Earlier this month my husband and I got to see a press screening of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth film and some say, the last film in the Indiana Jones franchise. This highly anticipated film premieres in the United States this Friday, June 30, 2023. Is it going to be a summer blockbuster? There’s a very good chance it will, because Indiana Jones and the actor who brought him to life, Harrison Ford, have been collecting fans since the first Indiana Jones film, Raiders of The Lost Ark was released in June of 1981.
Go on an epic Summer Adventure with Indiana Jones!
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| Courtesy: Lucas Film Ltd. |
I received complimentary tickets to the press screening of this film as a member of The Music City Film Critics Association. All opinions are my own. I received Lucas Film Ltd. press materials included in today's post. Thank you.
About Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny:
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| Courtesy: Lucas Film Ltd. |
Lucas Film Ltd./Directed by: James Mangold/Run Time:2 hrs. 22 mins./Genre: Adventure/Action /Rating: PG-13
Harrison Ford returns to the role of the legendary hero archaeologist for this highly anticipated final installment of the iconic franchise-- a big, globe-trotting, rip-roaring cinematic adventure, where Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history. Set in 1969, during the time of the space race, we thrust into the past.
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| Courtesy: Lucas Film Ltd. |
Starring along with Harrison Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Jones’ GodDaughter, Helena Shaw, who is in it for the money, but in the end, finds her heart, while the fight against time, and Mads Mikkelsen as Doctor Jurgen Valler, who works for NASA, but is a former Nazi spy.
Some other notable cast members are Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”), Olivier Richters, and Ethann Isidore.
Directed by James Mangold (“Ford v Ferrari,” “Logan”) and written by Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and David Koepp and James Mangold, based on characters created by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, the film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, has once again composed the score according to press information given to me.
My Thoughts:
I am not a huge Indiana Jones fan, having watched a few scenes of the four previous films in this franchise and found them to be action-packed, mildly campy, and full of far-fetched plot lines. I expected much the same with Dial of Destiny, and true to the Indiana Jones film formulation, it didn’t disappoint me.
Right off the bat, I didn’t believe this old man (Jones) was going to go on any high-speed chases and shenanigans like back in his glory days, since the actor and the man he’s portraying are in their 70s. But, I’ll give credit where credit is due, chases and shenanigans abound in this film. Did it help that Jones is teamed up with his young, twenty-something goddaughter, Helena played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Teddy, her even younger teenage sidekick played by Ethann Isiadore? Absolutely!
In fact, I much preferred watching the scenes where Teddy and Helena were interacting, because those two had a great rapport. I found the exchanges between Indiana and Helena to be rather stilted and tired in all but a few scenes.
The action was solid, the pace good, with enough humanness and a back story to keep me interested in the film. And the subplot of time travel vs. science vs. the truly brilliant acting of former Nazi madman, Valler was enough to pull this film through and land it solidly in a summer must-see for me. That’s saying a lot since I’m no Indiana Jones super fan, and neither is my husband, who also gives this film fairly high praise.
The Takeaway:
This may very well be the last of the Indiana Jones films, at least ones starring Harison Ford, so if you like adventure and action, I think you’ll enjoy this film. The two hours + go by quickly, with just a few lulls in the action. Due to some graphic scenes, I would suggest you follow the PG-13 rating guidelines.
Please share in comments: Are you an Indiana Jones Fan? Will you go see this film in theaters?
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