Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny movie review: Harrison Ford shines in the fifth & his final film of the franchise

Cast: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies 

Director: James Mangold

Language: English

This is the last time we’ll see Harrison Ford as the almighty archeologist Henry Jones aka Indiana Jones, if we buy into the interview he gave few months back. This is the fifth installment of the Indiana Jones series and the stakes, as always, are alarmingly high, with time travel thrown into the narrative this time around. The year is 1944 and the backdrop is World War II. We have the Nazis and NASA, and also brushes of nostalgia. Only hardcore fans will sense what it feels like to see a character you’ve grown up watching in his swan song, at least in a franchise.

The initial moments of Jones are treated with comical touches, but the man remains expressionless and yet expressing a lot. Look at his encounter with a kid in a metro. ‘I’m retiring,’ he says in one scene and of course, it’s hard to accept the truth. Unlike James Bond, which keeps changing the actors he’s played by, Ford has remained intact for years and franchises. What makes Indiana Jones and the Dial of the Destiny compelling is the makers’ relentlessness in wooing fans and critics with their audacity. There’s a bit in the film where we see a much younger Jones, and the de-aging never looks garish. It’s not just about technology but how to judiciously exploit it with care and precision.

What also stand out are some action sequences, particularly on the busy streets of the city that see Jones on a hose and running for his life. And then the action unfolds inside a subway followed by a chase on the railway track. Surprise surprise, the man is being chased by the train itself! There are moments of humor and sharp writing too, with dialogues about Hitler and capitalism. For this, credit must be given to the four writers- Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp, and James Mangold.

The trailer of the film says a legend will face its destiny. It holds true both for Jones and Ford, maybe he was destined to hang his boots with Dial of the Destiny. What would the franchise look like without his presence? Only destiny will tell, no puns here.

Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)

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