Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny (two reviews)

#1 Spoiler-free review…

Good to have Indy back but the plot was a hot mess and the film is way, way too long. And the CGI was frankly shonky. The set pieces were all homages to earlier films in the franchise. A sort of greatest hits. Which in of itself was fun. But there were perhaps one too many stage winks to the audience.

Phobe Waller-Bridge was fun. But not really an action heroine. 

It follows that often trod path in many a franchise  the law of diminishing returns:-

Arc was better than Doom

Doom was better than Crusade

Crusade was better than Skull

And Skull is better than Destiny.

Farewell Indiana Jobes. It’s been fun. But time to hang up your hat. 

#2 Spoiler-filled review…

**** Spoilers Below ****  You have been warned!!!

The beginning WWII sequence with the youthful Indy was good but it pretty much went down hill from there. By the end we were just bored. It went on and on. 

And the time travel at the end back to ancient Syracuse was rubbish. Pointless. And the ‘continental drift’ plot twist?!! Do me a favour. 

Continuity was all over the place throughout. 

Goodies caught up and over-took baddies. 

Baddies caught up and over-took goodies. 

What was everyone’s motivation? Money? Kill Hitler? Rescue people? Archimedean manipulation?

A budget of $295m and what dreadful CGI!

Fight on a speeding train? Tick

Car chase through a Western city? Tick

Car chase through a North Africa city? Tick

Fight on a plane? Tick

Another boat turns up on the high seas when you’re not looking? Tick

Silly ending? Tick

Ok, nice to have John Rhys-Davis, Karen Allen, and Antonio Banderas back. 

And of course great to have John Williams score. 

But overall - very disappointing.