'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' Review

 

Synopsis: Archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history.

Runtime: 142 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of violence and action, language, and smoking.)

Who should see it? Fans of Harrison Ford and Indiana Jones eager to see the final installment in the franchise.

Raiders of the Lost Ark debuted in movie theaters 42 years ago. From the creative minds of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, an iconic action hero was born. Regardless of your feelings towards Raiders, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, or Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the character of Indiana Jones has endured and remains one of the most daring heroes to ever grace the silver screen. I'm not here to relitigate those films but think it's worth mentioning that I enjoy all four to varying degrees. Alongside Star Wars, the Indiana Jones series is another Lucasfilm franchise that meant a lot to me growing up. Needless to say, I was very excited when a fifth entry was announced. At the time, Spielberg was set to direct. It felt serendipitous that Spielberg and Harrison Ford would explore the aged archeologist in his twilight years. Though, it can certainly be argued that they'd done so already in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull... 

In the seven years since a fifth Indiana Jones movie was announced, several screenwriters came and went while Spielberg ultimately vacated the director's chair. Spielberg remained an executive producer on the project but wanted to pass the bullwhip off to another filmmaker for a fresh perspective. James Mangold was then brought on and had the unenviable task of stepping into the shoes of Steven Spielberg, not to mention bringing this beloved series to a close. To further complicate matters, Harrison Ford was 78 years old when the cameras started rolling and production found itself amidst a global pandemic. To say Dial of Destiny had a troubled production would be putting it mildly. 

Ford sustained a shoulder injury while rehearsing a fight scene, and was unable to film for three months, but Mangold persevered. Action scenes involving Indy were shot with a stunt double, and Ford's face was digitally imposed in post-production. Meanwhile, the production budget ballooned to nearly $300 M, making Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny one of the most expensive movies ever made. I preface my thoughts on Dial of Destiny with all of this because I think it's worth noting all the hurdles Mangold and his crew had to overcome. And I commend them for that. 

Unfortunately, I left the theater disappointed by Dial of Destiny. As I alluded to earlier, even the lesser Indiana Jones adventures benefited from simply having Steven Spielberg behind the camera. He's one of the greatest living filmmakers, so his direction tends to elevate even subpar scripts. I admire much of Mangold's work, and Ford v Ferrari actually gave me the confidence he'd be a natural fit for an Indiana Jones movie. Ford v Ferrari marries the sensibilities of old-school storytelling with contemporary filmmaking. With Indiana Jones, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg delivered thrilling action and adventure that harkened back to pulpy serials while pushing the boundaries of special effects. Spielberg's successor needed to follow suit if they hoped to recapture the spirt of the series.

Dial of Destiny underwhelmed me for many reasons, but the source of my disappointment can be traced back to a half-baked script and uninspired filmmaking. The ending of the film is functional, but the payoffs don't feel earned. The groundwork for a bonkers and mostly satisfying third act has been haphazardly lain. Mangold seems to be interested in the idea of Indiana Jones being past his prime, yet Indy's age is not actively an impediment to the action. It's occasionally brought up as a means of comic relief or a slight inconvenience, but Indy marches on. He rarely struggles as a result of pushing 80 years old, so the discussion around it fails to resonate as intended. He rides a horse through New York City and jumps between moving tuk-tuks in Morocco with youthful vigor. He sure doesn't seem 80!

For a series that's usually highly regarded for its craft, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a pale imitation of everything that came before it. James Mangold is no Steven Spielberg. Nobody is. But I've seen plenty of evidence throughout Mangold's filmography that he is a talented director capable of greatness. Indiana Jones is synonymous with thrilling adventure, yet the action is dull and woefully generic. The set pieces are frenetically edited, and lack visual clarity and a sense of geography, making it very difficult to follow along. Aside from featuring a rousing John Williams score and some familiar faces, Dial of Destiny is indistinguishable from other contemporary blockbusters. 

