"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" is like getting back on a reliable ride one last time

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

No matter where you stand on 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (it’s good fun, and that’s final), “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” reminds us again how much we missed seeing the bullwhip-snapping, snake-fearing archeologist in another adventure. It will never not be great to see Harrison Ford donning the fedora, but if this is indeed Indy’s last outing, director James Mangold does give the character the solidly rousing and ultimately lovely coda he deserves. 

Being the first “Indiana Jones” film without Steven Spielberg attached, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” nonetheless finds that Lucas/Spielbergian touch with a firm sense of fun. It starts with the 1945-set prologue, where Indy (a de-aged Ford) and his friend Professor Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) run afoul of punchable Nazis in stealing back Archimedes’ dial. Even with advancements in visual effects, nothing can actually replicate “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” but the de-aging effects make for some movie magic. There are spots where the trick does fall into the “uncanny valley,” almost looking too animated, but for the most part, it’s pretty seamless. The entire sequence, taking place inside and then on top of a moving train, plays out thrillingly like a standalone adventure and, of course, connects to the plot proper.

It is hard to believe that in the span of 42 years—from 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark” to now—these films have only reached the year 1969 in terms of their time period, but the year Apollo 11 landed humans on the moon is our present day. Indy is retiring as a New York professor and down in the dumps about separating from wife Marion (Karen Allen), until his goddaughter shows up. It’s Helena “Wombat” Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), an archaeology graduate and the daughter of Basil Shaw who now shares her father’s interest in Archimedes’ Antikythera. Might they find time for one last globe-trotting adventure? Read the full review at GuyAtTheMoviescom.

Grade: B

Disney is releasing "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" (144 min.) in theaters on June 30, 2023.