PORTLAND, Maine — [Editor's note: This article is a critical analysis of a film and does not represent the views of NEWS CENTER Maine, but that of the author.]
Harrison Ford returns as the famous archeologist, complete with trademark hat and whip in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."
The last "Indiana Jones" film was released in 2008, and this appears to be Ford's last run with the character.
Story
Last fans saw Indiana Jones (Ford), he had a son and a new (old) flame back in his life. But in 1969, when this movie takes place, he's divorced and grieving a child who died in the Vietnam War.
Pushed into retirement by his university, Jones is drinking in a bar when his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) shows up, asking about an artifact he stole back from the Nazis at the end of World War II.
In a flashback with a much younger Jones, the archeologist boards a Nazi train and steals an ancient Greek artifact from a man named Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen). It was designed by Archimedes (Nasser Memarzia), and Voller believes it possesses a powerful ability through mathematics.
With an archeologist friend named Basil Shaw (Toby Jones), Jones recovers the device and returns home as the Allies win World War II.
In the present day, Helena Shaw steals the dial from Jones as Voller and his men show up, also chasing after it. And soon, Jones is pulled out of retirement and into another globetrotting adventure with tombs, Nazis, and an artifact that could change the course of history.
Analysis
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" wasn't received well by fans of the series, but "Dial of Destiny" corrects course to give the whip-wielding archeologist a safe sendoff.
This movie doesn't cover any new ground and instead doubles down on the hits that made the original trilogy so popular during the '80s.
To his credit, Ford doesn't appear to have missed a step. He's a tired guy whose been shot, chased around the world, tortured, cursed, and more. So when the time comes for one final adventure, audiences will understand why he's so physically and emotionally burdened.
Waller-Bridge never seems to develop any real chemistry with Ford as his goddaughter. The moments they share don't come across as genuine as the movie wants her to straddle a line between good and evil to give audiences a more complex companion for Jones on his last adventure. The result is a mixed success.
Mikkelsen, as expected, makes for a serviceable villain. But that should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen his movies.
Longtime fans should find an adequate conclusion for this 70-year-old hero. And maybe given how "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" turned out, that in itself is the real accomplishment.
"Dial of Destiny" is a little long at more than two-and-a-half hours, but if that's the movie's biggest sin, then it would appear to have accomplished its mission. It's a mission to give Jones one last ride in such a manner as to both keep audiences from falling asleep or walking out of the theater.
Also playing this weekend
Families looking for a new cartoon to watch in theaters can check out "Ruby Gillman Teenage Kracken."
Here's the synopsis: "A shy adolescent learns that she comes from a fabled royal family of legendary sea krakens and that her destiny lies in the depths of the waters, which is bigger than she could have ever imagined."
To see which movies are playing at a theater near you, click here.
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