Harrison Ford’s last portrayal as the adventuring archaeologist in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has a lot of expectations. Considering that the last Indy adventure didn’t sit well with audiences, many thought that this could be the one that brought back the magic of the original films.
James Mangold, known for his work as the writer and director of Logan, has taken charge of Harrison Ford’s final Indiana Jones adventure. Given Mangold’s successful track record with films like Logan and Ford v Ferrari, there are high expectations for this project.
However, it’s worth noting that this is the only film in the Indiana Jones franchise that Steven Spielberg did not direct. This makes it a bit of an unknown in terms of its potential performance.
The film was recently shown at the Cannes Festival. And with that, Harrison Ford got a five-minute standing ovation for the movie. He also got a Cannes lifetime achievement award during the event.
But even with all the positive praise for Harrison’s overall performance as the charismatic treasure hunter, it’s not all bells and whistles in his last film as the world’s favourite archaeologist.
The Last Indiana Jones Film Is Not Faring Well
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Reviews of the film have been a mix of positive and negative impressions. While some may say that it’s better than Spielberg’s King of the Crystal Skull with Shia LaBeouf, it’s hard not to see that the score for Dial of Destiny on Rotten Tomatoes is way lower than what people are hoping for.
Right now, as of writing, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has a 52% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes with 31 reviews from film critics. No reviews from audiences yet since the film is still set to release on June 30, 2023.
Esther Zuckerman of The Daily Beast:
The de-aging and other CGI manipulations of Ford’s body only serve to demonstrate that Dial of Destiny just wants to turn back the clock instead of doing anything new.
Robert Daniels of The Playlist:
It’s a sad and safe ending for a series that once prided itself on big escapades and larger-than-life emotions. “Dial of Destiny” shows that some relics should just stay buried.
David Jenkins of Little White Lies:
It’s an improvement on the execrable Crystal Skull, but James Mangold’s exhumation of the Spielberg adventure serial is both tame and unnecessary.
Nicholas Barber of BBC:
The jokes, the zest and the exuberance just aren’t there, so instead of a joyous send-off for our beloved hero, we get a depressing reminder of how much livelier his past adventures were.
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter:
This is a big, bombastic movie that goes through the motions but never finds much joy in the process, despite John Williams’ hard-working score continuously pushing our nostalgia buttons and trying to convince us we’re on a wild ride.
David Ehrlich of indieWire:
“Yesterday belongs to us,” someone says at one point, and when it comes to Indiana Jones, yesterday always will. The problem is that it already did, and today feels like a complete waste of time.
Credit: Lucasfilm
While there are many negative reviews, there are also a lot of positive ones.
Bilge Ebiri of Vulture:
The damn thing is fun. Mangold may not have the young Spielberg’s musical flair for extravagant action choreography (who does?), but he is a tougher, leaner director, using a tighter frame and keeping his camera close.
John Nugent of Empire Magazine:
If you join him for the ride, it feels like a fitting goodbye to cinema’s favourite grave-robber.
Jo-Ann Titmarsh of London Evening Standard:
There are some genuinely moving scenes as we see this fantastic character finally getting ready to hang up his hat for the last time. Thanks, Indy, it’s been quite a ride.
It’s Not Looking Promising For Indiana Jones 5
Credit: Lucasfilm
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s reviews are glaring. It’s hard not to ignore it. But at the same time, I suggest that we do. For the people who enjoyed it, it seems that they did have fun with the film even though some didn’t give high marks, the film is still entertaining.
Maybe movie reviewers are also right, but they can also get it so wrong. Of course, as Harrison Ford’s last outing as the famous Indiana Jones, no one wants this to fail, especially for the fans.
We have to remind ourselves that movie reviewers have a different set of tastes when watching films compared to the mass audience.
An example would be the Super Mario Bros Movie which has a 59% Tomatometer score and also has a Rotten rating. But at the same time, the audiences love it, and it’s gotten to the point that it is the best box office film of this year (so far). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, which had higher reviews, comes in second, but it’s not even close to Nintendo’s film.
Put simply, it’s important not to let the opinions of movie reviewers influence our own enjoyment of the film. Instead, let’s watch it with an open mind and simply have fun experiencing it for ourselves.
What do you think of Indiana Jones 5 getting bad reviews? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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The varied reviews for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” teach us that cinema criticism is subjective and that we should make our own judgments. Some may follow critics’ warnings, while others may enjoy the trip. Despite critics’ opinions, a film’s success is measured by its audience’s enjoyment and satisfaction.