Film Review – Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

During the opening of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the familiar notes of John William’s music once again welcome us back to the world of Indiana Jones. After the last not-so-successful attempt at revisiting this iconic saga, I was equally excited and afraid to watch the newest rendition of the Indiana Jones saga as a long-time fan of the original movies. While a comparison between the fifth Indiana Jones and the original three movies of the series would be unfair for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the film did not disappoint.

The movie begins in the past. More specifically, in 1944, when Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and his colleague and fellow archaeologist Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) escape the Nazis and retrieve a powerful archaeological artefact, Archimedes’ Dial of Destiny, taking it from Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen). After the opening scene, we soon jump to 1969. Indiana Jones is retiring from teaching, Basil is dead, and the whole world is more preoccupied with exploring space than the past. However, there is one more adventure in store for Indiana Jones as he is approached by Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), his goddaughter, to talk about the Dial of Destiny. But Helena is not the only person after the Dial, as Voller wants the artefact for himself as well.

On paper, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny would seemingly hold up to the first three movies that made the series famous, as it has everything that worked in the previous ones: a magic artefact that could be dangerous if fallen into the wrong hands, a powerful villain connected to the Nazis, and, of course, Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. With a much stronger plot than its direct predecessor, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Lost Skull, which may very well be the most hated Indiana Jones film, the newest Indiana Jones does create a thrilling and exciting product.

The star-stunned cast, with the addition of newcomers to the Indiana Jones universe, is also a positive note of this film as the cast delivers powerful performances in the film and proves to have good on-screen chemistry with Harrison Ford. They all manage to successfully work together on screen and create convincing dynamics between all the characters. In particular, Mads Mikkelsen portrays a show-stealing and compelling villain and Phoebe Waller-Bridge really manages to hold her own while sharing the screen with Harrison Ford in her depiction of a determined and resourceful woman who I could not get enough of.

However, something is clearly missing. Maybe it is the directing touch of Steven Spielberg, or maybe it is the quintessential magic the first Indiana Jones film had that made people fall in love with it. Either way, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny reads a little too much like a call back to the original saga, like a film struggling to come to with its own past and legacy. That may be why there seems to be such a strong focus on referencing the previous Indiana Jones films, whether it is with its plot, tied to the strong Nazi thread once again, or particular scenes, such as the many snakes’ references throughout the movie, that establish the film too much like a tribute to the saga and less like a product that could stand on its own.

Initially, I also feared the film would rely a little too much on its well-made and seemingly flawless CGI as it features a de-aged Harrison Ford and multiple chase scenes but this doubt was soon forgotten. The solid plot of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ensures that all of these scenes are justified rather than being there just for spectacle’s sake or to show off an impressive array of special effects. From the very first sequence, the film continues to build momentum as we get to go on this new adventure with Indiana Jones. However, the last scene feels a little anticlimactic after everything we have seen, but it does allow us to tie up loose ends in a way that long-time Indiana Jones fans will certainly appreciate.

Nevertheless, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a film that will keep you hooked to the screen until the very end, turn after turn and plot twist after plot twist. Unlike the fourth instalment of the saga, it also fits quite nicely with the rest of the Indiana Jones movies and functions as a fitting tribute to a character that has defined an era and a genre of filmmaking. Although it may not be perfect, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is undoubtedly a film I would be happy to watch again as part of this much-beloved saga.