Forty-two years ago, we met archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones (aka Dr. Henry Walton Jones Jr.). He rocks a super cool brown fedora hat, and leather jacket, cracks a bullwhip, and is afraid of snakes. If you hear about an artifact, best believe Indy will find it. Why? Because it belongs in a museum! After decades of these adventures, Harrison Ford returns to close out this chapter with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
It’s 1969, and Indiana Jones is ready to hang up his hat. He wakes up in his lonely apartment, makes a cup of coffee, and starts his day. He heads to work for what appears to be the last time as we see his colleagues at New York’s Hunter College surprise him with a cake to celebrate his retirement. To his surprise, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge; Fleabag), his goddaughter, pays him a visit. This isn’t a coincidence.
Helena is a con artist searching for an artifact that her late father entrusted to Indy years ago — Archimedes Dial, a device that can wield time. So basically, a time machine. Helena steals the artifact and jets to another country to sell the rare treasure to the highest bidder. But, plans go awry when an old enemy of Indy’s, Dr. Voller (Mads Mikkelsen; Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore), has his eyes on the artifact and intends to use it to rewrite history. Indy has to grab his fedora and embark on one last journey.
Directed by James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari), this final chapter of Indiana Jones carries the same heart as the previous films, primarily due to Harrison Ford himself. Ford’s being has been baked into the character of Indiana Jones, broken in like a baseball glove. It’s now a perfect fit, and if it weren’t clear in the earlier films, it’d become apparent now that no one will be able to fill his shoes.
Let’s give a shoutout to the stunt coordinators. Too often, we see adventure films where the stunts are entirely outlandish, especially for the character they represent. Considering Indy’s age in the film, I found the stunts believable. Yes, he’s older but not new to climbing caves or high-speed chases, and it shows.
Waller-Bridge was a great co-star to play opposite Ford. Her charm complimented his stoic old-man vibe which created a nice push-and-pull tension. Watching their interaction during the boat scene where Indy is pried open just enough for Helena to see the grief inside his heart was touching. At that moment, Ford demonstrates that while he is fantastic as Indiana Jones, his talent reaches far beyond what can be contained in this franchise. Helena is almost the opposite of Indy. She operates for fortune; in some ways, she’s the kind of people Indy would work against in previous films. He preserves the history and cherishes the story of these artifacts, while Helena could care less, which seems a defiant response to her father.
One of the biggest disappointments I had in the film was their lack of use for the character Agent Mason (Shaunette Renée Wilson; The Resident). While the representation was appreciated, they ultimately did nothing with her character. They ushered in Agent Mason as if she would play a pivotal role in the film and then quickly abandoned that idea while holding on to more expendable characters. There was a missed opportunity in not making her more integral to the story.
Like Wilson’s character, Mads Mikkelsen’s character Jürgen Voller was lackluster, especially for a villain. Outside of wondering how Voller is still alive after the flashback action sequence the film opens with, there isn’t much to this character. Voller and his henchmen chase Indy and Helena to get the artifact so they can use it to rewrite history, but that’s it. Nothing more to say. When one sees Mads Mikkelsen on a cast list, one expects him to be fully utilized, and the character seems significantly underwritten.
Of course, John Williams’ impeccable score cradled some of the film’s best parts. Williams has scored each of Indy’s adventures since 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film felt lengthy. But, each time Indy’s theme entered, it breathed new life into the adventure and gave the audience a second wind.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may not be your favorite Indy adventure, but it’s worth its theatrical experience. Ford is as good as ever, proving that age hasn’t stopped this action icon. The other characters, while still good, fade to the background as you stare at Indy with nostalgic love. And yes, there are a few fan-service cameos from some of Indy’s lifelong friends. Long live old-school adventure and a final farewell to our favorite archeologist, Indiana Jones.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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