Do we really need another Indiana Jones movie? No more than we need any other cinematic sequels, a cynic could argue. Spreading the five thus far produced over four-plus decades is magnitudes different than, say, giving moviegoers yet another installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe every six months or so. It is positively parsimonious.
In any event, we now have this fifth Indiana Jones movie titled, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Without giving too much away, the “dial” in question is the Antikythera mechanism, an actual archeological artifact discovered in 1901 on an Ancient Greek shipwreck at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. Or, more accurately, the movie depicts a fictionalized/cinematized version of this fascinating object. The actual device is an “orrery,” a mechanism for calculating astronomical phenomena. The movie version is, well (avoiding spoilers) . . . more complicated.
Every Indiana Jones movie has a variation of this basic plot: An archeological object that may have some supernatural powers is discovered or re-discovered, bad guys seek it out to use for nefarious purposes and then our titular hero enters, insisting that the proper place for such artifacts is “in a museum.”
Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones, Jr., a professor of archeology, is just the right man for the task, bullwhip in hand and fedora on head, layed, as always, by the ever reliable Harrison Ford. Complicating his intentions in this sequel is his goddaughter, Helena (played by the fantastic British actress/screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge, of “Fleabag” fame). For her, rare artifacts are to be sold on the black market to the highest bidder. Thus, the two main protagonists are set in opposition, but forced by circumstance to work together — to comedic effect.
Then there are the bad guys. Continuing the tradition of the first and third movies, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “The Last Crusade,” the main antagonist here is a Nazi. Nazis are easy to hate and their motives always sinister, so nuance and character complication need not be indulged. They are also, in movies at least, okay to dispense violence against, thereby not offending any moral scruples. This works fine for an action/adventure film.
Jürgen Voller, our main bad guy, is played by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who seems born to play bad guys (See: “Casino Royale”). Obligatory henchmen in tow, he travels from New York City to Tangier to Sicily to . . . another space-time dimension? Indy and Helena, along with a clever Moroccan street urchin, are either pursuing the baddies along this itinerary or being pursued. Thus ensues chase scene after chase scene, which tend to blur together but are well-executed and exciting.
It has been argued, in this contemporary era of ours, that valorizing a white American man plundering the cultural treasures of other nations is a tad problematic — anachronistic, unethical or neo-colonialist. Point taken. Expecting such a critique in what is basically a B-movie franchise is unrealistic, however. Besides a snide remark by Helena to her godfather that he is “an aging grave robber,” this film does not go there. A museum is certainly preferable to a Nazi’s lair as a home for invaluable artifacts, after all.
Filling out the more-than-capable cast is Antonio Banderas as a Spanish deep-sea diver; Toby Jones as Indy’s former colleague and Helena’s (now deceased) father; and Karen Allen, reprising her role (finally) from “Lost Ark” as Indy’s love interest/now nearly-divorced wife, Marion. The script has several writers, most notably among them Jez Butterworth, an award-winning British playwright and screenwriter.
There are also ancient cobwebbed tombs with hidden entrances and oodles of creepy crawlies. Additionally, whereas the first Indy movie included old-school practical visual effects, this one has the now requisite computer-generated imagery, advanced so far that it is nearly seamless.
“Dial of Destiny” is directed by James Mangold, who comes close to approximating the visual facility and comic staging of the series’ original director, Steven Spielberg (in a production collaboration with George Lucas). Mangold, whose previous works include “Cop Land,” “Logan” and “Girl, Interrupted,” adds another accomplished job to his portfolio with “Dialof Destiny.” While not as great as the first Indiana Jones movie, it is not mediocre like the last installment, “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is, in sum, more than serviceable for fans who have been around since the original’s release and who will appreciate the nostalgia trip, this reviewer included. For younger viewers or those unfamiliar with the preceding films, it should still be a pleasant enough cinematic experience, implicit neocolonialism notwithstanding. Bring popcorn.
