We went to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at it’s premiere day (which was yesterday).
“They look like snakes.” It’s such a simple line of dialogue, yet after 42 years and four previous movies, we know exactly what that means to retiring archaeology professor, Dr. Henry Jones, best known to all as Indiana Jones.
Two and a half hour of crazy adventures in the city, the desert, the sea, and in the air, what else would you expect from a movie with Indy? And an occasional tear somewhere at the end.
The movie was good, in mine and Ani’s opinion.
The movie was a 2D release, like in the old times and the cinematography was beautiful, as well as John Williams’s music score.
Some people will say it wasn’t as good as the first three Indiana Jones movies. Well they’re maybe right, but this didn’t prevent us from enjoying the this fifth part in the Indiana Jones saga.
review from IMDb:
Indy’s farewell fares well
“As the final chapter of the beloved franchise, this entry is the first one not directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg (listed here as an Executive Producer). Instead, James Mangold takes the reins, and also shares writing credit with his frequent collaborators Jez Butterworth and John Henry Butterworth, as well as “Indiana Jones” veteran David Koepp. Of course, George Lucas and Philip Kaufman receive credit for their original characters.
Harrison Ford once again dons the familiar whip and hat, and at 80 years of age, still possesses the screen persona and magnetism that first won us over in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. The extended and frenetic opening sequence finds a young Indy (Ford is digitally de-aged for the sequence) at the tail end of WWII fighting Nazis over what else, a prized ancient artifact. I’ll leave the specifics to those who watch the film, but just know that it’s an interesting historical choice, and also one that matters little in relation to the enjoyment of the film.
Working alongside Indy in the opening sequence is his pal and fellow archaeologist, Basil Shaw (talented character actor Toby Jones. However, the fun part for me is seeing Thomas Kretschmann and Mads Mikkelsen share scenes as Nazi Colonel Weber and Dr. Voller, respectively. These are two of my favorite actors and I do wish they had a couple more exchanges.
The story picks up with modern day Dr Voller and his band of misfits tracking down the relic and disturbing Dr. Jones’s retirement party. It’s at this point where Indy’s goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) pops up creating a three-way battle for the priceless relic. This sets off a chain of events that leads them on a global trek to desert, sea, and hallowed cities of antiquity. Fans of the franchise know that the story is secondary to the characters and action, and there is no shortage of action on speeding trains, galloping horses, motorcycles, tuk tuks, vintage airplanes, and scuba dives. Antonio Banderas shows up as a boat-owning old friend of Indy, but it’s the appearance of series favorites John Rhys-Davies as Sallah, and Karen Allen as Marion, that generated cheers from the audience.
At times this feels like a live action cartoon, and that’s not meant as criticism. It’s pure fun, fantasy, and adventure cloaked in nostalgia; and the film is a fitting conclusion to a world class franchise.”