Just as Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is set to retire from his university teaching job in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, he finds himself pulled back into the world of archeology and adventure when he’s visited by his god-daughter, Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). But what Helena is in search of has been of keen interest to other individuals, those who want to use it for more nefarious purposes.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
James Mangold (director and writer), Jez Butterworth (writer), John-Henry Butterworth (writer), David Koepp (writer)
Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Ethann Isidore, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Mads Mikkelsen (cast)
Disney
June 30, 2023
Let’s get one thing out of the way—the most recent Indiana Jones outing, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, wasn’t a great movie. It’s the only Indiana Jones film I’ve seen only once, and that’s despite the existence of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom which was super-duper racist about my country of origin, India.
I was filled with trepidation when going in to watch Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know whether to be hopeful for a good film. All I wanted was to have fun and spend some time with Indiana Jones.
And you know what, that’s exactly what I got. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny goes back to what made Indiana Jones so good—fighting Nazis. We’re living in a world where small groups of petulant people not only believe the Nazis weren’t wrong, but are proudly wearing crooked Swastikas and yelling Sieg Heil at everyone. They’re the absolute worst and I cannot believe we are stuck in this stupid timeline.
So, yes, any film that roundly denounces Nazis is good in my books. I absolutely loved every time Indiana venomously spat out the word ‘Nazi,’ and he did that quite a lot in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Because f*** Nazis, am I right?
The particular Nazi that gets Indy’s goat in this film is Professor Schmidt, aka Dr Jürgen Voller, played with sinister subtlety by Mads Mikkelsen. It’s not a surprise that Mikkelsen disappears into the role—he was Hannibal once upon a time.
I liked how Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny implied that America welcomed former Nazi scientists. Voller, despite being an avowed Nazi, is invited to work on NASA’s mission to the Moon. He even gets a President’s medal for his work. In a chilling contrast, Voller’s celebratory dinner is brought to him by an African-American hotel server who had fought for the USA against Nazis. At first, I wasn’t sure what the point of that scene was but I think it was a good addition.
Voller is the antagonist in the film, not just because he’s a Nazi, but because he’s interested in a bigger prize than reaching the Moon—the Dial of Destiny. His reasons for wanting this device are meted out in delicious detail throughout the film. We also learn that during the final moments of World War II, Voller clashed with Indiana over the Dial. That’s how Indiana bonded with nerdy scientist Basil Shaw (Toby Jones). They were meant to be retrieving something else entirely, but the lure of the dial was much too strong.
Unfortunately, it’s also what tore the friends apart. When Basil’s daughter Helena comes looking for Indiana in Dial of Destiny, hellbent on finding the Dial again, Indiana tries to dissuade her. But Helena is insistent. Her interests in the Dial aren’t purely archeological, and she wants it for more than just personal interest. And so begins a rollicking adventure that takes Indy and Helena, and their friends, across multiple continents.
The globe-trotting adventures were fun! I haven’t travelled much in the past few years (thanks, pandemic) so seeing all these different places was a joy. Of course, Hollywood being Hollywood put the yellow filter on the Middle Eastern country which is just… *deep sigh*. Like, why? However, there’s an absolutely epic chase scene on Tuk-tuks in this section that had me at the edge of my seat. Fantastic banter between Indiana and Helena. High stakes for everyone involved. All great stuff. But there’s the yellow filter reminding us about racism. This isn’t the worst racism we’ve seen in an Indiana Jones but wouldn’t it be nice not to have any?
I also had a lot of trouble with the de-aging CGI on Harrison Ford. The opening sequence of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is surprisingly long and full of thrilling action sequences. While it sets the film in a more familiar setting, the CGI took me right out of the film. There’s too much uncanny valley happening with Indy’s eyes and I couldn’t get over it. When he was at a distance, the effect was better, but up close, it just didn’t work. We’re just not there yet with the technology. And honestly, wasn’t there a way to introduce the Dial of Destiny without going back into the past?
Of course, with the opening scene being set so many years before the events of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the contrast between who Indiana used to be—dashing and heroic—versus what he ended up as—washed-up and lonely—is shocking. It’s also what happens to a lot of people—it’s going to happen to all of us. It’s interesting to see Jones not want to jump straight into a mission to retrieve a piece of history. He pretty much falls into it in this film.
Harrison Ford has played Indiana Jones on and off since the ’80s but I just love how effortlessly he returns to these old roles. I loved his return as Han Solo in the Star Wars sequels, and here again, Ford shows that he can embody his characters no matter when and where he’s asked to. The Indiana we meet here is a different man—he’s depressive, annoyed, and he just wants to be done with everything. Yet Indiana is also aching for adventure and distractions from the state of his life. Ford does a hilarious and relatable job of demonstrating how much Indiana becomes himself when given a mission and a historical object to search for, all while complaining about Nazis, his aching shoulders, and his propensity for going in the wrong direction.
Not planning on going on a mission gives Indiana a lot of reasons to be sarcastic. But he’s met his match in Helena. I love the godfather-goddaughter chemistry between Ford and Waller-Bridge—they talk over each other, they constantly bicker, they agree on nothing. But they’re also both absolutely brilliant archeologists who really want to get their hands on this Dial.
I absolutely and completely loved Waller-Bridge’s Helena. She is a perfect successor to Indiana Jones, if that’s what she’s being set up to be. I would watch the hell out of a Helena Shaw adventure series. And she’s got a smart and brave partner in young Teddy (Ethann Isidore) who has quite the incredible arc in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Isidore is one to watch and I hope he has a long career.
However, I was a bit confused about a couple of the cameos in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Why were these well-known actors in the film for such a short time? The cameos took me out rather than added to the adventure.
But more than anything, I was so relieved that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny had a good story. I didn’t once feel that the pace was lagging or that there was unnecessary exposition. Every conversation was meaningful, or at least funny, and helped progress the characters forward. The film used some creative devices to share the mission and the archeological mystery with the audience. I can’t tell you how I relieved I was not to be talked at during a film.
I had a blast watching Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. It’s the kind of fun adventure film I’ve been desperately wanting for years now. I feel like this genre has been slowly dying away but dare I hope it’s back? Not only did I get to spend time with Indiana Jones, but I got a great story that was genuinely engaging, and wonderful new characters that I hope to see again. This is a really fun film that you can disappear into. And honestly, that’s all I really want.
