I am really struggling with this movie. I always like to read reviews and listen to podcasts about movies and shows that I’m interested in and try to not let my opinion be influenced by their opinions but, sometimes, they can provide insights that make me think about certain aspects in new ways. However, I feel like most of the time I am less critical of movies and shows than the other media about them that I consume. I think I just genuinely want to like things and want to be optimistic and try to find and appreciate the good parts. This movie is the rare opposite case. From all the reviews and podcasts and everything I’ve seen and read and listened to about this film, my opinion might be the most negative of them all. 

I’m struggling because I really did want to like it. I love Indiana Jones. And hearing about how much people whose opinions I normally wholeheartedly trust did like it has made me struggle even more with what I could be missing. But, honestly, the longer I’ve had to sit with the film, the less I think I like it.

Dial of Destiny was always facing an uphill battle, being the fifth movie in a series that is held in such high regard. Raiders of the Lost Ark is probably in my top 10 favorite movies of all time and Last Crusade is equally as good. I know it isn’t fair to compare Dial of Destiny to these classics, but I found it impossible to not. Actually, the fact that this is an Indiana Jones movie was one of the only redeeming qualities for me. If it was just another action movie, unattached to all the legacy, it would have seemed even more generic and I don’t think I would have cared about it at all. I liked all the nods, both subtle and overt, to the previous films (the theme music will always make me smile) and I went into this already caring about the main characters. But the weight of the legacy still does drag this film down. 

Maybe my opinions about this movie come out of my opinions about the current state of entertainment in general. I typically do bump up against sequels, prequels, reboots, etc. and that feels like 90% of the stories we’re seeing these days. Some people are of the opinion that if they love something (like a character, a story, a world), they will always be happy to see more of it. But I disagree. I think it does devalue a story to continue to squeeze every last drop out of it to make more. If you know me, you know Friends is my favorite show of all time. People always talk about potential reboots and reunions but I don’t want it. I might be the #1 Friends fan and I don’t want it. I think it’s perfect as is and I don’t need to see these characters in their present day lives. The show came from a specific time and place that made it what it was and it just can’t be the same in today’s world. Bottom line: more isn’t necessarily better. We just don’t need it.

That being said, if there were never sequels, prequels, etc., we wouldn’t have The Godfather Part II, Top Gun: Maverick, or even Last Crusade. I guess it’s just something that’s worth the risk, but the success rate is small. It really has to be done right and for the right reasons with the right intentions. Like if it comes from a creative place instead of a purely financial or commercial one.

Back to this specific sequel, though. I don’t think this was a bad movie. There were moments that were fun and entertaining, but it just overall lacked the spark I usually get from a good Indiana Jones movie. I wasn’t completely captivated by the story, but I can always be entertained by action and adventure. Harrison Ford was surprisingly great. I know him as a grouchy action star, but there were some more emotional moments in the film that he just nailed and I truly didn’t know he could portray that softer side so well. Also, I know a lot has been made about the “de-aging” technology used on Harrison Ford for some flashback scenes. I didn’t think they looked bad at all and probably wouldn’t have thought twice about it if I wasn’t looking for it. It was just slightly jarring to see young Harrison Ford in a 2023 movie. (This is also probably a good place to mention how impressive it is for Harrison Ford to be doing everything he’s doing at age 81.) Phoebe Waller Bridge as the sidekick of the film was good too and brought a fun, quippy energy while Mads Mikkelsen made the most of a fairly generic villain.

Like many of the previous films, this adventure focuses on finding a specific historical item. All of the past films have incorporated mystical and magical elements while remaining firmly rooted in reality and, without spoiling anything, Dial of Destiny is no different. However, the use of these elements seemed to bother me more here than they ever have in past installments (aliens in Crystal Skull excluded). It seems dumb to call this one “unrealistic” and not use that term to describe people’s faces melting off or conversing with a centuries-old knight, but it just didn’t work as seamlessly for me here. Also, the object in general is not as straightforward as the Ten Commandments or the Holy Grail. It’s definitely cool, but takes some history lessons and explaining to understand rather than the previously mentioned objects that are so ingrained in our minds and culture they take no explanation at all. Maybe it was the amount of time spent in the mystical and magical that took me out of it rather than a brief scene or mention. Overall, the movie could have used some cuts and definitely did not need a 2 hour plus runtime. 

Basically, you could take or leave this one. It doesn’t take anything away from the classic movies, but it definitely doesn’t add anything either. It was a fairly fun action adventure with some nice Indiana Jones nods, but you’re also not missing anything if you don’t see it. Or maybe I’m the one missing something here because most Indiana Jones fans seemed to like it. My honest advice in this case is don’t take my word for it. If you have any interest in seeing this film, it’s worth a shot. You might be one of the many people who enjoys it more than I did.

2023 Count: 12 seasons, 33 movies, 1 special