A Sad Rewatch of “Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny”

 by Ray Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

March 12, 2024

 

Okay, it was time. As a big Indiana Jones fan, I’ve avoided doing the rewatch of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny since I first saw it in theaters last year, and wrote my initial review.  

Why the delay? Hmm. Life and work certainly are busy. But there was something else lingering, perhaps holding me back.

 

As I mentioned in my initial review of Dial of Destiny, this Indy fan had real trepidations heading into the movie theater. Indeed, an angst stayed with me throughout the movie: What would they do to one of my all-time favorite characters in fiction?

 

As the movie ended, I felt relieved, and gave the film 3.5 to 4 stars out of a possible 5. I concluded that review writing: “Well, coming out of the theater, I was at 3.5 stars. But I know that when I re-watch Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny free from worry and angst, I’ll enjoy it more in various ways (such as catching and appreciating more of the humor). And yes, my opinion of the movie will improve – most likely, pushing it up to a solid 4 stars.”

 

Well, is that how it turned out upon this first re-watch? Alas, no. 

 

In fact, I liked the film less, and would now give it 3 stars out of 5. While it’s entertaining for many of the reasons that I mentioned in the first review, it actually falls far short of the previous four Indy movies.

 

Why? Director James Mangold, who also served as a co-writer with David Koepp, Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth, didn’t really know how to tell an exciting, fun Indiana Jones adventure. He captured some of that in the film’s opening scenes taking place on a train in World War II, but that was that. The rest of the film is spent with the audience largely watching an Indiana Jones beaten down and largely beaten by life. Who the heck thought this was a good idea? Well, obviously, Mangold did.

 

In the end, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny went against who the Indiana Jones character is. (This is similar to what happened with Woody in Toy Story 4 – what the heck, Disney?) 

 

In Dial, it was largely about what Indy has lost. And he is worn out by it all, and this Indiana Jones, lacking in heart and optimism, kind of hangs around throughout the entire movie. The film’s time-travel ending was too over-the-top for some reviewers. For me, it wasn’t the time travel, it was what Indiana Jones did – or didn’t do – while traveling in time. 

 

There is a very brief final moment in the movie when Indy’s hand reaches out and grabs his iconic hat. Is this supposed to tell us that the old Indy is back? If so, by that time, it was too late – especially since this most certainly was Harrison Ford’s last ride as Indiana Jones.

 

Indeed, we all would have been better off left with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and its near-perfect ending with Indy and Marion getting married, and Indy confidently taking that hat and putting it on his head.

 

Check out…

 

“My Indy Adventure, Part IV: New Reviews of Raiders, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” by Ray Keating

 

“Movie Review – My Indy Adventure, Part VI: Angst and Enjoyment  for ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’” by Ray Keating

 

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more.

 

Consider other books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 19 books in the series now.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon. 

 

• Order The Weekly Economist III: Another 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist.Signed books here and Kindle and paperback editions here.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed books here.  And Kindle and paperback editions here.

 

• The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are at www.raykeatingbooksandmore.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Movie Review – My Indy Adventure, Part VI: Angst and Enjoyment for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”

 by Ray Keating

Review (No Spoilers)

DisneyBizJournal.com

June 30, 2023

 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

3.5 to 4 stars (out of 5)

 

Okay, before I get to the actual review, a brief personal confession is in order. The period running up to and the actual arrival of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny gave me the most fan angst I’ve ever experienced for a movie. As far as characters and series in pop culture go, Indiana Jones tops the list, along with Captain Kirk and Captain America, in providing me with entertainment and enjoyment since my teens. Make no mistake, this discomfort, which lasted through the movie, surprised me. After all, it’s not like this was the release of one of my own books. But nonetheless, that was the case, and I’ll come back to this later. But on to the actual review…

“Playing it safe” can carry multiple meanings when it comes to making or reviewing movies. For the most part, the phrase tends to bug me. And given how often I’ve seen this used in reference to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (was there a memo I missed?), I now find this group of words extremely annoying. That’s especially the case given that they’re being tossed around to criticize this enjoyable and entertaining final entry in the Indiana Jones film series.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a darn good Indy movie. Is it as good as the previous four? (See my new reviews of those Indy movies at “My Indy Adventure, Part IV: New Reviews of Raiders, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”) No. And there are various reasons for this. First and foremost, director James Mangold, who did a fine job with Dial of Destiny, does not measure up to Steven Spielberg as a director. But who does, given that Spielberg ranks as one of the all-time greats? Second, while there are welcome bits of humor throughout this latest film, they don’t seem to be as frequent and memorable as was the case with the previous movies. (Again, there’s a reason why I use the word “seem” here.)

 

As for what you might have heard, the opening of the movie taking place in World War II with a de-aged Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones overall works well. In story terms, it’s a wonderful start to the movie (we get a flavor of what Indy was up to during the war), and the de-aged Harrison Ford ranges from looking absolutely amazing for much of the time to being a bit odd here and there.

