- Release year: 2023
- Director: James Mangold.
- Producers: Zakaria Alaoui, Simon Emanuel, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall.
- Screenplay by: Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp and James Mangold.
- Cinematographer: Phedon Papamichael.
- Music by: John Williams.
Synopsis: Indiana Jones is forced out of retirement by his god-daughter, who gets in trouble on her search for the Antikythera.
Shotgun Commentary: waiter, there’s some Disney in my Indiana Jones.
(James Mangold, 2023). Cannes Festival Film Kit.
Review
Welcome to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, yet another movie with a simplified title for American audiences (dial of destiny instead of antikythera feels a bit like changing philosopher to sorcerer in case you haven’t realised they are wizards, no?) and a story in which Indiana Jones hangs out while the bad guys destroy themselves.
Don’t be misguided by those facts, the film is still a riot, like all the previous instalments. Only in this one you need to make a little extra effort to breathe and accept the nonsense.
So the treasure is…wait, what?
The fact that the writers added time travel to the Indiana Jones saga is so Disney it hurts. It is fun and fitting, especially if that’s how they wanted to end his story, but it isn’t. Much in a Disney fashion, the feature ends, leaving an opening for further instalments. The only good thing about this strange addition is that they don’t linger too much in it nor do they use it as a cheap and easy way to make callbacks, which was a legit worry.
The plot feels forced regardless of you turning off your brain to enjoy the fantastic adventures of the archaeologist. Rushing the beginning of the story is a wise decision since audiences watch these films for the action, not the background. However, that doesn’t make up for the fact that he joins the adventure for flimsy reasons at best. Plus, they use the appearance of Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) to distract the spectators from the fact that he is recognised by a drunk guy but not by any of the thousands of people at an airport. Cheap shot, Disney, cheap shot.
The main moment of the movie that is too absurd to ignore is Indiana (Harrison Ford) getting shot next to the heart and behaving like he’s twenty. And I mean twenty, because he didn’t look so sprite in the Temple of Doom. It is so ridiculous that the only possible reaction is respect. Respect and a dose of “never mind, I still love this sh*t”.
Yeah, that is happening
But going back to Disney and their strings. The whole “young Indiana” is a massive mouse-branded flex. It looks like what they were trying to do with Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War (2016), but without that Eek factor, which is much appreciated. Long gone are the days when Nazis melted slowly like wax. Now, Indiana has big boy special effects and can kill Nazis much smoother. Honestly, the old effects will be missed, but the new ones are so realistic you can’t help but to tip your hat at the incredible improvement.
Yes… but no
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena Shaw…not quite. Waller-Bridge is a great actress and she delivers a believable performance. Regrettably, her persona clashes with the aesthetics of the franchise. It is strange to see a famous actress as Indiana’s counterpart, and you can feel it every time she’s on-screen. Although it is refreshing that the female adventure partner is not a romantic interest, well played.
Shortcut’s knock-off Teddy (Ethann Isidore) is completely superfluous and slightly confusing. A 12ish year old who doesn’t know how to swim but can fly a plane and has no moral qualms with letting a person drown in a river is pretty disturbing. If you want to make a Shortcut reference, take out your wallet and pay Ke Huy Quan for his time and talent. Don’t just find any kid and expect people to like him just because.
Another character worth mentioning is Klaber (Boyd Holbrook), a trigger-happy blond cliché that exists only to test the limits of human stupidity and get on your nerves. Thankfully, his existence is mostly eclipsed by Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), the main Nazi. A man with the most ridiculous hair and the greatest intellect. He put the man on the moon and is now trying to conquer time. Voller is incredibly clever, except for when he decides to take Indiana with him instead of leaving him to die. This is proof that, no matter how intelligent you are, pettiness will always supersede your life’s work and obsession.
Callbacks, callbacks everywhere
The sheer amount of franchise callbacks makes the experience of watching Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny worth every minute. There is an insane amount of verbal and visual references to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Kalimah and the bridge included. There is also an incredibly heart-warming reference, about which I won’t give more details to avoid spoiling the fun.
However, the best feature brought from the past is the soundtrack. The consistency of the score throughout the whole franchise is one of its most magical features. It is not reinvented or edited to fit today’s modern tastes, it stays true to its nature, pulling you forty years back in time. Talk about time travel.
Advice to take from this movie:
- Never anger Mads Mikkelsen, he’s a resourceful man.
- Nazis always make the best villains.
- A reminder of the evil nature of Nazis seems awkwardly necessary nowadays.
What’s your take? Have you watched Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny? Have you watched any of the previous instalments? Which is your favourite? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀
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