Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

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I have to be honest and admit that I wasn’t looking forward to another Indiana Jones film, as Harrison Ford isn’t getting any younger, and it feels like we’re in an age where movies are all about remakes, reboots, and digging up old franchises to make money off nostalgia. As much as I love the character, maybe it was time to hang up the fedora and ride off into the sunset…for real this time.

But after seeing Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, I can say I had a good time watching Mr. Ford don the whip and fedora again, as he’s still got the touch for being one of the best action stars ever, and serves up one last ride filled with action and adventure that fans will enjoy.

via YouTube

The adventure kicks off during World War II with Indiana Jones (with Harrison Ford being de-aged flawlessly that comes off looking like magic rather than special effects) sneaking on board a Nazi-filled train in search of an ancient artifact they’ve stolen called the Antikythera, which was created by the famed Greek mathematician Archimedes and has the power to detect fissures in the time stream that could allow for time travel.

After he and his companion Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) manage to escape the Nazis with the artifact and their head researcher on it named Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), we fast forward to 1969 where Indy is now an old man living alone in a crummy apartment, going through a divorce from his wife Marion, and drinking himself to death after the death of his son Mutt in the Vietnam war.

He still teaches archeology at a college nearby, but the students don’t care and the other teachers want him to retire. Just when Indy thinks the day is going to be the same as any other, Basil’s daughter and Indy’s goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) appears and asks about what happened with the Antikythera.

We learn Indy hid it away instead of destroying it like Basil wanted him to decades ago, as Basil became obsessed with learning the artifact’s secrets and it drove him insane. Indy and Helena go through their collected notes and learn the device is actually broken up into a few pieces scattered across the world. They eventually agree to piece it back together, though Indy wants it to go in a museum (of course) while Helena wants to sell it and make as much money as she can, leading to the two bickering constantly.

Of course, finding the other pieces won’t be easy, especially with gangsters coming after Helena that she owes money to, and the surprise return of Voller whom Indy thought had died during the WWII train adventure. It’s up to Indy, Helena, her sidekick Teddy (Ethann Isidore), and some of Indy’s old pals to stop Voller from going back in time and stopping the Nazis from losing the war.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had watching this adventure play out, as director James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma, Logan) steps in seamlessly for Steven Spielberg and really nails what made the classic Indy adventures great, which is plenty of action and adventure along with some well placed humor mixed in. The cast is great and everyone seems to have fun with their roles, namely Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge having fun banter with each other.

I was also amazed at how Harrison Ford, now 80 years-old, still manages to do much of his own stunts despite his age, proving he’s still one of the best action stars of all-time. It should also go without saying that having John Williams return to score the film seals the deal, as there’s no Indiana Jones excitement without that magical fanfare. If this truly is his final film, at least he’s going out with a bang.

I’m so glad to say that, despite the odds and the numerous negative reviews out there, I had a fun time with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny as James Mangold nails what made the previous film entries great. Harrison Ford is as spry as ever, the action is both exciting and blockbuster worthy, and John Williams iconic and legendary music all come together for one last adventure. How this one stacks up to the previous films is subjective, but I’m sure fans will have a great time whipping their way to the movies.