Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

It's not the years, it's the mileage

The first and third Indy films, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), are two perfect films on my short list of favorite films of all time. Let's start there.

Temple of Doom, the second film, is only memorable as the film that forced PG-13 into the rating system, introduced Speilberg to his wife and us to Ke Hu Quan as Short Round. The fourth and previous film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), was not only the most disappointing sequel of all time, but it is also the worst Shia LeBeof film of all time. A grand title indeed.

Luckily, the fifth and final Harrison Ford film is a return to form.

It's a distant third, but a lively fun time at the movies with realistic action, bites of comedy, globe-trotting chases and an appropriately aged main character. A visually-weathered Ford matches the cynical, rugged, grumpy, wise-cracking character we love and he never seems out of place in any of the action that ensues. And it works well in a couple of soft moments that push extra, needed emotion into the series.

Whip-smart Phoebe Walker Bridge (Fleabag) and menacing Mads Milkensen (Another Round, Hannibal) expertly sink into the series as naturally as one could ever hope. I mean, Mads was always going to be a Bond villain or an Indiana Jones Nazi, so this is a treat realized. However, fully realized chemistry is displayed most in scenes between Indy and John Rhys-Davies, returning as Sallah.

The plot is centered around a real-life relic, the Antikythera, which promises legendary powers over time. While the "Dial of Destiny" is certainly an allegory here to the aging Ford and series, it is a useful device to propel a globe-trotting race to the finish.

Unfortunately, the finish includes an eye-roller climax common to every failed superhero film this decade. Hollywood, if your film doesn't have a Terminator, Doc Brown or Bill Nighy, leave time travel out of your plotline, please. 

The opening sequence, featuring a digitally de-aged Ford, is stellar as craftwork but is still not at a level that passes for authenticity. What a great idea to give us one last ride with a young Indiana Jones in action, but it didn't work. I was thrilled when we moved on to the real thing.

In a nutshell: Harrison Ford hangs up his hat with a respectable thrill ride worth a one-time watch. See it in the theater and enjoy these characters along with John Williams’ fanfare at theater-quality volume.

Where to find it: In theaters beginning June 30.

Award potential. Not that kind of film. Sentimental possibility for score.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.