“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” continues the serial-like adventures of the iconic archeologist. As usual, there is an artifact of inordinate power to be sought. The film’s focus on chase scenes and a thriller of an ending will please audiences who want the excitement of earlier franchise installments. No new ground is broken here, but the movie will provide closure to fans of the Indiana Jones series.
The picture starts with Indy’s favorite foes, the Nazis in 1944. They believe that they have discovered the Lance of Longinus, the spear that pierced Jesus’ side. Hitler desires this object and so it is loaded onto a train to take to Berlin.

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is captured posing as a German officer and thus is branded a spy. His associate, Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) of Oxford is captured as well and taken aboard the treasure train.
Indy narrowly escapes a hanging thanks to Allied bombing. He sneaks onto the train, still in German uniform. Examining the Lance, he determines that it is a fake. This also is the realization of Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), a Nazi astrophysicist officer. But he informs his superior that they have in their possession half of the Antikythera, an ancient dial allegedly created by Archimedes. What this object is purported to do is revealed later in the story.

After a protracted pursuit of Indy from car to car, he, Basil, the German commander and Voller end up on the roof of the train. The commander is killed and Basil and Indy manage to jump into a river before the cars jump the tracks.

Cut to present-day. In this case 1969 after the Apollo 11 astronauts have returned from the moon. In New York City, Indy now is teaching at Hunter College. After one of his classes, a young Englishwoman, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) reveals herself to be Indy’s goddaughter. Indy last had seen Helena when she was 12 when he went to retrieve the half of the Antikythera from Basil. Basil had become obsessed with it.

In a nearby hotel, Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) is revealed to be the man who helped the U.S. get to the moon a la Wernher Von Braun. He is to receive a medal in California for his work but delays his departure because he believes that Indy has hidden the Antikythera half somewhere nearby. This turns out to be true, as Indy, who had promised Basil that he would destroy it, actually hid it in the college’s archives.

Voller and his thugs, abetted by Mason (Shaunette Renee Wilson), a U.S. government agent, arrive at the archives as Indy and Helena are retrieving the Antikythera half. A massive chase scene ensues in the midst of a celebratory parade for the Apollo 11 astronauts. Helena escapes with the artifact.

Indy discovers that Helena is a master criminal. In Tangier, Morocco, he confronts her at an auction she is conducting for the Antikythera. After another chase scene with Voller and company, they head off to Greece to search a shipwreck for a tablet that reveals the location of the other half of the Antikythera. This ultimately leads them to Sicily where they discover the true purpose of the Antikythera and what Voller intends to do with it.

When I heard the title of this newest Indiana Jones picture, I was frankly surprised that the studio went with such a cumbersome moniker. What exactly is a “Dial of Destiny”? At least we knew what the Temple of Doom, the Last Crusade, and the Crystal Skull were.

Not only that, but, in this digital age, why use the word “dial”? Does any young person know what this analog reference means?

There are many chases and fights in this film. I felt that they were excessively drawn out. On the other hand, each of these scenes reminded me of the old movie serials where a single episode might be that week’s chase or fight sequence. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” always had that feel of being an homage to the old cinema serials. So this Indiana Jones installment continues that theme.

The action segments did detract from what little character development could occur. Snippets of dialogue had to substitute for a more thoughtful screenplay in establishing relationships between the principals.
The plot itself is nothing but a forward arc in a tale of treasure hunting. Everything is subsumed to the quest. As a viewer, you are basically left with the choice of did you like the adventure you went on or not.

Most of the exotic locales were reduced to establishing shots and street-level scenes that could have, and may have, been done in a studio. There is some excellent production design inside a cave and in the ending.

The underwater sequences in the Aegean Sea reminded me very much of “Thunderball.” In fact, I wondered if the director had deliberately shot this part of the script in such a way as to evoke a 1960’s film.

Not much use is made of the fact that this film is set in 1969 as far as costumes are concerned. They only really matter in the New York scenes. There is a nice touch where Indy is horrified by his hippie neighbors blaring “Magical Mystery Tour” next door to his apartment.

I was impressed by either the makeup done or the visual effects that made Harrison Ford, now 82, look as young as he did in the Nazi scenes. It took me aback until we came to the movie’s present time and Ford was suddenly his now older self.

Mads Mikkelsen is so low key as Voller that his formidable acting skills are simply wasted here. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is perfect as the vibrant, devil-may-care sidekick to Indy. Ethann Isidore as her protégé Teddy has great screen presence. Ford himself seems to be going through the motions.

Of course I should warn potential viewers that Indy’s fear of snakes manifests as fear of eels that look like moray eels. There also is a creepy bug sequence.

The movie sets up two possible endings. I would have preferred a different one than the one chosen, but the actual conclusion is satisfying as well.

A serviceable installment in the series, but nothing more.

Three out of five stars

In Lucasfilm’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” Harrison Ford returns as the legendary hero archaeologist, starring along with Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”), Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”), John Rhys-Davies (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”), Toby Jones (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”), Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”), Ethann Isidore (“Mortel”) and Mads Mikkelsen (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”). Directed by James Mangold, the film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981, has once again composed the score.