It might not be the biggest franchise in Hollywood’s history, but the four Indiana Jones films have earned their legacy. The first trilogy has cemented its place as some of Spielberg’s most fun work. The fourth film, while not often liked by many, does have its fans. This wasn’t a series that needed a fifth entry, but here we are.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny feels like an attempt to re-do the fourth film. We once again are dealing with an elderly Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones (played by Harrison Ford from Star Wars, the Fugitive, and Blade Runner). He’s going on a worldly adventure with a younger companion, this time with his goddaughter Helena Shaw (played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge from Fleabag). Instead of fighting the Soviets in the late 50s, he’s now fighting a former Nazi (played by Mads Mikkelsen from Casino Royale) currently working for NASA in the late 60s.
Our lovable, yet gruff archaeologist is preparing to retire when he’s contacted by Helena. She wants his help looking for the titular Dial of Destiny, which appears to be an artifact from ancient Greece. But the Nazi scientist also desires this dial for nefarious means, and he’ll do anything to get his hands on it.
Directed by James Mangold (who previously made Ford v Ferrari and Walk the Line), this film plays quite similarly to his other film about an aging hero coming back for one last adventure, Logan. It’s a swan song for its star while also taking us down his greatest hits. Ford gets to beat up bad guys, show off his skills with a whip, and travel all around the world. It seems very concerned with rejecting some of the more extravagant set pieces last seen in the fourth entry, this new edition much more focused on smaller yet still exciting set pieces. Gone are chases through the jungle with thousands of red ants, and its place we have a motorcycle chasing a horse in a parade.
Part of this could be due to the old age of the film’s star. Shooting this film in his late 70s, Ford doesn’t have necessarily have it in him to constantly run around and engage in many physical fights. A lot of the action in this film comes from other characters engaging, with Indiana coming in for an important punch. A large part of this film uses digital de-aging, but not during the present. The Dial of Destiny begins with an extended prologue set during the latter parts of the Second World War, and Ford is entirely de-aged here.
Unlike the uncanny valley of Rogue One’s Carrie Fisher, or the sometimes unrealistic looks of the Irishman’s Robert De Niro, the de-aging CGI here is actually not that bad. It looks quite realistic in close-ups, and in wider action shots he’s obscured well enough for us not to notice his face is almost entirely CGI. Time will tell if these special effects hold up, but for all we know at the moment we could be looking at the beginning of practical de-aging technology.
Digital de-aging could lead to a very worrying trend, that of deep faking in cinema. If this film does well, perhaps the studio decides to do another one of these films. And for all we know, the next actor to play Indiana Jones might not be a person but instead a program. Tools like this are best used as just tools, not important components of the story.
While the prologue is an exciting part of the film, it’s not a necessary one. The film does just fine showing us the elderly professor as a grumpy man jumping back into the field. There are no moments that hit the iconic nature of several of the other films. Spielberg is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and all four of his Indiana Jones films feel exciting even in the non-exciting moments. Mangold is a journeyman director, and a very good one at that. You can toss anything at him, and he’ll do a good job.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is unnecessary, but pleasant. It’s a film made for the fans, people who still can’t stand the fourth film and want something that feels more like a final act. It probably won’t be anyone’s favourite cinematic archaeological adventure, but it is a surprisingly good time at the movies. Harrison Ford might be 80, but he’s still got it. This film gets a 3.5/5, you can watch it in cinemas now.
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