‘Indiana Jones’ and the just-fine last adventure
The latest (last?) Indy adventure, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” falls squarely in the “Okay” bin alongside “Temple of Doom” and “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” It avoids the silliness of “Crystal Skull” and the shrill character dynamics of “Temple of Doom” but nevertheless suffers from overlength and questionable visual effects.
In fact, slice off the first 20 minutes or so of “Dial of Destiny” and this swan song for Harrison Ford’s whip-yielding archeologist would be a solid, old-fashioned blockbuster. The opening, unfortunately, deploys still-undercooked “de-aging” effects to give Indy a 1945-set action set-piece onboard a Nazi train where dastardly astrophysicist Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen, the absolute perfect casting for an Indy-villain) hopes to steal an ancient Syracusan dial that could unlock the fabric of time and space.
The rubber-faced Harrison Ford of the opening flashback still growls like the now-80-year-old version, and the night-set action sequence relies on artificial backdrops for its most spectacular moments. A “Star Wars”-style prologue crawl could provide the necessary introduction, save precious screentime and avoid the de-aged Indy altogether without losing much in terms of necessary plot.
Once old-man Ford enters the movie proper, “Dial of Destiny” eventually tightens into a fun, globe-trotting adventure. On the brink of retirement, and his marriage to series mainstay Marion Ravenwood seemingly on ice, Indy finds himself entangled in another race to find the dial, this time led by his money-obsessed goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). The “Fleabag” writer and star injects the movie with a few dashes of comedy, and she serves as a decent foil to Indy without relying on tired, “You’re so old…” gags at Ford’s expense.
“Dial of Destiny” is directed by James Mangold (“Logan,” “Ford v. Ferrari”), taking over for Steven Spielberg. The film is competently made but missing the visual clarity of a Spielberg effort (even the much-maligned “Crystal Skull” boasts terrific action sequences and cinematography choices that are very much missed here).
Story wise, the third act takes a big swing that might divide audiences, but the conflict gives both Ford and Mikkelsen satisfying character arcs. You also get a novel “creepy-crawly” scene, some tomb-based puzzle solving and an auto rickshaw chase through Tangier. The nostalgia-baiting is surprisingly minimal, and the franchise familiar faces/surprises are artfully deployed.
At two-and-a-half hours, “Dial of Destiny” lacks the narrative energy of Indiana Jones’ greatest adventures. Just show up to the theater late and dodge CGIndy altogether.
Sundance breakout ‘Past Lives’ an engrossing almost-romance
A stunning feature debut from writer/director Celine Song, “Past Lives” evokes the best moments of Richard Linklater’s “Before” series while carving out its own unique narrative voice.
Na Young and Teo Yoo are smitten middle school classmates until Na Young’s family immigrates to Canada. Na Young changes her name to Nora, and 24 years pass before she and Teo Yoo finally prepare to meet again in person.
Nora (Greta Lee) is a playwright married to Arthur (John Magaro) living in New York City when now-engineer Teo Yoo (Hae Sung) finally leaves Korea for a trip to visit Nora in America. After a brief online reconnection 12 years prior, Teo Yoo still hopes their long-severed relationship can be rekindled.
“Past Lives” takes a linear approach to this decades-long story, though the film’s first two acts are economically crafted to allow the second half of the film to focus on the reunion. Nora, who holds no romantic feelings for Teo Yoo, nevertheless struggles to face the magnetic connection she has for her childhood friend, all while her white husband feels the strain of the cultural differences lingering between them.
Song masterfully strikes an engrossing balance between this sorta-love triangle, emphasized by subtle-but-complex work from the trio of actors here. It funnels into a wrenching and deeply satisfying final act that leaves these characters ruminating about the past, the future, and all the possible connections between the two. A small-but-powerful drama worthy of the hype.
• • •
Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.