Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny by James Mangold
Review by Anar M., Youth Reviewer
I recently went to see the newest Indiana Jones, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (2023), directed by James Mangold. Indiana Jones’ actor, Harrison Ford, recently turned 81, and has been acting as Indiana Jones since he was 39. It’s interesting to watch an action movie with an older protagonist; I also liked that while there were some romantic subplots (for example, between Indiana Jones and his almost-ex-wife), the main relationship was platonic — between Indiana and his goddaughter Helena.
Plot-wise, the movie is as intense and action-packed as you’d expect from Indiana Jones, featuring (among other things) several car chases and a plane chase through a hurricane. There’s a lost, supposedly powerful ancient artefact (the Antikythera), which Indiana, Helena, and the antagonist Jürgen Voller are all desperately trying to find: Indiana because it’s a priceless historical artefact and belongs in a museum; Helena nominally because she wants to sell it on the black market, but also because her father, Indiana’s friend, was obsessed with finding it until his death; and Voller because he believes it will allow him to travel back in time to WWII and change the outcome. A lot of the fun comes from Helena and Indiana’s reluctant cooperation: they work together against Voller’s group because they both want to stop him from having the Antikythera, but snipe at each other the entire time about what their own goals would be if they got hold of it. It’s fun to watch them slowly reconcile over the course of the film.
All in all, it’s a fun, cohesive movie — a strong conclusion to the Indiana Jones films. Go watch it!
Find “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” at the Kitchener Public Library!