IN THE DARK REVIEWS

After some of the dire (albeit nonspoilery) reviews I'd read going into "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," I was expecting a much worse movie than James Mangold - the first non-Steven Spielberg director of this film franchise -delivered.

As it stands, "The Dial of Destiny" is a solidly OK entry in the series, certainly much better than 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," that nonetheless suffers for failing to measure up to the first three installments.

"The Dial of Destiny" borrows liberally from its better predecessors. Helena Shaw, Indy's mercenary goddaughter (played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge), is a clever, roguish spitfire whose father is a troubled academic colleague of Indy's, making her much like Karen Allen's Marion Ravenwood in 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark." And Helena's back-sassing yet doggedly loyal young pickpocket sidekick, Teddy Kumar (played by Ethann Isidore), is essentially Ke Huy Quan's Short Round from 1984's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom."

Not only the Nazis as default villains, but also the improbably precise and advanced ancient puzzles and traps, reflect both "Raiders" and 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," while a random cave of gratuitous creepy-crawlies briefly recalls "The Temple of Doom."

What works surprisingly well is an extended opening flashback sequence set during World War II, with Harrison Ford's appearance youthened by CGI better than I've seen it done previously.

Perhaps the consistently best trait of "The Dial of Destiny" is how much it empathizes with archaeology as a calling. The World War II opening teases another legendary treasure, but rather than ascribing supernatural powers to it, Indy and his partner are risking their lives to rescue that relic purely for its historic value. Likewise, setting (most of) the rest of the story in 1969 makes for a moving contrast, between Indy as a largely forgotten archaeologist adventurer, versus the Apollo 11 astronauts being celebrated with parades, at the apex of the Space Age.

Even the conclusion of "The Dial of Destiny" - which strains credulity, even within a saga that routinely features spirits of vengeance, mystical stones, immortal knights, and yes, even "Ancient Astronauts" - is entirely consistent with Indy's character, as a man who holds history itself to be more sacred than any religious faith or paranormal phenomenon.

I love that the fictional "Dial of Destiny," supposedly invented by the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes in the film, is based on the real-life Antikythera mechanism, an artifact so advanced that it's been described as humanity's oldest analog computer. And I appreciate the degree of thought that went into not only the clues leading to the hidden half of Archimedes' dial, but also how revealing the dial's final resting place relied upon water displacement (look up the source of Archimedes' signature revelatory exclamation, "Eureka!").

Mads Mikkelsen's Nazi villain is clearly based on former Nazi scientist Wernher von Braun, but his performance reminded me of Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull in 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger," in that there's no fault to find with either actor's performance, and yet, they both still felt somehow merely perfunctory in their roles.

I kind of liked how much I didn't like Waller-Bridge's Helena, if that makes any sense. Her character is pretty, witty, able to charm others, and herself charmed with just enough luck that she hasn't been forced to take the high stakes of any of her adventures seriously yet, which has made her thoughtlessly callous toward the well-being of others. In a way, she's almost as if a fan of the Indiana Jones saga found themselves living out those stories, because while she pats herself on the back for figuring out millennia-old riddles, and turning the tables on the bad guys, Indy has to remind her that innocent people have just died.

Of the remaining supporting players, Toby Jones was serviceably bookish and obsessive by turns, the unexpected Antonio Banderas has aged charmingly, and although he contributed next to nothing to the plot, I adored seeing John Rhys-Davies' Sallah again.

Of course, none of this would hang together without the man under the hat himself, and whatever else one might say about Harrison Ford's ostensibly final performance as Indiana Jones, he's definitely not phoning it in here. Indeed, if anything, Ford's portrayal of Indy's quiet despair, over a succession of personal losses, is almost too authentic. Audiences were able to roll with the punches that Indy took in previous films because we knew he'd recover quickly, but there are moments in "The Dial of Destiny" in which Indy seems so sad and hurt that I found myself wishing the story itself could pause, just long enough for someone to give him a hug.

In the end, I was content to bid one of my fictional heroes a fond farewell through this film, but if Disney intends to continue this franchise (and The Mouse paid enough money to purchase the rights from George Lucas that it can't afford to let this IP lie fallow), then somebody needs to contact Ke Huy Quan about reprising his role as an adult Short Round, especially after he won all the awards for 2022's "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

Since the City of Shelton is being gracious enough to run its Movies in the Park series this summer, showing free-admission family-friendly films every Friday from July 14 through Aug. 18, with approximate start times of 8:30-8:45 p.m. in Kneeland Park, my next six weeks of reviews will roughly reflect the city's screening schedule, which is as follows:

• July 14: "Jumanji" from 1995, starring Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst.

• July 21: "Holes" from 2003, starring Shia LaBeouf and Sigourney Weaver.

• July 28: "Shrek" from 2001, starring Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy.

• Aug. 4: "The Mighty Ducks" from 1992, starring Emilio Estevez and Joss Ackland.

• Aug. 11: "Space Jam" from 1996, starring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny.

• Aug. 18: "Back to the Future" from 1985, starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd.

Each Thursday, readers will receive a review of that Friday's free Movie in the Park, along with a review of another film or TV show for those who might prefer alternate fare.

Except for the Aug. 17 issue, because "Back to the Future" is getting its own full-column review.

Author Bio

Kirk Boxleitner, Reporter

Shelton-Mason County Journal & Belfair Herald
[email protected]