Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny - The scoop and digest

James Mangold concludes what began in 1981 (or 1936).

Harrison Ford - Indiana Jones

Phoebe Waller-Bridge - Helena 'Wombat' Shaw

Mads Mikkelsen - Dr. Schmidt/Jürgen Voller

Antonio Banderas - Renaldo

John Rhys-Davies - Sallah

Toby Jones - Basil Shaw

Summary

1944.

During World War II, Indiana Jones attempts to retrieve the Lance of Longinus.

After establishing said artefact is a fake, he takes the first part of the Antikythera from Nazi physicist Dr. Schmidt by force, and escapes with fellow archaeologist and colleague Basil Shaw.

August 1969.

Indy's goddaughter Helena Shaw convinces him to find all three parts of the Dial and unlock its secrets.

Meanwhile, Schmidt (true identity Jürgen Voller) has his own agenda for obtaining titular object.

Eye of the Storm

A low bar to clear, but a slight improvement over Crystal Skull.

Opening 25 minutes is classic Indy, but de-aging Harrison Ford means we're concentrating on weird face, rather than what's around him.

An 80-year-old voicing 'younger' self made no sense.

Here's fun - just cast a different actor, a la River Phoenix in The Last Crusade.

Oh, a digital Indy running on top of a train looked like a terrible video game.

Indy cuts a pathetic figure, but at least Ford gives character the send off bullwhip deserves.

Fleabag is a horrible piece of shit, and I really didn't care about anybody else.

Action doesn't belong and CG does all the heavy lifting.  Set pieces are decidedly average and never thrilling.

How Schmidt survived (even though head should've been obliterated) was hilarious.

Ahead of preposterous climax, Voller plans to travel back to 1939 and kill Adolf Hitler, so he can lead Germany to victory in WWII.

But unfortunately for him, they arrive in 214 BC during the Siege of Syracuse.

Just... WHAT?

Before Helena knocks him out, Indy wants to stay with Archimedes and die.

Everything is resolved off screen and so rushed.

A touching reconciliation between Indy and Marian plays out, re-enacting the 'where doesn't it hurt' kissing sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Ignoring other media, franchise should've ended on the big screen after Indy and co rode off into the sunset.