The Stream: Annoying additions to the cast and Ford may be too old for all this action.

The Big Screen: Grand action sequences keep the energy high.

The Final Bill: While enjoyable, it’s time to retire this franchise.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: James Mangold
Writers: Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp, James Mangold; based on characters created by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman
Stars: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Ethann Isidore
Genre: Action, Adventure
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, language and smoking
Runtime: 2 hours 24 minutes
Production Companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Lucasfilm Paramount Pictures,
Platform: In theaters June 30, 2023
Notable Trailers: Last Voyage of the Demeter, Expend4bles, Haunted Mansion, The Creator

Hey, Streamers! Remember 15 years ago when Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out? Remember how that film felt 20 years too late for a sequel of the Indiana Jones franchise? Apparently, somebody was clamoring for another episode in the adventures of your whip-cracking archaeologist, who is on the brink of retirement. Here we have Harrison Ford back in the beat-up fedora and globetrotting to retrieve an artifact coveted by a nefarious Nazi. This episode is called Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Here’s how it goes.

In Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Indy is on the verge of retirement when a blast from the past resurfaces. It’s a dial of destiny, in fact, it’s Archimedes’ Dial which reveals time fissures and may allow for time travel. Since this is Indiana Jones, of course, some Nazis led by Mads Mikkelsen want to get their hands on the dial to restore the Nazi empire. Indy is accompanied on this quest by his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). Globetrotting hijinks ensue.

First of all, this movie is almost 2 and half hours long. The length of this movie is completely unnecessary. The story might be more entertaining and tauter if it were 30 minutes shorter. I am certain there are sequences that can be shortened and plot diversions that can be excised altogether. No doubt this movie would be better if it were shorter.

Secondly, there are some very annoying new characters. If people disliked Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams in Crystal Skull, it would seem to me that Helena Shaw would be just as unpopular. Phoebe Waller-Bridge does her thing, but it felt at odds with the Indy-vibe – very anachronistic, even for the late 1960s- early 1970s. Also, Helena has a sidekick called, Teddy (Ethan Isidore), who is just a random Short Round wannabe. He’s totally unnecessary and very annoying.

Nevertheless, even though the movie is too long, it is as entertaining as most other Indiana Jones movies. Harrison Ford is still going for it at 80-years-old. There are amazing actions sequences that beg to be seen on the big screen. Do you want a fight on train? Do you want a high-speed car chase? Do you want an underwater sequence and more? The movie delivers on the action-adventure epic. As Rihanna said, this is what you came for.

Ultimately, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is an entertaining action-adventure epic. It is too long and there are too many new, annoying characters. Hopefully, this movie is the last in the franchise. Although I have reservations about the movie as a whole, a big box of popcorn is warranted because of its legacy and the big-screen-worthy action.