“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” Movie Review by Rafy Mediavilla (@RMediavilla) #IndianaJones #TheDialOfDestiny
Daredevil archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history. Accompanied by his goddaughter, he soon finds himself squaring off against Jürgen Voller, a former Nazi who works for NASA.
Indy 5 can be best described as the final ending to the Jones Saga that nobody asked for but that many Indy fans will enjoy. It can also be described as an alternate ending to what we saw in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, but that topic is up for debate also. Yet all the elements that make an Indy movie as fully presented in the Dial of Destiny where I can help but compare it side by side with the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull because of how much it resembles one and another.
Story wise the Dial of Destiny much like the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull dives into the SciFi realms of the Jones Sagas. Yes, the action-packed scenes, fight scenes, and car chases, of The Adventures of Indiana Jones, are still very present and all are very fun to watch them play out on the big screen, but at its core, the story is more SciFi driven. And this is that one place where I say this movie feels like a mirror version of the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls, where the mystery behind the Crystal Skulls must be revealed the same goes here for the mystery behind the Dial of Destiny, which means don’t expect something new nor groundbreaking as far as the story is concerned.
Performances-wise, this one is something I have tons of props to be given not only to Harrison Ford himself but also to Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen. Let’s start with Ford and my god, does this 80-year-old dude still has it? Not only can Harrison still pull playing Indy at 80 years old, but he still can go full throttle when it comes to these high-paced action scenes and chases. Ford alongside Schwarzenegger and Stalone has raised the bar of what action movie stars can do way beyond their prime. Waller-Bridge also took me by surprise with her emotional performance, and I dare to say she carries this film from start to finish story-wise. Regarding, Mikkelsen is without a doubt an actor that always shines when playing a bad guy, and his performance in the Dial of Destiny is no expectation.
Now what about the music? Something that is another iconic factor defines the saga, and I am happy to say that iconic composer John Williams continues to impress past his prime with a score that feels both nostalgic and fresh enough for newcomers to the Indy Saga and old-school fans of the Treasure Hunter. The Indy theme is fully present here, yet the music that plays side by side with these action scene never miss a beat.
In the end, the Dial of Destiny is a movie within the Jones Saga that story-wise serves no purpose beyond what we already saw with the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, yet everything that makes an Indy movie famous is there and without doubt fans of the franchise will go home happy with the end result. Yet people who aren’t as familiar with these projects may just enjoy it as just another adventure-driven movie.
