‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’: Harrison Ford movie gets mixed reviews ahead of release
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 2023 is a big year for movies, with titles like ‘Barbie', ‘Oppenheimer', and ‘Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1'. While all these movies have been heavily anticipated by moviegoers, there’s been another one in the running, and it’s none other than ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny'. Harrison Ford is heading back to the big screen as Indiana Jones one last time, along with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who is playing the role of his goddaughter.
The official release of ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ is June 30, 2023, but the early reviews are in, and they might be just as interesting as the movie itself. There has been a lot of pressure on ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ to fair well at the box office with it being the franchise’s last movie. Here’s a little glimpse of what you can expect from ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ before you head to the theaters.
'Bizarre and way too safe'
USA Today writes about ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ keeping in mind Helena Shaw, played by Waller-Bridge. “Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s new Helena Shaw brings refreshing vigor and roguish attitude to a throwback story that feels both wildly bizarre and way too safe.” Of course, a review about ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ cannot be complete without mentioning the man himself, Ford, “At 80, Ford remains a top-notch action hero and gives the aging adventurer more gravitas this go-round as Indy's hit a low point in his life. The actor even gets de-aged for the 1944 opening using special effects: It's effective most of the time, less so in the busier action bits.” Overall, “it’s an anticlimactic affair that, while not a memorably rousing last crusade, at least bids Indy adieu in an emotionally satisfying fashion.”
In their review, Vital Thrills makes it very clear at the very beginning, “People sitting down and expecting Dial of Destiny to be able to reach the heights of those first three movies are doing themselves and Dial of Destiny a disservice. Best to know going in that this can’t do that.” The review also talks about the movie’s association with nostalgia, “It’s a movie based on nostalgia that is trying to show audiences that nostalgia can be a bad thing, an emotion that traps people in the past and stymies growth.” Nevertheless, Ford gets the praise he deserves as they write, “Dial of Destiny may not be the Indiana Jones movie people wanted, but make no mistake – Harrison Ford showed up to work. This is one of his most poignant, most emotional performances as Indiana Jones.”
The Globe and Mail don’t hold back with their review as they write, “The fifth, and rather improbable, Indiana Jones adventure exists for two reasons. The first, naturally: to make gobs of money, with producers betting that Spielbergian-sparked nostalgia can trump any traumatic memories of crystal skulls, nuclear refrigerators, or Shia LaBeouf. The second: to, whenever the time may come, make you feel like the weakest and most pathetic 80-year-old to ever walk the planet.” They aren’t too thrilled about Waller-Bridge’s casting either, “She quietly deflates any rat-a-tat banter that the film’s many screenwriters think that they’re injecting into the proceedings, and instantly imbalances any chemistry Helena is supposed to have with Indy.”
Cinema Blend is quick to praise Ford in their review, “Let’s be honest here: one wouldn’t think you’d want to see this character as a senior citizen, but Harrison Ford absolutely takes over the task with pride, humanity, and his usual whip-smart charisma.” Finally, as the other reviews suggest, it might not be the best movie of the franchise, but it works. They write, “All and all, Dial of Destiny feels most like an ode to the franchise and sweet fanfare for the eponymous character after the upheaval reaction of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. No, it’s still not as great as the chapters in Steven Spielberg’s trilogy, and it’s less of a necessary conclusion or big swing for the franchise as it is a welcome additional chapter.”
Inverse has made it a point to praise James Marigol, who has taken over the franchise from Steven Spielberg as they write, “James Mangold (Logan, Ford v Ferrari) takes over as director from Spielberg, whose indelible style left such a stamp on the franchise that his absence looms large even in Dial of Destiny’s most riveting moments. But though Mangold is no Spielberg, there’s no question that he gets Indiana Jones. Dial of Destiny is a rollicking adventure that brings an earnest goofiness to the franchise, with a third-act twist so off-the-rails you have to applaud it for its ballsiness.” In their conclusion, they say, “Dial of Destiny doesn’t reach the highest heights of the Indiana Jones franchise, but in its wilder, weirder, goofier moments, it comes pretty darn close.”
It's fair to say that Ford comes out as the best part of ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ while everything else has received mixed reviews. Only time will tell how the last movie of this brilliant franchise will fair at the box office.
You can watch ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ on June 30, 2023, in theaters near you.