Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: A Spoiler-Filled Discussion
***As the title would suggest, full spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny follow***
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Dg15JxU5bbayZ0dcJeswC
Franchises have been the name of the game in Hollywood in recent years because they have a built in fanbase and the goodwill that comes from quality movies in the past. Since their arrival in the 1980s, the Indiana Jones films have been a staple of the modern adventure genre and recent attempts to capitalize on it like Young Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and now Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny have failed at capturing what made the original three movies great in the first place.
What Worked
From a pure nostalgia perspective, the opening sequence of the film with Indiana Jones hunting the Spear of Longinus and stumbling on Archimedes' Dial somewhat works. The action is engaging at times and, as a standalone adventure, it is fun to see Harrison Ford as he looked back in his prime. The sequence has it's issues, including a severe lack of justification for its existence, (more on that below) but while you're in the moment it's easy to sit back and enjoy most of it.
The other real fun in the movie is the acting performances from Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge who joins as Helena. Their dynamic throughout the movie is different for the franchise and makes this movie stand out from the previous entries. Helena's character is more of a mixture of Indiana Jones and Han Solo (down to wardrobe at times) which is interesting to see play off of Ford's Indiana Jones this late into his career.
What Didn't Work
The biggest problem is the runtime, specifically how unjustified the over two-and-a-half-hour runtime is. The entire opening sequence during the ending of World War II can be cut with zero impact to the plot and there are multiple chase sequences that are just boring to watch. The chase through New York isn't impactful to the plot, the chase through Tangier is nonsensical in every sense of the word, and the entire sequence around 212 B.C.E. just drags. Too much of the movie drags and there is easily an hour's worth of footage that can be cut without harming the plot to make the film more concise.
The CGI is spotty at times, leaving the viewing experience at some of the biggest moments in the movie a little lackluster. Every good shot of Harrison Ford de-aged is already visible in the trailer and everything at the Battle of Syracuse looks like it was shot on the Volume, with its distinct midground depth issues. The opening sequence is entirely at night or in poorly lit areas, by design as to hide some of the seams of the CGI, but this just makes it hard to follow the action.
Hands down the biggest problem with the movie comes from the character arcs. Helena's transition at the end of the movie does not feel earned because she doesn't actually change or encounter anything that warrants her needing to change over the course of the movie. The same goes for Indiana Jones who feels mostly along for the ride rather than a character actively involved in the plot of the movie. This makes his wanting to stay in ancient times feel strange and then his return also feel just as strange. Without interesting characters or action, this movie is just hard to watch.
How You Should Watch This Movie
Ultimately, when people look back on the Indiana Jones franchise, the debate over whether Kingdom of the Crystal Skull or Dial of Destiny is the worse movie will come down to whether one believes an aggressively boring movie is worse than a ridiculous and outlandishly bad movie. Personally, I'm of the belief that the lows of Dial of Destiny do not reach the lows of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, even though the highs are not quite as high, leading to Dial of Destiny being marginally better. That said, it still isn't a movie worth rushing out to see in a theater and viewers would be better off waiting until it hits Disney+ so they can get up and get food during the boring parts.
★★★
