Where I watched It: Disney Plus

English Audio Description Provided By Deluxe

Primary Narration By: Jedidiah Barton

Cast: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller Bridge,Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, John Rhys-Davies, Karen Allen, Boyd Holbrook, Thomas Kretchmann, Shaunee Renee Wilson, and Ethann Isador.

Written By: Jess Butterworth, John Henry butterworth, David Koepp, and James Mangold

Directed By: James Mangold

It is true that James Mangold is not Steven Spielberg, and while it is hard for any director to tilt their windmill at Spielberg, Mangold is one of the directors that has earned the right to be a household name by now, and just isn’t. He doesn’t have the devoted following of a Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, or even Ari Ari Aster after only three films. Mangold is responsible for more home runs than you might think. If instead of putting his name in the trailer, they led with :From the Director of Logan, Ford vs. Ferrari, Walk The Line, and Identity”, you might approach the film more optimistically. Also, that’s not even mentioning films like Kate and Leopold, Copland, and Girl Interrupted, which prove he has a wide range of abilities.

Doesn’t mean I think all the choices he made here are great, but I respect a lot of them. First, he directs this better than Spielberg directed Crystal Skull. Let me say that again. This is better directed than at least one Spielberg film.Now the reason for that is that Mangold restrains himself. Spielberg went in to Crystal Skull with amnesia about what the three prior films did right. They didn’t reveal what this thing Indy was always looking for really did. Or what would happen. But in Crystal Skull, it bashes you over the head about aliens at the top. Now, Dial Of Destiny opens with a flashback sequence, and Jones looking for something completely different. It’s so refreshing.

That titular Dial of Destiny and what it does doesn’t come up until much later, which makes this feel more like a Jones adventure. Yes, he’s joined by someone, Phoebe Waller Bridge, like he’s always joined by someone. We just live in an InCel world where a female who isn’t a damsel in distress must mean woke. She’s not woke. She’s the daughter of Toby jones from the flashback intro that runs forever.

So she doesn’t flirt with Indy. Honestly, he’s 80. At a certain point, unless Helen Mirren is hopping in for an adventure, most of us normal folk weren’t hoping he would be banging a 38 year old. Waller-Bridge, like Shia laBeouf, gets unfairly blamed for all the problems with the film. Call it Jar Jar Binks syndrome. The idea that one person was responsible. No. She’s not.

What was weirder for me is that I know sighted people have a lot to say about the de-aging process of Harrison Ford. Having binged the first 4 prior to Dial Of Destiny,it is very evident his voice is not de-aged. He is supposed to be so much younger in the opening, but he sounds to grizzled and his phonation isn’t great.

So, the fact that he’s joined by Bridge’s character, who is totally different from previous characters, just felt like the least of my concerns. Also, addressing the criticism about Mikkelsen not being a solid enough villain is really underestimating his presence as an actor. They pulled the same thing with him being in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, but then they go crazy for Another Round. The truth is, Mads Mikkelsen is always solid.

I disagree with some plot choices. Honestly, my biggest problems with the film are huge spoilers. There’s a moment where Indy is talking about his biggest regret, and while it’s a fantastic emotional moment for Ford, it also isn’t a choice I would have made with the script. Also, I’m not a fan of the ending. I think there was a point for the film to end, which in so many ways made sense for Dr. Jones to want it to end there, but the damn film just persists.

So no, the world didn’t collapse, but this isn’t the best Indy film ever. It has some good choices, nice performances, and some useless appearances (why is Antonio Banderas in this?). It is better than Crystal Skull, even if just marginally, simply because it doesn’t reveal its twist at the beginning.

Barton’s audio description is nice, especially considering all the stuff that happens in the back half of the film. There’s no way for us to ever appreciate de-aging through audio description until they can do it to the bvoice as well. It is weird to see Waller-Bridge, in general, seemingly turning into an action star. It’s hard to see Fleabag as an action star, but after Bond, Indy, and her upcoming Mr. And Mrs. Smith I guess she’s really all in on kicking some butt. Though, she’s not the next Indiana Jones, nor do I think this film was setting her up for that.

Final Grade: B