The story was interesting. The first 20-30 minutes were hands down the best part of the movie. The train scene was badass. Overall this movie would have been much better if that had cut the role of Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller). The character was just annoying. Easily the worst part of the entire movie. Unfortunately, after she shows up 30 minutes in she never left.
I had pretty low expectations but not even they were met. And the Helena character was really annoying and actually quite horrible to be honest.
The coup de grâce for me though was the insanely week ending.
This was not the end to the Indy character I grew up loving I was hoping for.
May be the weakest in the series.
6.5 - Same adventure packed vibe as previous Indiana Jones movies but to me lacked in comparison to previous films. Also the ending seemed a bit abrupt.
Good movie, entertaining from the first minute, the end perhaps a little hasty and I lacked a little funny indi
Clearly one of my favorite from this franchise! I'm maybe less enthusiastic by the end, "too much" from my perspective... but it's a personal taste.
The movie was fun but Indy should have hung his hat up after the third installment. Ford gave the movie his all but it's time to end the franchise before we get a sequel entitled Indiana Jones and the Lost Retirement Home Biscuits.
The only thing I didn't like was the ending of the movie.
Not the worst, far from the best.
Very unpredictable but always the off feeling through the film
Not a real antagonist, a caricature of one maybe.
Steel some emotions
Decent conclusion.
I think this is a much better send-off for the Indiana Jones character than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but still not as good as previous movies. There seems to be a lot less action in this movie and more running and jumping, but it makes sense given the age of Harrison Ford and Indiana Jones in the movie. I think this is an entertaining enough movie, but still lacks the authenticity that the first few movies had.
screw what the critics say this is a really good movie it has lots of action and is well paced and doesn't drag at all the story is a lot better than the last one it's a very entertaining film if your a fan of the movies like I am seeing "raiders of the lost ark" when I was a kid you won't be disappointed
I hate Helena, she is so annoying. I don’t know if it’s my nostalgia for Indiana Jones, but I felt like Helena and Teddy were spoilt, disrespectful little teenagers. Am I turning old?
I also felt that for some reason they kept reminding us that Indiana is old and getting outdated (eg the whip vs guns scene in Morocco, amongst others). As if the filmmakers themselves didn’t want to bring back the series again.
Fun film and though I am aware it is difficult to write an action film for 80 year old stars, this does its best to hide that. Great action and fun, but felt it left a lot on the table. They established this giant of a monster dude henchman, and really did not let that pay off, for instance. Still, a good time.
amazing movie lots of action in this movie what a way to ending sounds great no lip sync issue the starting great middle great ending was perfect fitting for Harrison ford definitely watch again
when watching 2008’s Crystal Skull that Harrison Ford was too old to play Indiana Jones any more, and I stick by that statement.
CGI scenes early in the movie were clearly done by the 10th grade work experience kid. Where Indy runs on top of the train, I haven’t seen CGI natural movement and CGI physics that bad since the Garland Spider-Man movies.
The tuk-tuk scene felt like it took forever and a day, and my suspension of disbelief just couldn’t handle it. But then again, people genuinely pay to watch the Fast & Furious movies and actively enjoy them, so I guess that scene was for that crowd.
The big conclusion of the action portion of the movie felt like it was all done in green screen. Something just felt off about it all. It was a scene that could have probably been done on location too. If it WAS on location then what ever they did to it in post needs to be re-assessed.
Token snakes, token bugs. Both forced and added nothing the way they did when first used in the original movies. They don’t need to be in EVERY movie.
They close out with a nod to the original movie, but it was built up so badly it just felt like empty platitudes than a big moment.
Overall this movie was MUCH better than Crystal Skull, but doesn’t hold a candle to the original trilogy. It does actually have the feel of an Indy movie for most of it, which is a good thing. Like Crystal Skull though, it shouldn’t have been made either. Maybe 20 or 30 years ago sure, but not now.
