Originally Posted by J Harker  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. James Mangold. 2023.
So then...how do I do this...
It's been 12 years since Indy's last adventure. He's now old and alone and miserable, an ageing professor on the verge of retirement in a world that has moved on and no longer cares. Man has just landed on the moon, Hitler is a fading memory for many and dusty old museums hold little interest for the world. Into his life wanders Helena Shaw, affectionately known to Jones as Wombat. Daughter of old colleague Basil Shaw, a deceased friend who was driven mad trying to solve the mystery of Archimedes Dial, also known as the Antikythera. An ancient mechanical device millenia ahead of its time.
It doesn't take long for bad guys also on the trail of the ancient divice and its mysteries to catch up to Indy and Helena and so the globe trotting adventure begins.
Now, like most fans I'm sure, I approached this film with trepidation. I was given hope the other day when I read on here that it was better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I adore Crystal Skull, I actually consider it superior to Indy's second outing The Temple of Doom. However I have to sadly disagree when it comes to Dial of Destiny, it simply isn't in the same league as Crystal Skull or any of Spielbergs classics.
It's a frustrating film as there is a lot done right. I actually came from the cinema having enjoyed it, and yet I find myself thinking of what was wrong instead of what was right.
Firstly, Indiana Jones is old. Proper old, he is portrayed as an elderly version of the character with no pretence otherwise. I admire this brave decision a lot. Granted I hope to goodness I'm that fit when I'm 80 odd. Despite inevitable criticism the de-aging effects are very well done, sadly the rest of the copious CGI isn't so great and it shamefully descends into video game effects at a few points.
Helena played by Phoebe Waller Bridge is frankly an annoyance. An unsympathetic cold cynical character with no real charm at all. The plot, I won't go into deeply but it just goes too far for my liking. Spielberg films always kept it on the grounded side of fantasy, just just out there in the realm of 'what if?' Dial of Destiny leaves no mystery, its just too in your face, too brazen, too...well too heartless. It breaks my heart but while not an awful film, it's a big shameless cash cow that Disney have made just because they can. It's as fake as some of its ropey effects. Mads Mikelson should have made a perfect villain, but he's just not used. He has a henchman, a huge lumping 7 foot beast of a man, now I know we can't have a proper punch up Raiders style with Ford playing his age, so at least we could come up with a brains over brawn way of dealing with this baddy....yeah? Surely?
I came out of the cinema thinking I'd enjoyed it to a reasonable degree. Yet i can't find much but fault at this stage.
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