Donning the trademark fedora for his final adventure, Harrison Ford is actually one of the film's saving graces. Despite his age, there is no question of Ford's commitment to closing out this chapter of his career. Opposite Ford as Indy's god-daughter, Phoebe Waller-Bridge brings a sardonic wit to Helena Shaw that reminded me of her character from the Prime Video series Fleabag. Unfortunately, this feels woefully out-of-place and I found the character a tad obnoxious for the first two-thirds of the movie. Her one-liners felt far too modern seeing as Dial of Destiny was set in 1969. There's also not enough attention devoted to their relationship, so the eventual resolution of that storyline feels insincere.

Among the supporting cast, Indy has plenty of new allies and adversaries portrayed by Ethann Isidore, Toby Jones, Antonio Banderas, and Mads Mikkelsen among others. Isidore's Teddy serves as this film's Short Round analog, tagging along with Helena for the adventure. Mikkelsen's Dr. Voller quickly proves himself to be a formidable antagonist, while his henchmen played by Boyd Holbrook and Olivier Richters felt destined to face off against Indiana Jones. Jones and Banderas also feel at home as friends of Indy but have little to work with. Similarly, John Rhys-Davies returns as Sallah for a glorified cameo. If you've seen the trailers, his "Give them hell, Indiana Jones!" line makes up about a quarter of his screen time, so don't expect him to stick around for long when he shows up. 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny desperately hopes to unearth your adoration for this franchise without fully understanding why audiences gravitated to this series in the first place. This franchise has endured for over 40 years due to its ingenuity. There's a creative spark with Indiana Jones that set it apart from everything else. Dial of Destiny sorely missed the Lucas & Spielberg touch, so it's the first Indiana Jones movie that feels like it was slapped together on an assembly line. I'm not sure this one belongs in a museum. 

Film Assessment: C

'Doctor Strange' Review

Doctor Strange is perhaps Marvel Studios' strangest endeavor yet. Marvel Studios has sustained this boom of the comic book movie genre by continually exploring new avenues. Sure, they may not have had a truly memorable villain since Loki but Marvel should be commended for it's ability to take obscure comic book heroes and make them part of the mainstream consciousness. Now, it's time for the Sorcerer Supreme to enter the fold and bring magic into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I've been quite excited for Doctor Strange since it's announcement and subsequently my anticipation has grown with each new trailer, and the special IMAX event I attended a few weeks ago that showcased fifteen minutes of footage from the film only amplified my excitement a thousandfold, so without further ado it's time to learn what I thought of the Sorcerer Supreme's first outing after two viewings.

'Doctor Strange' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects.

In Doctor Strange an arrogant noteworthy neurosurgeon, Stephen Strange, finds himself in shambles after a horrific car accident destroys the nerve endings in his hands. Strange exhausts all his resources to find a cure and it's only when he's on his last leg that he hears tale of Kamar Taj, the gathering place for the masters of the mystic arts. Naturally, Strange ventures there and his life is changed forever once he's introduced to another plane of existence and means to manipulate matter through magic. He then must train to help defend the multiverse from otherworldly threats that seek to destroy not only our world, but the multiverse at large.

Doctor Strange is the fourteenth feature film to join the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe and despite being the fourteenth film in the franchise it manages to break new ground by exploring the supernatural side of the MCU.

Doctor Strange only stands to benefit from being a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, seeing as the groundwork for the Sorcerer Supreme's debut was lain far earlier than many would expect thanks to a Stephen Strange name-drop in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the vibrant color palette and out of this world visuals from Guardians of the Galaxy, and the small trip into the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man. Even though Doctor Strange is a part of the MCU, it manages to feel like it's own standalone corner of the universe. Sure, they pepper in a few references pointing towards the Avengers but the references are done in such a way that you understand why these sorcerers haven't interacted with the greater Marvel universe to this point.

