No press campaign has been quite so determined to ensure we know, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is the end. As such, The Dial of Destiny has an almost impossible yoke around its neck. How can this bombastic blockbuster shed the weight of expectation?
And how can viewers enjoy it whilst worrying that their childhood hero is about to be put through the wringer? And perhaps – god forbid – get killed in the process?
The film kicks off with a daring adventure told via flashback and (at times unconvincing) deep fakery. Taking place during the final hours of World War II, we watch a decidedly younger Indy steal the titular Dial of Destiny from the villain of the piece, Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen). The Dial is a contraption that Archimedes invented long, long ago.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
We then zip forward to the film’s present-day: 1969, New York. And this is where the story begins in earnest. Even though The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull saw Indy tying the knot with the love of his life, Marian Ravenwood, and reuniting with his estranged son Mutt, here, he’s alone. Consigned to a deanship (Deanhood? Deanery? Either way, he’s the dean) at a prestigious New York university, he’s a little jaded. A little unsure of who he is, and what his life means.
This is high-stakes, even risky territory. The handling of beloved legacy characters in their twilight years has been fumbled pretty wildly of late. James Bond, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker… the list goes on. Director James Mangold’s treatment of Wolverine in Logan, whilst artful, was almost unbearably grim. And here we are again, with our beloved Indiana Jones living alone, slogging away, ruminating. Yelling at his neighbours to keep the music down.
When his goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge in an almost effortlessly charming turn) shows up looking for the Dial, Indy has to dust himself off after a decade on the shelf (or packed away in a mysterious wooden crate, if you want to stay on theme) and saddle up for one final adventure.
I’ll say this much: once Indy explains why he’s been so isolated, the heft and intelligence of the script gently begin to reveal itself. I wasn’t in the mood for a grimdark, edgy delve into how age ruins our heroes, how old people let us down, or how life is, in the end, a hopeless endeavour. And thankfully, once our characters find the time to stop and talk through their issues, the story unfolds in a way that is both edifying and, frankly, kind of romantic. It’s a film about aging, sure, but it’s also a film about undoing your mistakes, alleviating yourself of blame, and not – both ironically and literally – living in the past.
The film has it all. Globe-trotting? Check. Action? Check. Adventure? Check. A fantastic new score from John Williams himself? Check. Sure, The Dial of Destiny may not always capture the fun and freneticism of the originals, but that’s because Indy has sort of forgotten how to be Indy. Once he warms back up, so does the tone of the film. It’s not that the world has moved on without him and gotten worse in the process, it’s that Indy hung up his hat for a bit. He’s just out of practice. But once Ford’s iconic hero gets going again, it’s a true joy to see both the actor and the character begrudgingly realise how much they missed the ride.
Indy is still a hero. This isn’t – and I cannot stress this enough – a gritty, nihilistic reaction to the tonal abandon of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Go back and watch The Last Crusade. Look at Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery). Go back and watch Indy’s reaction in Raiders after he thinks he’s lost Marian. These have always been fun stories with heroes who are, at least partially, grounded in reality, no matter how wildly off the map their adventures may be. With that in mind, The Dial of Destiny is a damn fine finish to the Indiana Jones saga.
Paul Verhoeven attended a screening of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny as a guest.
