Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Out of every modern film studio, few have dedicated themselves to trying to squeeze ever dollar possible from nostalgia quite like Disney. From bland remakes to unnecessary sequels, Disney has emptied the vault trying to find anything they can that will land for modern audiences and turn over a profit. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is simply the latest relic unearthed for this mission. Releasing a whopping 15-years after the divisive Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny once again pulls Harrison Ford to the big screen to play Indiana Jones. Rather than being a charismatic adventurer, the Indiana Jones within Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has become tired and aged as he begins to get pushed closer and closer to retirement. This is, however, until he meets up with his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who wants to know everything about the mystical Archimedes's Dial which consumed the life of her father, Basil (Toby Jones). Despite a stacked cast and the incredibly capable hand of James Mangold taking over the role of director from Steven Spielberg, the film is an instantly forgettable and dull addition to the Indiana Jones franchise that proves some artifacts are better left in storage.
The problems begin almost immediately with the character work of the film. To think that anyone came to an Indiana Jones film to see the titular character play an often passive and purposefully slowed down version of the character is an insane thought. While it is clear that Ford is limited in what he is able to accomplish compared to his physical performance that defined the character more than 40-years ago, it is almost embarrassing how the film is forced to drag the character along while throwing him to the side at every point. The vast majority of the film would take place exactly the same had Jones never been involved in the situation with a complete lack of charisma and energy being given by Ford. Even his writing has been dulled down to the point where it is hard to think of a single iconic or enjoyable line by the character who once stood as a golden standard for charisma in protagonists.
The issues sadly go far beyond the titular character himself. While Phoebe Waller-Bridge tries her best, the writing for Helena is almost offensively shallow with hints of an intriguing moral discussion being lost in an incompetent screenplay that never allows the audience to understand the character or engage with her. Her presence is as shallow as a lead protagonist can be with the film seemingly being afraid to allow her to outshine Jones despite it being necessary not just for any future the franchise wants to have, but also for this individual feature considering the lackluster effect Jones has within the film. Equally wasted is Mads Mikkelsen who plays the generic cold Nazi villain with some of the dumbest logic ever given to a villain of this nature. While one might expect Mikkelsen's proven chilling presence would bring some level of grit and substance to the character, the film continually undercuts his presence making his performance far less impressive than even his work in other poor features like Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
The writing for these characters only confirms a disappointing truth for the film, it is going through the motions. While there might have been at one time a goal for this film to mean something and stand with a unique identity, it is clear that years of troubled production and development left the project with a goal of simply finishing a feature. There is no soul or magic within the feature that feels in line with the blandest of action features. To release a film this hollow and lifeless under the banner of such an iconic franchise is the exact reason why so many have lost faith within Disney. The studio that once stood for invention and inspiration has faded into something far more disappointing and bleak. To take a franchise so defined by its character work and not even be able to write a single extended sequence of character dialogue is shocking. The non-stop action with only ghosts of personality also cause the film's whopping 154-minute runtime to drag terribly with the film being a chore to sit through from start to finish.
The one area where the film begins to feel like it is willing to take chances is the third act. Without giving anything away, the film does take bold swings but fails to find anything meaningful to reach with these choices. Not only does the third act completely blow up the narrative that has been building for well over 2-hours, but the supposed arc that is supposed to take place within the character of Jones in relation to this act falls completely flat in an illogical mess that feels like the lost ramblings of an elderly man. As with the rest of the film, a lack of planning and purpose makes this sequence feel meaningless for those who managed to stay awake to see it.
While the writing of the film is undoubtedly terrible, the filmmaking itself is also tragically poor. Specifically in its special effects, the film becomes an instantly forgettable mess of digital creations that carry no weight. While the film overall looks bad, nothing can prepare audiences for the de-aging effects given to Ford in the film's opening sequence that looks like a video game which has been awkwardly blasted onto a cinema screen. This is some of the worst results of this type of visual effect in recent memory and rather than being used in a sparring sense, the film dedicates an extended sequence to it that immediately warns audiences of the disaster they are about to embark on.
