There’s a gag in Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s 2011 episode ‘The Gang Gets Trapped’ where the main characters are discussing the merits of the Indiana Jones franchise as a whole, having decided to steal a random family’s antique vase (‘it belongs in a museum!’ the characters quip). Dennis, the group’s resident sociopath, comes to the conclusion that whilst he ‘likes the first one’ Raiders of the Lost Ark and ‘likes [Indy] as a character’ he sees a good portion of the franchise as ‘dumb’, leading an initially appalled Charlie and Mac to agree that ‘Indiana Jones Part 4 was dumb’ and that Temple of Doom is ‘also out’. It summarises so well the love/hate relationship many seem to have with the franchise as a whole, adoring Harrison Ford’s performance as the effortlessly cool, globe-trotting archaeologist, but whip-crack-quick to point out the flaws of the films themselves – lest we forget the regrettable racism of Temple of Doom, the ‘nuking the fridge’ moment of Crystal Skull and the persevering observation that Jones actually has no effect at all on the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
It’s interesting to see the same kind of debate occurring online in response to the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth installment of the film franchise, with the now 80-year-old Harrison Ford returning once again to play the titular hero in what is most likely his last appearance of the character. In many ways, I feel like this film was always destined to face the kind of lazy criticism that now passes for objective truth in some corners of the internet (cue misogynists lining up to berate Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s frankly brilliant performance as Helena Shaw, Jones’s goddaughter). But from my point of view, Dial of Destiny is not just another example of ‘liking the character’ and not the film, but a solid cinematic experience that, while playing heavily upon nostalgia, offered plenty of big-screen spectacle.
During the collapse of the Third Reich in c.1945, with the rats racing to leave the sinking ship of Nazi Germany following Allied advances, we begin in medias res with a thirty-something Indiana Jones (showcasing the near-perfection of Lucasfilm’s de-aging technology) infiltrating a Nazi compound in a bid to rescue looted treasures. Alongside Oxford archaeologist Basil Shaw (the always fantastic Toby Jones), Indy manages to evade the bad guys and escape with one-half of the so-called ‘Antikythera’, the titular ‘dial of destiny’ supposedly crafted by the legendary Ancient Greek mathematician, Archimedes. This opening sequence is all explosions, chase sequences and good ol’ Nazi-punching – everything you could ever want from an Indiana Jones film.
Flash forward to the swinging sixties (probably for the best – we wouldn’t want an entire film predicated upon a de-aged Ford, no matter how good the VFX have become), Jones is an archaeology professor who, following a rather awkward retirement party – more fitting for a desk-bound academic than a bullwhip-brandishing adventurer – is whisked back into action following the arrival of Waller-Bridge’s Helena, wanting to pick up where her father left off in his search for the complementary second half of Archimedes’ device. Throw into the mix Mads Mikkelsen’s Jürgen Voller, an Ex-Nazi (sleeper-Nazi?) who fled Europe only to find himself working for the USA at NASA (as some real-life Nazi scientists notoriously did), and we have the tried-and-tested race for a supernatural treasure and its promises of world-changing power (see Raiders, Last Crusade).
Despite the actor’s curmudgeonly reputation in recent years, Ford seems to be enjoying another chance to shine as one of his most beloved screen characters (second, perhaps, only to Han Solo). Yes, the actor isn’t doing his own stunt work anymore, and it’s often emotionally difficult to see a much older Ford in this role, but Dial of Destiny once again highlights the man’s era-defining stardom and ability, particularly in the film’s quieter, more melancholic moments. Don’t be mistaken: this is a celebratory film overall, with old favourites and new twists on the Jones canon resulting in an enjoyably comfortable cinematic experience. I couldn’t help but smile every time we hear that iconic John Williams theme.
Ford’s surrounding cast also feels complete and complementary in a way that was never achieved in either Temple of Doom or Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Mikkelsen is always fantastic as the villain, whilst the familiar presence of John Rhys-Davies returning as Sallah also charms. Boyd Holbrook’s performance as deranged Nazi-wannabe Klaber, Voller’s second-in-command, gives bite to the bad guy’s entourage.
The film’s third act will inevitably leave some of the audience confused or perhaps even frustrated, treading dangerously close to the ‘nuking the fridge’ territory of Crystal Skull, but I for one enjoyed the confidence and consequences of this reveal. Let’s not forget that every film in this franchise has had their more outlandish moments, be it the god-in-a-box MacGuffin of the original film or the supernatural denouement of the Last Crusade. Like the original pulp novels and B-movie serials from which Spielberg and Lucas took inspiration, Dial of Destiny is best enjoyed as an action-adventure yarn that is more interested in captivating its audience through movie-magic and spectacle than being a grounded drama.
Go along for the ride, and be thankful that we have yet another opportunity to join Indy on his adventures.
Notes from the Multiplex 