Throw him into a pit of snakes. Hang him from a flaming building. Kick him out of a fast-moving automobile. Put him in the middle of a huge group of Nazis. our fedora-wearing, whip-bearing Professor Indiana Jones will find a way to come out alive and save the day. For over four decades, we have seen the makers of the Indiana Jones franchise rewrite movie history, and take cinematic liberties to ensure the globe-trotting badass nerd finds ways to save the world. Recognition didn’t really matter to Indy as long as historically important pieces of artefacts didn’t fall into the hands of the wrong people. As he himself says in the latest instalment, Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny, “We are just trying to save history.”
The film has Indy squaring off against an old foe... the Nazis. Writer-director James Mangold, who is in top form, and his team of writers (Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp) weave a tale of infinite possibilities to give Indiana Jones a fitting tribute in his swansong. The film begins with a de-aged Ford reminding us why we loved Indy in the first place. There is his trademark swag with the right amount of weariness. He is in Berlin with fellow archaeologist Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) where they come across the coveted Antikythera, the Archimedes Dial. The film is comfortable, yet slightly distant in parts.
We see Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena Shaw, Jones’ goddaughter, who brings with her a unique set of problems that brings Indy out of retirement. While these portions aren’t always convincing, they enable the makers to go all guns blazing in the inventive stunt sequences. Right from the first scene, the writing is developed around the stunts. We know Indy will be alright, but how far can he be pushed is the question. Indy might just give a single punch or a timely kick, but it is the build-up to these kicks and punches that matter. And in The Dial of Destiny, these scenes are superbly on point. It is interesting to see Indy squaring off against another man of science Voller (a restrained Mads Mikkelsen), but the lack of menace in the character despite his lofty ambitions is a bit of a downer.
There are nuggets of Indy-ness that are seen in almost every frame of the film. Even when he is riding a rickety tuk-tuk on the streets of Tangier, there are enough quips to keep the ride smooth. Every action scene ends with an Indy wisecrack that we anticipate from a mile away, and yet are charmed. Such examples can be not only seen in the various stunt scenes involving planes, trains, and automobiles, but also in the surprisingly tender moments. The scenes where he struggles with his personal tragedy, and the conversations with Helena about what it means to be alone and tired are wonderfully subdued, yet powerful. Indy is old, and he knows it is not as easy as it once was, and the makers work on giving him a finale that respects not just the iconic character, but the legendary actor under that fedora.
The Dial of Destiny goes to places one wouldn’t have thought of at all, but it makes complete sense in retrospect. The final act is a lot of fun, and it is exactly what makes Indiana Jones what it is. However, there were also stretches where The Dial of Destiny was just a flatline. Make no mistake, the film is a lot of fun, but there are places where the film is less fun, but still fun nonetheless. These places take you away from what’s unfolding on screen until you return when the next action setpiece happens. But again, the dips in the second part, are elevated in the final act that beautifully encapsulates the journey of Indy from Raiders to now.
Indy’s adventures have so many things that seem ‘too lucky’ or just plain implausible, considering he is a man of science seeing some of the most preposterous things. In many ways, that is exactly how generations of audience have seen Indiana Jones. We know he would stumble upon treacherous rube-goldberg machines only to sidestep that attack with a clumsy saunter. We know the world is his oyster, and he finds people to help him...always. We know he is someone who is making it all up as he goes. We know he is the kind of person who would bring a whip to a gunfight, and manage to swing his way out unharmed. Macroscopically, the five films might seem to be unbelievable and far-fetched, but as Indy himself says in The Dial of Destiny, “It’s not so much about what you believe... it’s how hard you believe it.”
When the news of the curtains being closed on a 42-year-old legacy came up... the kid in me, who first got fascinated with the franchise as a kid and continued to tap into those memories as an adult to fashion a fedora-sporting, sling-bag toting persona for himself as an adult, trembled at the prospect of an Indy-less future. With The Dial of Destiny, it is almost like Indy, who had one hell of a ride, decides to take a well-deserved shuteye but not before looking straight into the eyes of a doe-eyed kid whose favourite superhero is an archaeology professor, and saying, “I’m alright, kid.” Thank you, Indy. I love you, and you were my best friend.
Director: James Mangold
Cast: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas