Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

[theradicalchild]

The fifth and final Indiana Jones movie starring Harrison Ford as the eponymous archaeologist, college professor, and adventurer, the first entry of the franchise not directed by Steven Spielberg or conceived by George Lucas (but still produced by Lucasfilm), opens in 1944 during the Second World War when Indy and fellow archaeologist Basil Shaw try to retrieve the Lance of Longinus (used to pierce Jesus during his crucifixion) from the Nazis. During their tangle, Indy and Shaw obtain half of the film’s titular artifact, the Antikythera, or Archimedes’ Dial, which can reveal time fissures and allow for temporal travel.

Twenty-five years later, in 1969, Indy, now living in New York City and working for Hunter College, plans his retirement and is visited by Helena Shaw, Basil’s daughter, also Indy’s goddaughter, who is interested in the Dial, which sits in the college archives. While attempting to retrieve it, they encounter accomplices sent by the CIA and Jürgen Voller, an astrophysicist and former Nazi Indy encountered back in the opening scene, now working for NASA’s Apollo program. Jones is framed for the murder of two colleagues and reunites with his old sidekick Sallah, now an NYC cab driver, who helps him flee the country.

A scramble for the other half of the Dial takes Indy across the world, with Voller intending to use it to travel back to 1939, kill Hitler, take over as Führer, and try to lead Germany through World War II himself. While critics have suggested the fifth film isn’t as “thrilling” as its precursors, I thought there was enough action and some good twists. A concern I had upon seeing the trailers was the absence of Karen Allen’s character and Indy’s love interest, Marion Ravenwood, and Shia LaBeouf’s character, Mutt Williams (both critical in the fourth movie). However, the film does address them (and I won't spoil anything), and I thought the movie was a fun conclusion to the Indiana Jones saga.