It's not the best Indiana Jones movie out (that's the third one in my opinion) but it's easily on par with the first two movies and much better than the Crystal Skull. It's just a bit too long - shortening or skipping one of the car chases would have been good.
The end was nice, but I hoped they let him stay and enjoy the past.
A very good IJ movie, probably my third favorite after the first and third film. It feels like a full on IJ film, lots of action, a bit of humor, nice ending.
The only negative thing about it would be that some of the CGI was a bit iffy towards the end. However, it still worked and didn't bother me.
Would highly recommend :thumbsup:
A great movie and connection to the cult character that is IJ. A must watch!!! :clap:
What a sad sack of a film. If you keep having to CGI Harrisons Ford's face onto all the stuntmen that can actually participate in the scene then that's a good sign you probably shouldn't have bothered. The opening with a de-aged Indy at the end of the war is legit fun but is full of shonky CGI (there's a bit where a totally animated Indy running across a train in silloette that I honestly can't believe made it's way into the final cut) then it's downhill fast and never lets up. I'd take Shia as a companion over the irritant that is Phoebe Bridge unlike Toby Jones who steals every scene he's in a good way.
Oh and people that moaned about aliens finale in Indy 4? Well Indy 5 is like hold my beer I can top that ending in a tardis.
The projector packed in the cinema on the last ten minutes and it was more amusing than anything that happened the film. The projector was sorted and the madness wrapped up.
I honestly preferred Kingdom of Crystal Skull. At least it had Spielberg magic.
Enjoyed this more than I thought, but as watching it wondered who is this for ? Well me I guess but, besides men in their 40’s this serves no purpose. No kid could possibly enjoy watching and homage to an 80’s movie. Glad they made it for selfish reasons, but £300 million to not have Crystal Skull as the send off seems a bit much. No matter how respected Harrison Ford is in Hollywood.
A little too sad. No reason for them to treat Indy like this. Showing him in his underwear in an apartment?
First 20 minutes brings back some nostalgic magic
Wombat wasn't a disaster but the character didn't justify its existence in the film. Same can be said for Teddy.
The action, except the opening scene, is run of the mill and very disappointing
The ending feels rushed
The film runs for too long and the plot is messy in places
Can't help but feel there were many missed opportunities, especially plot and action set piece wise.
6/10
Better than 4, the first scene very indiana jones, then good, except that there is no one who believes that a man of 80 years can do that, Mikelsen as good as ever, what a way to get rid of the son.
This is so bland and inessential, they might’ve as well put it directly on Disney Plus. Why are we investing 300 million dollars in an action/adventure flick starring an 80 year old grandpa? Look I have a lot of respect for Harrison Ford, but everything that’s wrong with this movie is connected to the larger issue of him and the franchise being way past their expiration date, so this never should’ve been greenlit in the first place. Nothing is offensively bad here, but it’s more a case of wrong decisions piling onto each other.
I understand Lucasfilm’s decision to hire a director who just delivered two crowdpleasers in a row, both of which were acclaimed by normies and snobs alike. Mangold understands what makes the world and character work, but he doesn’t get the soul. Right from the opening scene, the movie looks drab, underlit and generic. There’s almost no imagination to the set pieces, and some of the more impressive stuntwork is undone by poor effects work. Take the Tuctuc chase. Ford’s stunt double puts in the work for the wide shots, but when you cut to a close-up of characters in front of a green screen, you’re not exactly selling the sequence. It’s not going to stick on my brain, it’s too unremarkable. Again, what’s the point of making an Indiana Jones movie if there’s no viscera or imagination to the action?
Then there’s the story, which is also very by the numbers and low on risk. It feels like wheel spinning, which in theory could be fine (the Bond franchise got away with that for decades) but there’s nothing to hold my interest. Some of the new mechanics introduced during the third act I found to be underwhelming, and this is coming from someone who didn’t mind the inclusion of aliens in the last film. All of the new characters are boring and underdeveloped (especially the villain), despite the actors putting in decent performances. It’s quite funny how this suffers from the same problem as Furious 7, where villains will show up on the same location as our heroes despite there being no story reason for it. Occasionally there’s a brief fun interaction, or a fun set, or a good visual idea (like the final shot, for example), but that’s not enough to fill its bloated runtime.