Scott Derrickson takes up the position of director and with his foresight manages to effectively bring Doctor Strange into the MCU. Derrickson does an excellent job translating Steve Ditko's psychedelic renderings to the big screen with next level visual effects that blew my mind, thanks to the team of visual effects artists, and the sound design and production design further the authenticity of these spells and alterations to reality. Magic in Doctor Strange is distinct from things you would find in Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings and truly unlike any cinematic magic I've seen.

The action sequences Derrickson and his crew employ are some of the most visually inventive action sequences Marvel has executed to date, always daring to go places no person would ever think of as matter and reality itself are shaped to conform to the will of the inhabitants of Kamar Taj and the other magicians of the MCU. The cinematography is also quite eye-catching as it dives straight into these kaleidoscopic foldings of reality, the combination of which easily making Doctor Strange Marvel's boldest visual palette yet. I've seen the film once in 2D and once in IMAX 3D and must say that this is a case where I feel 3D makes a significant difference in terms of viewing experience and it's the best way to experience these spellbinding visuals.

With that being said, the story arcs in the screenplay penned by Derrickson, Jon Spaihts, and C. Robert Cargill evoke a lot of Marvel's previous origin stories but I think that has more to do with the similarity of the source material. For example, how Stephen Strange starts out extremely arrogant but becomes a hero through tragedy like Tony Stark, the means to the end are different but the general arc is similar. This doesn't bother me, considering that the plot specifics are remarkably different but some viewers may find it a tad annoying.

People also may draw comparisons to Inception and Batman Begins, but the similarities are vague in that Doctor Strange takes Inception's dreamlike reality folding to a whole other level in the mirror dimension and Bruce Wayne and Stephen Strange seek different training and forms of help. The script admittedly has less humor than typical Marvel faire such as Ant-Man or Guardians of the Galaxy, but when the gags hit they landed with a splash.

The screenplay does a great job of placing focus on characters that deserve it, for example Rachel Palmer as the love interest is a secondary character and her character arc never stepped over Strange's arc, she was given the ideal amount of screen time and attention. I'd say Michael Giacchino's oriental-inspired score is worth noting for bringing a sense of heroism, eastern influence, and further adding to the trip visuals. With a A-list cast, the performances in Doctor Strange are unsurprisingly bar none.

Benedict Cumberbatch is drop dead perfect in the role of Stephen Strange. Cumberbatch played the arrogant prick to a tee and then makes a convincing changed likable hero as the film progresses and I can't wait to see his interaction with the Avengers in Avengers: Infinity War.

People can complain as much as they want about the "whitewashing" or "gender-bending" of the Ancient One but Tilda Swinton makes a grand wise Yoda-like mentor to Strange and the other sorcerers of Kamar Taj.

Chiwetel Ejiofor's Karl Mordo makes a fun companion to Strange and their difference of opinion makes for an interesting peer dynamic. Benedict Wong plays Wong to be a steel-faced librarian of Kamar Taj but despite his serious expression, when placed opposite Cumberbatch allows for some of the film's funniest moments.

Rachel McAdams doesn't have too much to do as Christine Palmer but when she's on screen she has a vital role as Strange's support system. Could she have been replaced with any doctor? Yeah, but McAdams' chemistry with Strange is great and she brings a sense of realism to the film as a ER nurse.

Mads Mikkelsen's Kaecilius is admittedly another flat Marvel villain but he at least has a sense of purpose and motive. Mikkelsen in fact elevates the role through his natural gravitas, feeling like a foreboding ominous presence when onscreen, but beyond that is another wasted villain due to lack of development.

In conclusion, I wouldn't say Doctor Strange is Marvel's best or it's worst effort to date but it definitely hinges towards the top of the list as their most ambitious and unique origin story thus far thanks to the mind blowing visual effects, technical prowess, strong and clear direction, compelling characters, superb performances, and a fun bunch of compositions from Giacchino.

Film Assessment: A-