. So big and so physically imposing is this man that when people run into him, it’s like they’re running into a brick wall. From the moment we see Hauke, it’s inevitable that he’ll get into an epic scrape with Indy, only…He doesn’t. Further still, Mangold resists the temptation to allow this guy to meet a grandiose demise (same with Voller and Klaber for that matter) and that’s disappointing because hulking baddies like this deserve the most grandiose demise possible.
As for the MacGuffin, it is in the grand tradition of other Indy MacGuffins; In the end, it’s all just an excuse to allow us to spend more time with Indiana Jones again, and some of the time, I was along for the ride. A lot of the time, I found myself surprisingly bored. That’s mostly due to wonky pacing and a running time that’s in the neighborhood of thirty minutes too long. THE DIAL OF DESTINY is front-heavy with action but once the tuk-tuk chase comes to a close at less than the midway point of the film, things slow down tremendously. Furthermore, an over-reliance on CGI is often distracting. Perhaps not as much as it was in CRYSTAL SKULL but it’s still all too noticeable.
In particular, there’s been a lot of talk about the de-aging process in this movie. While it’s true, it has come a long way since the days of TRON: LEGACY, it’s still not quite there, yet. There are moments when Indy’s face has a rubbery quality and the fact that a lot of the opening sequence is shrouded in darkness might spur one to question the technology. This is to say nothing of the fact that there are moments when it’s clear that that’s grumpy, present-day Indy’s voice coming out of young Indy’s mouth. Still, it’s a worthy effort and it will certainly pave the way for de-aging progress moving forward.
Maybe more disappointing than the de-aging stuff is all the CG littered throughout the rest of the movie, particularly during the prerequisite Indy critter sequence (in this case, it’s less than stellar-looking eels) and the much-talked-about opening sequence. More to the point, all the stuff with the train. Especially when you stack it up to the train sequence in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-DEAD RECKONING PART 1. MISSION director Christopher McQuarrie and crew opted to build a real operating train and had Tom Cruise dangling from it, and most audiences will be able to tell the difference.
Beyond all of that, it should be noted that there’s been a bit of a turning of the tide with this movie in recent days. Following a couple of years of aforementioned speculation and a mostly lukewarm response after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival back in May, there have been plenty of fans jumping to the defense of this movie…Fans more than willing to go along for the ride. Quite frankly, I think that’s awesome! I love that so many are getting the joy out of this film that they crave. Me? I’m clearly on the fence. Again, I’m certainly not a hater. There are things to enjoy here and there, and yes…It’s a joy seeing Ford don the Fedora one last time. Also, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t moved by a sweet and tender fan servicey moment at the end of the movie. It helps that this said moment is played affectionately and with real sincerity.
It also helps that maestro John Williams is back in the saddle. Truth be told, certain cues from the score–most notably in the first act–sound like they were directly lifted from past Indy scores but once the 60s hit, Williams settles into a groove and once again knocks it out of the park.
In the end, I’m certainly not delusional. As was the case with CRYSTAL SKULL, there was no way this movie was going to live up to its enormous legacy because quite frankly, the first three films came out during a completely different time and there’s simply too much history there. Only time (no pun intended) will tell if INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY will get better with age or if it will fade from our collective memories but one thing is certain for this particular Indy fan; Even though I liked aspects of this Indiana Jones swan song, the series truly concluded with our favorite archeologist riding off into the sunset at the end of INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE.
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