While Disney has disappointed in the past, few projects have been as disastrous as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. With its best moments being bland and its worst moments being genuinely embarrassing for all involved, this is a new low for both the studio and the Indiana Jones franchise as a whole. While it is easy to wish for a brighter conclusion for the legendary character, it is clear that the ship has sailed and we should let the franchise rest rather than cause more unnecessary suffering.
The problems begin almost immediately with the character work of the film. To think that anyone came to an Indiana Jones film to see the titular character play an often passive and purposefully slowed down version of the character is an insane thought. While it is clear that Ford is limited in what he is able to accomplish compared to his physical performance that defined the character more than 40-years ago, it is almost embarrassing how the film is forced to drag the character along while throwing him to the side at every point. The vast majority of the film would take place exactly the same had Jones never been involved in the situation with a complete lack of charisma and energy being given by Ford. Even his writing has been dulled down to the point where it is hard to think of a single iconic or enjoyable line by the character who once stood as a golden standard for charisma in protagonists.
The issues sadly go far beyond the titular character himself. While Phoebe Waller-Bridge tries her best, the writing for Helena is almost offensively shallow with hints of an intriguing moral discussion being lost in an incompetent screenplay that never allows the audience to understand the character or engage with her. Her presence is as shallow as a lead protagonist can be with the film seemingly being afraid to allow her to outshine Jones despite it being necessary not just for any future the franchise wants to have, but also for this individual feature considering the lackluster effect Jones has within the film. Equally wasted is Mads Mikkelsen who plays the generic cold Nazi villain with some of the dumbest logic ever given to a villain of this nature. While one might expect Mikkelsen's proven chilling presence would bring some level of grit and substance to the character, the film continually undercuts his presence making his performance far less impressive than even his work in other poor features like Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
The writing for these characters only confirms a disappointing truth for the film, it is going through the motions. While there might have been at one time a goal for this film to mean something and stand with a unique identity, it is clear that years of troubled production and development left the project with a goal of simply finishing a feature. There is no soul or magic within the feature that feels in line with the blandest of action features. To release a film this hollow and lifeless under the banner of such an iconic franchise is the exact reason why so many have lost faith within Disney. The studio that once stood for invention and inspiration has faded into something far more disappointing and bleak. To take a franchise so defined by its character work and not even be able to write a single extended sequence of character dialogue is shocking. The non-stop action with only ghosts of personality also cause the film's whopping 154-minute runtime to drag terribly with the film being a chore to sit through from start to finish.
The one area where the film begins to feel like it is willing to take chances is the third act. Without giving anything away, the film does take bold swings but fails to find anything meaningful to reach with these choices. Not only does the third act completely blow up the narrative that has been building for well over 2-hours, but the supposed arc that is supposed to take place within the character of Jones in relation to this act falls completely flat in an illogical mess that feels like the lost ramblings of an elderly man. As with the rest of the film, a lack of planning and purpose makes this sequence feel meaningless for those who managed to stay awake to see it.
While the writing of the film is undoubtedly terrible, the filmmaking itself is also tragically poor. Specifically in its special effects, the film becomes an instantly forgettable mess of digital creations that carry no weight. While the film overall looks bad, nothing can prepare audiences for the de-aging effects given to Ford in the film's opening sequence that looks like a video game which has been awkwardly blasted onto a cinema screen. This is some of the worst results of this type of visual effect in recent memory and rather than being used in a sparring sense, the film dedicates an extended sequence to it that immediately warns audiences of the disaster they are about to embark on.
While Disney has disappointed in the past, few projects have been as disastrous as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. With its best moments being bland and its worst moments being genuinely embarrassing for all involved, this is a new low for both the studio and the Indiana Jones franchise as a whole. While it is easy to wish for a brighter conclusion for the legendary character, it is clear that the ship has sailed and we should let the franchise rest rather than cause more unnecessary suffering.