“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is the newest movie in the “Indiana Jones” series. After “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” which was released in 2008, it seemed like they were done expanding on the story of Indiana Jones. Despite the 15 years of silence, they chose to release a continuation. The plot follows Indiana Jones in his struggle to stop a German scientist from gaining the ability to control time through an ancient artifact. The plot was mostly entertaining, although it felt like they added a lot of filler to make the movie longer. Walt Disney Studios could have cut at least a half hour and told the same story while making it much more interesting for the viewers.
Despite this, the plot was mostly enjoyable. The flashbacks to a younger version of Indiana Jones were really cool; it breathed new life into the beloved character. That was the best part of the movie, although nostalgia may be responsible for that. This is where the movie went wrong. Instead of keeping him as the main character, they introduced another main character who is portrayed as a young female researcher who is eager to continue her father’s work. Unfortunately, they just weren’t the same as the Indiana Jones that we have come to expect from a movie in the ”Indiana Jones” franchise.
From a cinematic standpoint, the movie was very well done, and it looked great. The special effects and overall quality left nothing to be desired. However, in a world of rapidly evolving technology, this is to be expected with the budget they had. The attention to detail was also excellent. They managed to include old characters in exactly the way that would be expected many years after their original appearances. Another part that was well done, was the antagonist, who is portrayed as a Nazi scientist. He is everything that viewers want out of a villain in an action movie and is original to the bad guys who we see in the other four movies.
Overall, the movie is good enough to justify its place as the fifth movie in such an iconic series. However, introducing a new and very different character deducted from the story. Unfortunately, this was one of their only options, being that Harrison Ford is aging and simply cannot portray Indiana Jones in the same way he used to. This movie is great for fans of Indiana Jones; if not for the story, then for its nostalgic value.
