Indiana Jones movies are all about "chase" (no hidden advertisement). Bad guys are chasing good guys, good guys are chasing bad guys, and both are chasing mysterious treasures. This fifth instalment is no different. What it has added is an element of time travel. Jumping on the bandwagon, one may say. Everybody does that these days.
First and foremost, the audience watch Indy movies for the action sequences, super-fast-paced, cliff-hanging and over-the-top (some may deem). There are five such sequences in "Dial of Destiny".
The first is a prologue set in 1944 (with the hero and the villain digitally de-aged), when Indy and colleague Basil (Toby Jones) fight the Nazis (mainly in a moving train) for the title treasure Archimedes' Dial (the Antikythera). One of the enemies is Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), a scholar employed by the Nazis at the time, but in fact more than meets the eye. Mad chases.
Next comes "the present" 1969 when Indy in his post-retirement humble abode sees a surprise visit from goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who was 12 the last time he saw her. She is Basil's daughter. The Pandora's Box she opens gets into full swing upon the arrival of Voller. More mad chases.
The most exciting action arguably occurs in Tangier, chases on a three-wheeler. Apparently Helena wants to auction off the half of the dial they possess to the highest bidder. Indy is not exactly jubilant to be stuck with "two thieves", the second one being Teddy (Ethann Isidore), a very young local thief who had formed an "it-takes-a thief-to-know-a thief" bond with Helena (older sister surrogate).
The fourth is not exactly fast-pace but exciting nevertheless, deep-sea diving in the Aegean Sea, for certain artifact that provide clues to lead them to the other half of the dial. A criminally wasted Antonio Banderas shows up here as Indy's old friend who possesses a boat.
Between the 4th and the 5th action sequences is a rather long sequence in which the protagonists and the villain progress, separately then converge, in searching and finding the second half of the Dial.
Finally, there is a chase in two WW2 fighter planes, flying not into space but into time. A little over-the-top, the kid Teddy who is not old enough to drive, let alone drink, is flying the plane, chasing Voller.
Stringing up these actions scenes is a plot, silly at times, but serviceable. Warning: spoilers galore here.
Archimedes' Dial is not a supernatural treasure but a mathematical miracle. Among other things, it is a time- travel device. When Voller, the ultimate Nazis, sets the destination as 1939, Indy wonders aloud whether this villain is trying to change the course of history by killing Churchill, Eisenhower, or both. Voller's reply, expectedly, is a twist. But then, this become quite meaningless when the Dial lands them some 2000 years back in history, right in the middle of a violent Roman seas battle.
To cut a long story short, Indy sees Archimedes, someone he has worshipped all his life. It is also a time in history that he has devoted his entire life to study. He wants to stay. This is the movie's truly engaging emotional moment. Indy, at this final stage of his life, has lost all his charisma, becoming an old man who is brooding most of the time, from loss of his son in the Vietnam War and separation with Marion. Now, the fire of passion buried deep inside him flares again. He pleads with Helena to return to the present with Teddy and let him stay. "I have to do this", Ford has delivered an Indy we have never seen before, but immediately root for, touched by his endearing earnestness. "I have to do this too, sorry" comes Helena's cryptic reply, as she knocks him unconscious with a swift blow, right in front of Archimedes!
The final bonus is something that softens Indy's disappointment. Marion (Karen Allen) appears, lovely and loving, both, as she was 4 decades ago.
First and foremost, the audience watch Indy movies for the action sequences, super-fast-paced, cliff-hanging and over-the-top (some may deem). There are five such sequences in "Dial of Destiny".
The first is a prologue set in 1944 (with the hero and the villain digitally de-aged), when Indy and colleague Basil (Toby Jones) fight the Nazis (mainly in a moving train) for the title treasure Archimedes' Dial (the Antikythera). One of the enemies is Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), a scholar employed by the Nazis at the time, but in fact more than meets the eye. Mad chases.
Next comes "the present" 1969 when Indy in his post-retirement humble abode sees a surprise visit from goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who was 12 the last time he saw her. She is Basil's daughter. The Pandora's Box she opens gets into full swing upon the arrival of Voller. More mad chases.
The most exciting action arguably occurs in Tangier, chases on a three-wheeler. Apparently Helena wants to auction off the half of the dial they possess to the highest bidder. Indy is not exactly jubilant to be stuck with "two thieves", the second one being Teddy (Ethann Isidore), a very young local thief who had formed an "it-takes-a thief-to-know-a thief" bond with Helena (older sister surrogate).
The fourth is not exactly fast-pace but exciting nevertheless, deep-sea diving in the Aegean Sea, for certain artifact that provide clues to lead them to the other half of the dial. A criminally wasted Antonio Banderas shows up here as Indy's old friend who possesses a boat.
Between the 4th and the 5th action sequences is a rather long sequence in which the protagonists and the villain progress, separately then converge, in searching and finding the second half of the Dial.
Finally, there is a chase in two WW2 fighter planes, flying not into space but into time. A little over-the-top, the kid Teddy who is not old enough to drive, let alone drink, is flying the plane, chasing Voller.
Stringing up these actions scenes is a plot, silly at times, but serviceable. Warning: spoilers galore here.
Archimedes' Dial is not a supernatural treasure but a mathematical miracle. Among other things, it is a time- travel device. When Voller, the ultimate Nazis, sets the destination as 1939, Indy wonders aloud whether this villain is trying to change the course of history by killing Churchill, Eisenhower, or both. Voller's reply, expectedly, is a twist. But then, this become quite meaningless when the Dial lands them some 2000 years back in history, right in the middle of a violent Roman seas battle.
To cut a long story short, Indy sees Archimedes, someone he has worshipped all his life. It is also a time in history that he has devoted his entire life to study. He wants to stay. This is the movie's truly engaging emotional moment. Indy, at this final stage of his life, has lost all his charisma, becoming an old man who is brooding most of the time, from loss of his son in the Vietnam War and separation with Marion. Now, the fire of passion buried deep inside him flares again. He pleads with Helena to return to the present with Teddy and let him stay. "I have to do this", Ford has delivered an Indy we have never seen before, but immediately root for, touched by his endearing earnestness. "I have to do this too, sorry" comes Helena's cryptic reply, as she knocks him unconscious with a swift blow, right in front of Archimedes!
The final bonus is something that softens Indy's disappointment. Marion (Karen Allen) appears, lovely and loving, both, as she was 4 decades ago.