4/10
Would have been better if Helena wasn't an annoying douche bag for the 1st hour
A lot of people saying it is better than Crystal Skull, and they are just in denial. It’s not offensively bad or anything, it’s just boring and a chore to get through. There was legit a point about 3/4s through the movie that I had to remind myself that it was an Indiana Jones movie because I forgot why I was watching it. Dr. Jones got a fine ending in the last one and there really is no reason for them to force this old man to wear his fedora and get the whip back out, this is abuse.
I really enjoyed the movie as it delivered a thrilling adventure from start to finish. However, there were a few aspects that I wished were different:
Helena's character: Although I understand that Helena is meant to be similar to Indy from "The Temple of Doom," always focused on money, I would have liked to see some remorse from her when she attempted to sell an item that was dear to her father.
Transformation of Rinaldo: Instead of introducing a character who shows up at the end to help the heroes (the sleepy pilot), I would have preferred to see Rinaldo portrayed as a skilled pilot who saves Indy and company. This would have allowed for potential chemistry between Rinaldo and Helena, and the possibility of a future franchise with them embarking on adventures together. I would have loved to see Antonio Banderas continue Indy's journey with Helena. Even with differnt style of adventures.
Changing the ending location: Rather than returning to an apartment with annoying neighbors in America, I think it would have been more captivating to end the movie in Sicily. This would have provided a new and visually stunning setting, with Indy and Marion enjoying a beautiful panorama. It could have also given a satisfying conclusion for Sallah's character. Helena still has the diamonds from Voller, so buying a house should be possible.
Casting considerations: While Phoebe Waller-Bridge portrayed Helena in a nice and elegant way, I sometimes imagine Ana de Armas in the role. Additionally, I would love to see Banderas and Armas together in the next installment of the franchise, embarking on their own adventures.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and appreciate James Mangold's direction, Harrison Ford's compelling performance in the leading role, and the remarkable work of the cast and crew. The movie didn't feel lazy; instead, it was filled with captivating sets and adventurous sequences that kept me engaged throughout.
My initial thoughts down here:
The beginning
We find a young Indy in an old adventure that serves as a prologue to the story. The technology used to make an actor look young is fascinating: you have the same actor playing the same character in different eras. However, it didn't impress me in this case, perhaps because in an Indiana Jones film, it doesn't quite work. At times, it feels like having a video game character in a movie, and it made me hope that this prologue would end soon. I noticed they used Anthony Ingruber, and it would have been interesting to leverage his resemblance and simply shoot the scenes with him.
In any case, the prologue works because it tells us about a new friendship of Indy and intriguingly introduces the new antagonist of the story.
An old hero in (almost) modern times
It feels strange to see Indiana Jones, an adventurer we have seen navigating the 1930s, in a more modern America. And the screenwriters must have realized this because they move the adventure around the world, to areas where the character is more in his element. I wish that the finale was also set in a more captivating location, such as one of the final settings, like Sicily, with a beautiful landscape, where Indy can enjoy a stunning view with Marion while recovering from the wounds, both physical and emotional, recent and of a lifetime. A finale that would have worked for Sallah too. Going back to an apartment with lousy neighbors is not the kind of my finale. Especially because throughout the film, I had noisy audience members, and I could empathize with the challenges Indiana was facing.
A hero that works every time
The charm of Indiana Jones is attributed to the pen of George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, the direction of Spielberg, the wry smile of Harrison Ford, and the march of John Williams. I have never understood those who criticize the decision to bring back Indy despite the passing years, or those who joke about possible plots related to Alzheimer's or nursing homes. The hero works, his stunts are somehow believable, partly because he is often aided by the luck that smiles upon Dr. Jones. The action scenes, even in this film, work seamlessly and never fail to captivate.
