Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (English) Review {2.5/5} & Review Rating
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY is the story of a legendary archaeologist’s final adventure. In 1944, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) infiltrates a Nazi camp with the help of his friend Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) and steals a part of the Archimedes Dial called Antikythera. They fight off Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) who is presumed dead. 25 years later, Indiana Jones is living a sad life. His son died in the Vietnam War. His wife Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) has left him. He is teaching history to a group of bored youngsters. On the day of his retirement, he comes across Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Basil's daughter. Basil died with the dream of someday finding the other half of the Archimedes Dial. Helena proposes to Indiana that they both should set out for the endeavour. Indiana is not open to the idea but shows him the one-half of the Dial that he and Basil got in 1944. Unbeknownst to Helena, Voller’s men follow her. He is alive and is also trying to find the two halves of the Archimedes Dial. At this very point, Indiana also realizes that Helena wants the Archimedes Dial not for archaeological purposes and that she has ulterior motives. In the ensuing madness, she escapes with the Dial to Tangier, Morocco. Indiana Jones follows her and so does Voller. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp and James Mangold's story is adventurous. Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp and James Mangold's screenplay is peppered with some entertaining moments. However, the writing is stretched after a point. The dialogues are fine.
James Mangold's direction has its share of plusses. The way he has executed it, it looks like an ideal Indiana Jones film. His direction is not too different from the previous films, helmed by the great Steven Spielberg. The action and chase sequences in and atop the train and in New York and Tangier are splendid and also funny. The love-hate bond shared by Indiana Jones and Helena makes for a nice watch. The climax is unexpected.
On the flipside, at 156 minutes, this is the longest INDIANA JONES film of the series. The second half is dragging. The character of Teddy (Ethann Isidore) is unconvincing as he can do everything, from riding a plane and swimming, though he doesn’t know either. The finale is unpredictable and must have looked fascinating on paper. But it doesn’t translate as intended on celluloid. Lastly, the buzz for the film is limited.
Speaking of performances, Harrison Ford gives an energetic performance. The audiences surely will be in awe to see him play this role with a gusto that too in his late 70s. Phoebe Waller-Bridge delivers a confident performance. She’s especially memorable in the scene involving the dynamite. Mads Mikkelsen is decent as the antagonist. Antonio Banderas (Renaldo) is wasted. Toby Jones is decent. Ethann Isidore plays an unconvincing character but his performance is first-rate. Shaunette Renée Wilson (Mason) is fair.
John Williams' music is splendid and cinematic. It has a nostalgic vibe and is also in sync with the modern times. Phedon Papamichael's cinematography is breathaking. The locales of Morocco, especially, are beautifully captured by the lensman. Adam Stockhausen's production design is nice but pales in comparison to what we have seen in the previous films of INDIANA JONES. Joanna Johnston's costumes are appropriate. VFX is outstanding. The de-ageing done of Harrison in the 1944 scene is praiseworthy. The action is entertaining. Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker and Dirk Westervelt's editing is not upto the mark. The film should have been shorter by 20 minutes.
On the whole, INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY works due to the plot, entertaining action scenes and performances of Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. However, the long length, comparatively weaker second half and minimal fan following of the franchise in India will affect its prospects at the box office.