Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Review) – an enjoyable last crack of the whip

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is showing in UK cinemas from Wednesday, 28th June.

Indiana Jones is one of the most iconic film characters of all time. Virtually an archetype for the dashing adventurer, he has often blessed our screens with excitement and thrills. Raiders of the Lost Ark is arguably the definitive adventure film of the last fifty years, and his other entries have also been thrilling. Indy’s latest escapade may not reach the heights of his best outings, but it offers just enough fun for those who wish to dust off their whips and fedoras.

With James Mangold taking the director’s chair from Steven Spielberg, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny sees Indy (Harrison Ford) on the precipice of retirement. He feels like a relic of the past, something emphasised by the recent Apollo 11 mission. But it’s not long before he is thrust back into adventure when his goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) seeks him out to help her find the dial of Archimedes, known as the Antikythera, which can allegedly detect ripples in time. Indy previously recovered a portion with Helena’s father during World War II, but now it threatens to fall into the hands of Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), an ex-Nazi who wants to use the dial to correct Hitler’s mistakes.

If there is a recurring theme to the Dial of Destiny, it is undoubtedly time and how it dwells on the human mind. Indy is much older here, compared to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He is living with regret, looking back on recent developments and even the glory days of Raiders and Last Crusade with a certain ambivalence. The rest of the characters, from Helena to Voller, are driven by the past, but Indy seems trapped by it. Harrison Ford captures Indy’s simultaneous strength and fragility in this new phase of his life. Thus when adventure comes calling, he is drawn to it in part because of the specific circumstances and also as a means of confronting the past.

(L-R): Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

There is a constant sense of fun in the execution of Dial of Destiny. Its various setpieces range from a World War II train heist to a chase across a celebratory parade to tearing through the streets of Tangier, all of which exude a solid immersive feel. Ford is on point and entirely in his element as one of the last living movie stars, yet the MVP might be Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Helena is an excellent foil to Indy as a more energetic archaeologist with duplicitous goals. Waller-Bridge’s chemistry with Ford is terrific, and the way she steals every scene she is in is almost criminal. Mikkelson, as usual, makes a good antagonist, and while the film occasionally relies on nostalgic callbacks, it’s more integral to the themes and far less indulgent than recent films like The Flash or The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Sadly, as impressive in size and entertainment factor as the Dial of Destiny is, it feels lacking. James Mangold is a great director with an impressive résumé. He does a good job creating an enjoyable action story with a side of thematic resonance. Yet, at the risk of putting too much stake in auteurism, the film lacks Spielberg’s special directorial touch. Spielberg has always been a master of motion and intense emotional engagement through his capture of spectacle, be it Jaws, Close Encounters, or The Fabelmans. The Dial of Destiny has fun sequences, but they feel more refined and less fluid than the truck chase in Raiders or the rope bridge destruction in Temple of Doom. This makes for visually impressive moments, but ultimately, the set pieces feel less viscerally immersive than past Indy adventures.

Doctor Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) in Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

The Dial of Destiny maintains its cinematic grip in its themes of the weight of time and its evident admiration for the franchise up to this point. The same fast-paced editing and sharp sense of humour permeate the action and narrative. It all culminates in a strange climatic sequence, even by Indiana Jones standards but one that makes for an emotionally satisfying payoff. This is a story of science versus history and desire versus regret, yet there is a real sense of vulnerability at the story’s core. It is a film that cares about its protagonist and enjoys every weird and wonderful moment it spends with him.

Add it all up, and we get a film that, while one of the weaker Indy films, has just enough in the way of dazzling thrills to stand on its own. Raiders and Last Crusade remain the gold standard among Indy’s archaeological expeditions. Still, the Dial of Destiny maintains an appreciative understanding of its protagonist and legacy while comfortably being its own thing in scale, stakes and excitement. Besides, even the weakest of Indiana Jones is still better than the best of directors like Michael Bay.