For old time's sake, Indy, but nothing else
It wouldn't be unconscionable to think that anyone interested in watching the fifth and final instalment of Indiana Jones would hold at least some level of nostalgia.
At this point, 42 years after the legendary Raiders of the Lost Ark, it’s a tired vehicle. Harrison Ford is a grand old 80. Three sequels – two of them classics in their own right – have been fitted in between. Surely, the Dial Of Destiny would crack – or at least creak – under the weight of the franchise’s stature.
Nostalgia, you see, is most of what director James Mangold brings to this coda. It’s what constantly creeps up on audiences several times during the film’s 150-minute runtime. And it’s all that Indy himself seems to evoke as he sets off – albeit reluctantly – on one final archaeologically-driven adventure. I mean, he almost leaves behind his iconic hat and whip at one point.
No surprise that the film begins in formulaic Indiana Jones fashion – in the late 1940s, at the close of World War II, with Nazis scurrying everywhere.
A de-aged Harrison Ford (the CGI isn’t perfect) is aided by fellow academic Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) as they attempt to retrieve the Lance of Longinus, the blade that pierced Christ. But another, more intriguing artefact catches their eye: the time-altering Antikythera, which, of course, the Nazis, led by scientist Jürger Voller (played by Mads Mikkelsen in Wernher von Braun fashion), are interested in for its godlike powers. Sound familiar?
Fast forward to 1969 and Indiana Jones is ready to call it quits. He’s tired, lives alone, can’t get over his failed relationship with Marion (Karen Allen from Raiders), and, where his students once fawned over him in class, they now struggle to keep awake.
Things change after a surprise visit from his estranged goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who is seeking the Antikythera with mercenary intentions, and is closely followed by Voller.
Mikkelsen, disappointingly, isn’t the most riveting villain across the Indy franchise, but his arrogance and racist undertones aren’t lost – “You didn’t win the war,” he snarls. “Hitler lost.”
A proper Indiana Jones movie has all the beats, and Mangold ensures that this lengthy instalment never stays in one spot for too long. Almost on cue, there’s a car chase or a shoot-out every 25 minutes.
As Indy teams up with Helena to outwit Voller, there’s also the homage to the Indy films of yesterday – a host of creepy-crawlies clattering down the walls of a cave, and a tense underwater sequence – relax Indy, it’s not snakes this time. Just eels.
Indy’s malaise and permeating sadness do give the film some originality. And Helena is a fiesty ingredient, especially when paired with her own sidekick (newcomer Ethann Isidore), who for all intents and purposes is her own Short Round.
What does give the film’s predecessors a good run for its archaeological treasure is the audacious ending. Mangold and the film’s writers stick to their landing here, and for a while, you’ll feel the past two hours were almost worth it.
But while everything is very well put together, ultimately, the film is just a painful reminder of how good we used to have it. Nostalgia can’t help but dampen the fun.
“Yesterday belongs to us,” Voller says at one point. This rings especially true for Indiana Jones and the last 42 years. Which is why the Dial Of Destiny today feels a little unnecessary.
SCORE: 3/5
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny opens in theatres June 29.
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