The Indiana Jones series is now on its third ending. The Last Crusade was meant to wrap up a trilogy in 1989, before Crystal Skull came along and revived the hero for one more adventure in 2008. Met with a lukewarm reception by fans upon its release, Crystal Skull was considered by many to be the worst film in the franchise… that is until the release of this year’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Billed as the “last hurrah” for Harrison Ford donning the hat and whip, the movie follows the archaeologist as he partners up with his thieving granddaughter (played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge) to retrieve an artifact that could change the course of history before the wrong people get their hands on it. It’s clear that this is meant to be a send-up to the glory of the originals, but it’s really just dreadfully dull.
After seeing Dial of Destiny, maybe we were being too harsh on Crystal Skull. Let us explain why.
If you haven’t yet seen Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (or Crystal Skull, for that matter), stop reading here because this article does contain spoilers.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull may not be that bad…
Perhaps the biggest issue with Dial of Destiny compared to previous entries in the Indiana Jones series is its length. The movie is over two and a half hours long — more than 30 minutes longer than Crystal Skull. And while long does not necessarily equate to bad, you can really feel the length of this film, as it feels like everyone involved was laboring through the motions of making it.
There’s no way around it — Harrison Ford is getting old. He can’t do a lot of the things he once did, so naturally, the action involving him isn’t going to be as exciting as it was 15 years ago, much less 42 years ago. However, whereas Crystal Skull embraced Ford getting older, Dial of Destiny is seemingly attempting to fight it. Crystal Skull gave the brunt of the weight of the action to other actors or stunt doubles, but Dial of Destiny uses digital de-aging and easier choreography in an attempt to keep Ford in the action, and the result is frustratingly lifeless.
Also Read: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Review: Fun Enough, But the Series Finally Jumps the Shark
Even beyond the de-aging — which is mostly confined to the first sequence, a flashback to Indy’s younger years as an adventurer — Dial of Destiny has numerous set pieces that are frustratingly dependent on CGI. The entire third act, in which Indy et al. travel back in time to witness a battle in the Siege of Syracuse, is a CGI monstrosity, abandoning the practical effects and stunts that made the franchise memorable in the first place.
Dial of Destiny is helmed by filmmaker James Mangold, who has made several acclaimed action movies — from the beloved X-Men spinoff Logan to the Western remake 3:10 to Yuma. Thus, it is thoroughly surprising that the epic send-off to this character we all know and love doesn’t feel very epic. The final act at least makes an attempt, but other than that, we just get an action sequence on a train, one on horseback, a car chase, and a couple of scenes of Indy and co. raiding lost sites for treasure. It just feels like more of the same — and not in a good way.
When it comes to the whimsical, fantastical storyline of the series, there’s always been a required element of suspension of disbelief. Indiana Jones has always chased mysterious artifacts with some sort of supernatural power — or, in the case of Crystal Skull, aliens. But the idea that, through mathematics, the characters are able to rip a hole in the space-time continuum is simply too far-fetched, even for the Indiana Jones series.
It would have helped if the movie were able to be tongue-in-cheek about the ridiculousness of the premise, but nearly everyone involved in the film seems to be approaching it with too straight of a face. Only Boyd Hollbrook gives a fittingly campy and over-the-top performance as one of the secondary antagonists. Indiana Jones was never something that was meant to be taken entirely seriously. The series was created as a fun throwback to the adventure serials of the 1930s and ‘40s.
Another frustrating thing about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is that the villain feels so generic despite having an enormously talented actor in Mads Mikkelsen in the role. As the Nazi scientist who wants to find the artifact MacGuffin to restore the “glory” of the Third Reich, it’s clear that Mikkelsen’s performance was intended to be a “return to form” of sorts to the Nazi villains of the well-liked Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade. Cate Blanchett’s Soviet agent in Crystal Skull was much more menacing, not to mention more entertaining.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a weak note to end the franchise on
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the worst film in the franchise — not because it is incompetent — but because it’s merely average. There’s not a whole lot of energy to be found in this final installment. No wit. No sense of adventure. At least Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull would have been a bonkers — if ridiculous way to end the series. This just feels like Indy is going out with a whimper.
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