 

Also, many reviewers have claimed that the third act of the film just goes too far and is goofy. Understanding what occurred in the previous Indy films in terms of the final conflicts, Dial of Destiny definitely is the greatest stretch, but it still basically works. After all, Indiana Jones isn’t just action/adventure, but also sci-fi/fantasy.

 

As for the ending, which also has been alluded to by reviewers, I’m not going to spoil anything, but for this story and for Indiana Jones being at this point in his life, Mangold deserves credit for sticking with an ideal ending. I don’t hesitate giving the film’s conclusion a big thumbs up.

 

Along the way, we get treated to some great Indy action and globetrotting. And Ford deserves enormous credit for stepping up once more as Indiana Jones at his, let us say, advanced age, and doing it with heart and skill. The story has a certain tone that’s different from the previous films, and Ford takes that a bit deeper.

Regarding other assorted characters, I’ll just touch on three. First, John Rhys-Davies is back as Sallah, and that’s a treat. We get a couple of solid Sallah moments. Second, Mads Mikkelsen excels as the evil Dr. Voller. That’s not surprising, and the writers and director clearly let him have fun with the role. Third, and most significant outside of Indy himself, is Helena, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who is Indiana Jones’ goddaughter and starts the movie as a gray character. Her links to Indiana Jones are strong and long, but the depth of her love of cash, and not much else, run deep as well. 

 

Dial of Destiny takes both Indiana Jones and Helena on interesting character arcs.

 

There’s more to say about characters and story, but not without giving away too much.

 

Whether out of ignorance or arrogance, or both, not “playing it safe” with beloved characters and/or franchises often has come to mean not being true to the character. It tends to indicate that audience expectations must be flouted in the worst possible ways in order to be creative. Think Rian Johnson and what he did to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. In the end, though, such notions amount to a different type of uncreative formula (again, see The Last Jedi). 

 

Thankfully, Mangold didn’t succumb to the wrongheaded impulse or urgings to undermine Indiana Jones. Instead, he stayed true to the essence of the character and the films that came before. Mangold, Ford and others involved in creating Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny deserve credit for resisting the siren call of many of today’s moviemakers and critics to undermine the audience. 

 

Instead, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny turned out to be an engaging, interesting, occasionally over-the-top (as is the case with all Indy movies), fun adventure romp, with some real heart, that wound up not just meeting but exceeding this angst-ridden Indy fan’s expectations. No, it’s not Raiders of the Lost Ark or Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but again, it’s a darn good Indiana Jones movie. 

 

So, why am I giving this movie the odd rating of 3.5 to 4 stars out of a possible 5? Well, coming out of the theater, I was at 3.5 stars. But I know that when I re-watch Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny free from worry and angst, I’ll enjoy it more in various ways (such as catching and appreciating more of the humor). And yes, my opinion of the movie will improve – most likely, pushing it up to a solid 4 stars.

 

Previously…

 

“My Indy Adventure, Part I: Visiting the Indiana Jones Den of Destiny” by Ray Keating

 

“My Indy Adventure, Part II: Indiana Jones and the Hawaiian Shirt” by Ray Keating

 

“My Indy Adventure, Part III: Indiana Jones and the Search for the Comfy T” by Ray Keating

 

“My Indy Adventure, Part IV: New Reviews of Raiders, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” by Ray Keating

 

“My Indy Adventure, Part V: Indiana Jones and the Search for Disney Movie Profits” by Ray Keating 

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, and the Alliance of Saint Michael novels; and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right? 

 

Consider books by Ray Keating…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. You can order the latest book in the series – Under the Golden Dome: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel. Get the signed books here, or paperbacks and Kindle editions right here.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Kindle editions and paperbacks via Amazon here and signed books here. And don’t forget the first book in this growing series, i.e., The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel. Signed paperbacks and/or paperbacks, hardcovers and the Kindle edition at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  –  signed books  or at  Amazon.

 

•  Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know is available at  Amazon  in paperback or for the Kindle edition, and signed books at  www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Spielberg Will Not Direct Indy 5, According to Variety

by Ray Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

February 26, 2020

Apparently, this is the week for mega-surprising announcements related to The Walt Disney Company. First, it was Bob Chapek replacing Bob Iger as CEO, and now Variety is reporting that Steven Spielberg has decided not to direct the next Indiana Jones movie.

Variety notes that director James Mangold, who was at the helm of Ford v. Ferrari, likely will replace Spielberg behind the camera with “Indiana Jones 5.” Though that has not been finalized.

Of course, this raises questions about possible further delays for this movie, which originally was slated for a release in July 2019. I have written at DisneyBizJournal before wondering why Disney seems to be lagging on the Indiana Jones front – see What’s Up with Script Delays and Indiana Jones? (July 23, 2018) and What the Heck is Disney Doing with Indiana Jones? (October 25, 2018).

Now, only one of the “Big 3” on Indiana Jones will be directly involved with “Indy 5.” While Spielberg reportedly plans to be a “hands-on” producer, George Lucas isn’t involved. That leaves only Harrison Ford returning in the role of Indiana Jones. 

Let’s hope Mangold can capture the Indiana Jones magic, while at the same time, avoiding further major delays.

Geez, Disney, anything else you want to tell us this week?

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.