A villain that works
Mads Mikkelsen works on his own, even without a screenplay, but he is a good antagonist for Indy. I would have liked to see a confrontation with Basil Shaw. Both characters are obsessed with the Antikythera mechanism, but Shaw is saved by his friend Indy from being consumed by his obsession, whereas Dr. Voller is not. This aspect is somewhat present in the film, but I would have liked to see it emphasized more effectively.
An adventure companion
We are introduced to Renaldo, a friend of Indiana Jones who captains a ship. I would have been pleased to see more screen time for Antonio Banderas; he could have been an experienced pilot of airplanes as well, rather than having a new character appear at the end of the film to aid our heroes, whom we are unfamiliar with.
Helena
I was curious about this new character. I appreciate that she is not initially portrayed as a very positive character, considering her eventual redemption. My only question is why she is so willing to sell the Antikythera mechanism without hesitation. We know she is in debt and wants to make money, so she sees an opportunity to obtain the mechanism from Indy and seizes it. However, I would have liked to see a hint of remorse in her decision to sell an object that her father held dear.
I wouldn't mind seeing this new heroine continue in her own adventures. Without donning a hat and wielding a whip, she could be an adventurer who has discovered the thrill of adventure and loyalty. And perhaps she wants to make some money along the way, why not?
Music
I would like to praise it, but I can't, unfortunately. The beginning of the film consists of a combination of recycled themes, especially from the third film, whose soundtrack has remained in my heart, especially the theme of the Holy Grail, magnificent and solemn. Unfortunately, there are no memorable themes for the other characters or the new artifact. However, I can forgive everything when it comes to John Williams.
Conclusion
It's true, I didn't speak highly of it, but the film, with its plot twist, captivated me. It's intriguing, keeps your attention high, and as mentioned before, the character works in any era. Knowing that maintaining high quality requires excellent screenwriters and supporting directors, my dream would have been to have an Indiana Jones trilogy for each decade. Does it sound excessive? Perhaps, but he's a hero I would have appreciated to keep me company throughout the different stages of my life. Lucas has created memorable characters, and as much as I love Star Wars, none of the characters from the galaxy far away are as fascinating as Indiana Jones, in my personal opinion. And that is saying much, considering the great heroes and villains from Star Wars.
I'm not a screenwriter or a critic, so my opinions are limited to those of a fan of a saga that I've been following since I was little. Nonetheless, I want to praise James Mangold, screenwriters, cast, producers, and all the crew members who brought Indiana Jones to the screen once again. There was no laziness in the film, and traveling the world through Indy's adventures was once again a delightful experience.
I had the lowest of low expectations going into this, thought the trailer looked like trash. Went to the theater wanting a decent fun time and that's what I got. The first half is classic Indiana Jones but it won me over in the second half. It'll be divisive but I like what they went for. It worked way better with the story and the overall themes of this franchise than aliens in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
THE reason why I enjoyed the movie so much is Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). Really good actress, I like her character and she steals the spotlight from Indy in a good portion of the movie. But never too much and she provides an excellent contrast with Jones' character. Wouldn't mind if she got her own spin-off. Mads Mickelsen as a Nazi made a fair villain in the first half but once you get what he's actually trying to do in the second half the stakes get so much higher and he's elevated as a villain. The kid character is extremely forgettable, made me cringe in every scene he was in.
The flashback scenes with younger Indy were pretty good and the de-aging effects created by A.I. weren't perfect but respectable. The vehicule chase through the city was so incredibly boring to me, lasted too long, it looked fake and those vehicules aren't cool in the slightest. Favorite moments were the eels, the centipedes (that almost killed me) and the entire third act. 2h30 was too much though. Sets look awesome. Not every comedic moment landed for me but it has a great balance of humor and dramatic. Nice emotional ending. I feel satisfied about the franchise as a whole after this.
