Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – Cineworld, Wood Green – Saturday 15th July 2023

(Rated 7/5) My mum’s support of my teenage obsession with Harrison Ford was the reason Dad got our first VHS recorder on Christmas Eve, 1983. ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ had been released on videocassette in early December, and the VHS tape of it was obtained by Mum as one of my Christmas presents. That cassette was responsible for our choice of VHS over Betamax! Even though I adored Mr Ford, I had not yet seen ‘Raiders’. My brother and I were told we would be allowed to watch it Christmas morning – it would keep us entertained from 5am, so our parents didn’t have to get up until a more reasonable hour! I would then have been sweet sixteen, (weirdly in my head I was younger than that, but that’s how the maths works out!) R2D2 had been my first screen idol when I was 10 years old and saw ‘Star Wars’ after taking my high school entrance exam, and I remember struggling with the lights of the light sabres! However, as soon as puberty hit, that swashbuckling, cheeky Han Solo caught my eye, and a remote, imagined love affair with Harrison started. That first watch of ‘Raiders’ was SO exciting! Harrison was even better as Indiana than as Han Solo, and Marion Ravenwood – played by Karen Allen – was such a superb smart and sassy heroin. She wasn’t just there as love interest, or to look pretty (though she did), she was very much part of the action. She was Indy’s ‘Goddamn partner’! In fact, the scene which introduces Marion to the audience inspired me to have a go at screen writing myself. From Marion in the drinking competition, through ‘Indiana Jones, I always knew you’d come walking back through my door…’ up to ‘See you tomorrow, Indiana Jones’, the audience is told so much about both characters and their back stories. The whole film is a non-stop action-adventure romp, yet not just a boy-film/shoot-‘em-up – the whole structure is beautiful – introducing Indiana Jones right in the thick of one adventure in search of an ancient artefact from the start, through him being a professor at university, to carrying on his journey to discover the ark of the covenant with historical and mystical interest thrown in all the way. It’s an edge of your seat thrill-ride, with poignant calmer character-moments to provide little rests and strong emotional interest in between. All characters are so well developed and have all become so loved by all the Indiana Jones fans. We see the journeys the main characters take via maps on screen – a little like GoogleMaps of today, though of the age (1936). There are comedy moments – that scene when Indy is faced by a swordsman – Harrison had stomach ache – so instead of a long sword fight as scripted, Indy simply takes out his gun and shoots him – and points of high drama and peril. Nazis feature strongly – they wish to use the power of the ark of the covenant for their own ends. It’s a feast for your eyes, ears and heart. All the following Indiana Jones films have a very similar structure – start with action in one adventure, pause for some poignant character-moments, maps showing us the long journeys to wherever, more action in a slightly different adventure, fun, charm, drama and challenges. For me, ‘Temple of Doom’ was disappointing compared to ‘Raiders’, but now notable for a young Ke Huy Quan playing Indy’s side-kick Short Round, who has since won an Oscar for his role in ‘Everything, Everywhere, All At Once’ – presented to him by Harrison. Doom’s heroin was far too yelly and pathetic imho, but notable for being played by Kate Capshaw – director Stephen Spielberg’s wife. I absolutely adored ‘Last Crusade’- most for exploring the relationship between Indy and his dad – Henry Jones Snr – played so wonderfully by Sean Connery – but also bringing back Raiders’ Denholm Eliot as the delightfully dippy museum curator Marcus Brody and John Rhys-Davies as the devoted friendly Sallah. River Phoenix played a young Indy. But no Marion. She returns in ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’, which tbh I have only seen once! It was interesting as had the son to Indy & Marion, played by Shia LeBeouf, and of course Indy and Marion reunited. But that is about all I remember! So, what of ‘Dial of Destiny’ – well right back up there in quality for me. And Harrison has a sensational new side-kick in Phoebe Waller-Bridge – who said yes immediately when offered the role! It is also, for me, notable in relation to the absolutely adorable interviews with Harrison – in many with Phoebe – and seeing how he wanted to tell this story of older Indy – and see him through to the end of his career. All he says is so charged with emotion, and in fact as a Mr Ford Fan, I couldn’t recommend his message to fans re Indy more (https://www.facebook.com/reel/652493883447598), and all the other little videos of him responding to interviewers about his journey with the character. Seeing all those I felt proud of myself for choosing Harrison Ford as my first human screen idol! A genuinely lovely guy, who cares about all the causes we all need to! Phoebe plays Indy’s god-daughter – her father is played by Toby Jones – who is also in search of Archimedes Dial. The film absolutely has all the best and familiar Indy film qualities. And I found myself very interested in the actual history behind Archimedes and doing my own investigations into what was fact and what fiction. This adventure takes Indy on a journey, the likes of which he has never fully faced before. And leads him to a choice with consequences of huge proportions. Me and my friends thought it might be bittersweet and indeed it is. But it is a true testament to Indiana Jones with the kind of resolution I imagine might satisfy most fans.

P.S. I went as a Marion-Indy combo with their ‘baby’ monkey and an Indiana Jones hat, which we all had a go at wearing 😊 P.P.S. I think I’ve pretty much avoided describing plots and giving any spoilers! 😉 Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2023