Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – a movie review by Alex First
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest action heroes of the big screen.
The ingredients that made this blockbuster series so watchable are back with a vengeance.
To see Harrison Ford return in one of his most beloved roles is terrific.
He first played Indy in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark and last donned the fedora in 2008, in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
This time around, technology has allowed him to be de-aged, from the 79-year-old he was when he shot Dial of Destiny, to 37 at the start of the picture.
It is the war years and a nimble-footed Indiana Jones just manages to escape the evil clutches of the Nazis, who have purloined a surfeit of invaluable antiquities.
Much interest lies in an extremely rare artefact known as the Archimedes Dial, a device that purportedly holds the power to locate fissures in time.
Most keen to get his hands on it is Nazi Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen).
Then we cut to 1969.
Having spent more than a decade teaching at New York’s Hunter College, esteemed professor of archaeology Jones is preparing to retire to his modest apartment.
But everything changes after a surprise visit from his estranged goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge).
She is seeking the half of the Archimedes Dial that her father, Basil (Toby Jones), entrusted to Indy years earlier.
An accomplished con-artist, Helena steals the device and makes a swift exit to sell the treasure to the highest bidder.
Left with no choice than to go after her, Indy dusts off his hat and leather jacket for one final ride.
At the same time, Indy’s old nemesis, Voller – now working as a physicist in the US space program – has his own plans for the artefact.
In fact, it is a horrifying scheme that could change the course of world history.
There is a lot to enjoy and appreciate about Indy 2023.
It is so exciting to see Harrison Ford as the action hero – fisticuffs and all – that he was in his prime. He doesn’t put a foot wrong.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge impresses with her “go-getting”, if shady persona, never taking a backward step as Helena.
Mads Mikkelsen feels at home as the Nazi supervillain who will stop at nothing to gets his hands on the relic.
John Rhys-Davies makes a welcome return to the franchise, bringing good-natured warmth and respect to his re-appearance as doting Indy supporter Sallah.
Toby Jones is noteworthy for his cowardly representation of Indy’s WWII colleague, Basil.
Ethan Issidore makes a good fist of his role as Helena’s agile, nimble-fingered young protégé, Teddy.
And it is nice to see Karen Allen back – albeit briefly – as Indy’s wife Marion.
I loved the production design, particularly the attention to detail in the sets and settings.
Notwithstanding some surprising moments though, the film becomes quite convoluted and, at two hours and 34 minutes, Dial of Destiny is bloated.
Prudent pruning would certainly have been in order, to produce an even more compelling finale.
Nevertheless, overall, the direction from co-writer James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari) is sound and the film should prove a fan favourite.
Rated M, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny scores a 7½ out of 10. Running time: 154 mins