The underwhelming ending of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is better If you come in thinking that the lame rumored ending is true.
Otherwise such an action packed adventure needed a more exciting ending. That is at least better than the ending that some fan on crack made up. That Indiana Jones erases himself to make it his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who went on all his adventures all along.
A lot of fans weren’t excited because they actually expected that ending. Thinking they knew for sure that was the ending.
Thank god it isn’t but the one we got is kind of cute and heartwarming, just underwhelming. Now that I got that out of the way. The movie feels like a more old school Indiana Jones adventure than Crystal Skull.
Indiana also isn’t pushed aside so his Helena Shaw gets all the action. He actually gets more if you count the CGI beginning.
While Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) was made to be a villain in an Indiana Jones film. Toby Jones is also perfectly cast as an Indy sidekick in the 1930’s.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is well cast and has the look of an actress from the 30-60’s. You’re just not going to like her throughout if you think she is there to steal the franchise.
Which it is dumb if anyone thought that. When Harrison Ford will never ever let anyone replace him as Indiana Jones
Dial of Destiny not up there with the original trilogy but I still really liked it. Entertaining story, exciting locations and set-pieces and good chemistry between Ford and Waller-Bridge. The story get‘s a bit silly towards the end imo but the actual ending and an unexpected guest appearance definitely made up for it. It‘s honestly quite sad that this will be the last time we‘ll get to see Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones but I guess all‘s well that ends.
a great ending to a great saga, glad i could finally have witnessed a movie from a franchise as legendary as Indiana Jones, in the big screen, it was worth it honestly; not a big fan of Steven Spielberg but i love how he managed to blend history and adventure so well in these movies
loved the little hints to the previous movies here and there
also, Mads Mikkelsen was amazing as usual, and i had no idea he spoke german so well? damn
and the ending where they meet Archimedes and actually managed to travel back in time was a neat little twist to the story
can't believe Harrison Ford really pulled this one off at 80 years old, quite the feat, props to this old legend
If you've ever felt like watching a movie that is the definition of playing it safe, you should definitely give the fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise a chance. There really isn't a single risk taken here, which leads to a film that is shockingly boring for long stretches. Tension or even a sense of adventure hardly ever arise in the 2.5 hours of runtime. And even the finale disappointed me, similarly to the miserable fourth part.
In spite of that, "Dial of Destiny" actually gets off to a halfway promising start. If you can overlook the fact that the deaging technology is still not truly ready, then the opening sequence during World War II is really fun. Unfortunately, it's also the last time the film is genuinely good. James Mangold is by all means a capable director, but here he fails to convey any personal style at all. The plot is pretty basic, with pretty much every twist and turn being predictable until the absurd finale.
The cast also, regrettably, didn't entirely work for me. Harrison Ford is still good, but age has definitely caught up with him. Mads Mikkelsen isn't bad as the villain either, and there are a few nice cameos as well. However, I was disappointed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, whose character Helena is terribly written and who seemed like a miscast to me. In my opinion, she's no better than Shia LaBeouf in the fourth movie. And I don't even want to mention anything about Ethann Isidore, who plays a poor man's Short Round.
It all certainly sounds a bit more negative than it actually is. Ultimately, the film has hardly any serious lows, but it also has pretty much no satisfying high points. It's all pretty mediocre. At most, the occasional fan service moment managed to elicit a chuckle from me. But for a good film, they should have taken some risks, at least at some points. As it is, I can't really recommend "Dial of Destiny".
The movie is good but they shouldve trimmed the runtime cause it felt long and I know what episode it made me feel like that. Its that Moroccan Auto chase.
I've anticipated this movie since at least 2014 and when COVID hit, I was sure the last chance for Indy V was gone. All this to say I've been EXTREMELY hyped for this movie. It had impossible expectations to fill in but, at least for me, it most definitely did.
The de-aged Harrison Ford looks AMAZING. I loved seeing Indy fight some nazis again and it really made it feel like the original movies.
