Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

My expectations were fairly low for this summer's INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY and by the end of the rather bloated two and one half hour runtime, I was neither disappointed or pissed off.  Also, not entirely satisfied, despite a final scene that I thought was as perfect as it could possibly be for Harrison Ford's bow as Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, professor, archeologist, worldwide adventurer, kinda like James Bond without the promiscuity and tailored suits.   I've been a huge fan of this series since 1981, when RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK debuted.  None of the sequels measured up, but ....TEMPLE OF DOOM and ....LAST CRUSADE are still rollicking fun.  With more gravitas than the sort of yesteryear serials which inspired these movies.  The same cannot be said for this fifth entry, the first without the direct involvement of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. 

We find Dr. Jones in NYC, 1969.  He's separated from his wife Marion and has just retired from his duties at Hunter College.  For the latter, it may be just as well, as his students (who come off more 2023 than '69) are hardly engaged in history.  They even seem ineffectual enough to ignore the history making events unfolding around them.  But one young lady in the auditorium seems unusually knowlegable  - Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge, attractive and sassy but underused), who is Indy's goddaughter.  Her father was his old colleague Basil Shaw (Toby Jones), who we see during the opening flashback, set in 1944 during WWII.  

During that, we also get a load of the much touted and still problematic de-aging technique.  Ford's younger visage looks OK, but certain movements render it, odd.  Even weirder was the choice to use the actor's current old man voice with it.  There were no audio samples in the vast Harrison Ford archive to be utilized? Nonetheless, these scenes are fairly involving and exciting as the titular dial, created by Archimedes two thousand years earlier, is introduced.  

Well, half of it, which Jones puts in storage.  Helena, aware of her father's obsession, seeks it out but as soon as Jones shows it to her a gaggle of Nazis and the CIA ambush them, leading to a chase through street parades and the subway, which director James Mangold does a decent job of recreating with period detail.  The CIA angle, by the way, is woefully underdeveloped and prematurely aborted, one of many failings of the script by Mangold and several others.  Too bad,  as Shaunette Renee Wilson is formidable (if not entirely believable in this time period) as Agent Mason.

The story will then travel to Tangier, Greece, and Italy.  Spunky Helena is revealed to be little more than a common thief and opportunist, intending to sell the half dial rather than study it.  She and her young sidekick teddy (Ethan  Isidore, kinda dull) will join Indy on the hunt for the other half.  Meanwhile, those pesky Nazis, led by Volker (Mads Mikkelsen) are right behind them.  The latter has some very interesting plans that will manifest during a rousing but absurd climax.  One that, like its not well received predecessor ......CRYSTAL SKULL, insists on including elements of science fiction.  Indy is a firmly terrestrial figure, involving him in such other worldly elements is just plain silly to me.

There are some amusing references to the earlier films.  My favorite - what Jones discovers is underwater before a dive. 

And....there's a lot wrong with ....DIAL OF DESTINY.  Bad CGI (is that redundant?).  A seventy-eight year old Ford at times looks ridiculous in the midst of mayhem, though his dedication is never in question.  Somewhat pedestrian direction; Mangold's efforts to ape Spielberg's style are variable.  Some of the chase scenes are fun.  The expected emotional impact just wasn't there....until the final scene, which totally blindsided me.  Had someone told me about it ahead of time, I might've shrugged.  But the actors really make it powerful.  Quietly.  The last images are quite perfect, a nice coda for Indy.  I will not spoil it for you.