Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set in 1969, portraying Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) as a disillusioned figure, partly due to his separation from Marion (Karen Allen) following a personal tragedy. His life takes a turn when he encounters his goddaughter, Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who seeks a powerful artifact previously sought by her father and Indy during World War II. Their pursuit is complicated by the nefarious Dr. Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), who also desires the artifact. This sets off a race against time, as the artifact’s immense power could have catastrophic consequences if it falls into the wrong hands. Indiana Jones embarks on an adventure that propels him to uncharted territories, even by his standards.
As noted in my review of the Ultra-HD edition of all four Indiana Jones films, the original film remains a personal favorite, ranking among Jaws, Superman: The Movie, and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
While Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade may not be flawless, they are well-crafted and entertaining. The third film, in particular, boasts a satisfying conclusion where ->Spoiler-alert!<- the protagonists ride off into the sunset.
That ending could have served as a definitive conclusion. However, Spielberg and his team decided to revisit the franchise with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which met with mixed reception. The opening scene, featuring a questionable CGI ground squirrel, signaled a departure from the quality of the previous films. Despite its shortcomings, the 2008 film had its moments and provided a reasonable ending, reuniting Indy with Marion.
Given Hollywood’s tendency to exhaust popular film series, the announcement of a fifth installment sparked hope that it could recapture the spirit of the original trilogy and surpass the fourth film.
Leaving the cinema after viewing Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the experience felt like an uneven rollercoaster ride. The film alternates between moments of brilliance and frustrating flaws, including poorly developed characters, logical inconsistencies, and unconvincing CGI sequences.
I will elaborate on these points while striving for brevity, as there’s considerable ground to cover. It’s worth noting that the film improved upon a second viewing. While the initial viewing left me genuinely frustrated, the second viewing merely left me annoyed – a definite improvement.
The film’s strengths lie in the opening 20-minute flashback sequence, which is exceptionally well-executed, even if the de-aging technology for Harrison Ford is more convincing in close-ups. Wider shots reveal inconsistencies in the facial rendering. This sequence effectively reminds viewers of the quintessential Indiana Jones, battling his nemesis, the Nazis. However, the film’s present-day setting, 1969, introduces the 79-year-old Harrison Ford portraying a 70-year-old Indiana Jones without de-aging, and the narrative begins to falter.
The introduction of his goddaughter, Helena, portrayed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, marks the beginning of a series of problematic scenes. Helena is a remarkably poorly written character. Notably, she attempts to murder Indy on three separate occasions. To avoid spoilers, readers who prefer to remain uninformed about plot details should skip the following paragraph.
->Spoiler-alert!<- For those who have chosen to continue, let’s proceed. Firstly, she imprisons Indy with a group of murderers, who the audience has witnessed killing two of Indy’s colleagues, and escapes across the rooftops with a smirk. It’s unclear how she could be certain that they wouldn’t immediately harm him. Secondly, during a police stop in Tangier, she instructs the police to shoot Indy, which could be interpreted as a joke, but given her prior actions, it seems intentional. Thirdly, she abandons a terrified Indy, entangled in his line and surrounded by eels during a dive for treasure. The motivation behind her animosity towards Indy remains unclear, as the film provides no sufficient background.
Further plot details will be omitted to avoid extensive spoilers, but further discussion of the character Helena is warranted. Towards the film’s conclusion, her character undergoes a complete reversal. She suddenly develops an affinity for Indy and dedicates herself to saving him, a transformation that lacks credibility given her prior attempts to drown him…
Then there’s the character Teddy, Helena’s equivalent of Short Round from Temple of Doom, and for those who found Short Round irritating, Teddy is significantly more so. Teddy is grating from the outset, and his act of committing what is essentially murder further diminishes the character’s appeal. Another spoiler warning precedes the following paragraph!
->Spoiler-alert!<- For those who wish to continue, let’s proceed. The film introduces a large henchman who appears from the start. Teddy and the henchman fall off a bridge and are handcuffed together. Teddy, a thief, unlocks the handcuff underwater and heads towards a gate with a gap large enough for him to pass through. He goes through and locks the henchman behind the grate, leaving him to drown. While heroes often kill villains, it is typically in self-defense. In this instance, Teddy actively chooses to murder someone who poses no immediate threat. Furthermore, the current might have prevented the villain from surfacing (though, in that case, Teddy would not have actively murdered him).
So, where were we? Briefly, I can also mention a couple of things that bothered me, and that is that there are gigantic logical gaps in the film that are then completely forgotten. Indy becomes wanted for murder at one point, but he can easily go and sit on an airplane. Already in 1969, the police had checked everyone who tried to travel out of the country. There is no stress either, but he travels long after the warrant has been broadcast on TV. That whole part of the film could easily have been removed because it does not affect the story at all.
Finally, we arrive at the film’s climax, which devolves into a CGI spectacle of questionable quality. The ending feels anticlimactic, and while there are redeeming aspects, Helena’s presence detracts from them. However, in the final three minutes, a sequence occurs that elevates the film and mitigates much of the earlier frustration. This beautiful scene effectively connects the film series with a genuine sense of closure. Without this scene, the film would have been a complete failure.
The UHD edition of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, however, is far from a disaster. The picture in 2160p with HEVC H.265 coding delivers reference-quality visuals. The HDR10 presentation showcases excellent contrast, and the flashback sequences exhibit stunning black levels and vibrant fire effects. The colors are rich and clear, leaving little room for complaint. The Dolby Atmos sound is equally impressive, providing impactful audio when required. However, the overall mix is somewhat quiet, necessitating a higher amplifier volume to achieve the desired level. Once adjusted, the sound quality is excellent, though excessive amplification may introduce noise. The sound on the extra material is notably louder, requiring a reduction in volume. The disc includes a nearly hour-long documentary that thoroughly explores all aspects of the film, and it is well-produced.
In summary, Indiana Jones Dial of Destiny exhibits both significant flaws and commendable qualities. As a result, the final grade avoids complete failure, and the quality of the UHD edition further elevates the overall score.
SF Studios provided review copies for this evaluation. The provision of materials does not influence our editorial independence, and our reviews are always conducted with the interests of our readers and consumers as the primary focus.