Mads Mikkelsen is obviously an amazing actor.
I also loved seeing Indy in the '60s, I feel like they acknowledged his age without making too much fun of it.
The story was amazing. I'm a sucker for time-travelling and I didn't dare hoping he would actually travel in time. 2000 years at that. Ofcourse it would have even been cooler if he ended up at a time and location of the original trilogy but that's just me.
I feel kinda bad for Shia! And for the characters in general, losing a son must be the most devestating feeling in the world. Therefore I felt genuinely happy when we saw Marion and that they reconnected.
If rumours are to be believed, the ending was rewritten. So I'm not sure at all but it did feel like Indy really intended to stay in the past. I think he would have died quickly so he wouldn't really change the past. It would have been cool if he was the skeleton buried at Archimede's grave.
I'm not sure what those final moments were about, Indy (?) picking up his hat again?
The score might go down on a rewatch and I have small complaints. I didn't understand why Fleabag would lock Indy in with some stone cold killers.
For me it's a perfect Indiana Jones movie. It had everything I could wish for and I had 2,5 hours of fun!
I just loved this final chapter.
Like a critic who starts off every review with a cheap simile, Dial of Destiny runs out of ideas very quickly and resorts to gimmicks to generate a semblance of creativity.
Do you like it when Indiana has to figure out puzzles to uncover the truth? James Mangold not so much.
Do you like it when Indiana is confronted with a swarm of beasts he has to fight to survive? James Mangold says, "Meh."
Do you like the same chase scenes you've seen in all the other Indiana Jones' movies? You're in luck! James Mangold thinks you can never have too many of those.
After rewatching the first 4 movies, I am SO excited for this one!!
I loved Harrison Ford‘s recent performance in Shrinking, so I‘m sure he will be great as always.
Review by Brando CalrissianBlockedParent2023-07-11T05:23:28Z
The second time Disney Lucasfilm took a hero from my childhood and practically destroyed them right in front of me. So it might be odd for me to remark that It's not completely bad. But if you've seen literally any other Indiana Jones, yeah. Don't watch this one. It's 100% milquetoast. Every creative decision was the safe one. The CGI they've implemented seems more to show off "the latest and greatest" the tech has to offer, but it's still not even great and when I noticed it, it took me out of it. We'll see more of the seams in probably a year or so, and it will probably be laughably bad.
There's a chase scene that takes too long, the god-daughter is terribly annoying, scene to scene it's pretty dry, and the villains are always right behind the heroes because movie. Lots of dumb "coincidences" where things line up because the characters need a reason to continue to follow the plot. When our heroes solve puzzles and riddles they just instantly know the answer. And the Nazis instantly take the solution, which in a cat and mouse way is reminiscent of the old films but the silliness of the chase in Dial of Destiny is so implausible at points it just makes you roll your eyes. This not to mention that the writers expect you to thread together some important plot points and developments by your own assumptions and it's just lazy.
I think the biggest highlight is the climax, I'm glad the writers actually did something with the McGuffin. But if course, out of every interesting scenario that could have happened, they picked the milquetoast one. There's maybe 2 jokes that landed for me across the whole movie. I dunno. More than anything I appreciated the score, which of course John Williams does his thing and slams it out of the park. I suppose I also appreciated some fight scenes and the sound work surrounding those.
I have a lot of negative things to say but I didn't walk out of the theater before it was over, and my family overall said they thought it was better than expected, so in an act to be objective I'm just gonna leave it at a 5. Maybe I have rose tinted glasses, but I think Crystal Skull was better? Also there's no Shia La Bouf. Don't even bother getting excited to see him. He's written off. Would have honestly rather had him star in a reboot, but he doesn't even make an appearance. But he could have! The plot could have taken so many more interesting turns with the elements in this story, it's practically a shame that this is the one that got weaved together.
In short, I think Hideo Kojima said it best when he tweeted: "Went to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."