Attempting to manage expectations is impossible with the latest Indiana Jones film. You are either seeking the glories of the Cairo chase from Raiders of the Lost Arc or bracing for the horrors of fridge nuking in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But tackling an “Old Man Jones” kind of story could work for James Mangold. He already gave us the “Old Man Logan” storyline in Logan to great success, even drawing out elements of Wolverine only seen by comic fans. Could Mangold do the same with Jones? And how will new characters play and fit into the iconic franchise? Indiana Jones has already had one attempted reboot in the 21st century, but how will Dial of Destiney fair is the question of anyone who’s heard that legendary theme song.
“…hunting the very Dial, once found by Indy and her father.”
Dial of Destiney opens with a de-aged Harrison Ford back to his classic whip-wielding Indy ways during the final days of WWII. Jones and his partner Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) are sneaking into a Nazi camp in search of the “Lance of Longinus,” the fabled blade that pierced Christ and is said to have extraordinary power. After fighting through legions of soldiers and realizing the Lance is a fraud, the two soon discover something much more powerful, “Archemdis Dial.” Indy and Basil find themselves in a train heist ripped from the serials of Spielberg’s youth as the two steal the Dial from German Physicist Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen). In the chaos of bombs, machine gun fire, and cracking whips, the Dial is lost in the battle; or so Jones and Basil led the world to believe.
It’s now 1969, almost twenty-five years after Jones’ brush with Dial, and Indy is retiring from his tenure of teaching Archaeology. It seems the world has moved on in the shadow of the moon landing, and Doctor Jones may have been left behind. Thus enters the daughter of Basil Shaw and Jones’ goddaughter, Helena (Pheobe Walker-Bridge), who so happens to be hunting the very Dial, once found by Indy and her father. The reunion is short-lived as the now-defected Nazi, Voller, still seeks the Dial in an attempt to succeed where Hitler failed. Callbacks to the originals and a few cameos follow as Indy and Helena begin their quest for Dial of Destiny.
