A disappointing depiction of Indiana Jones.
As a long-time fan of the Indiana Jones franchise, I was eagerly anticipating the release of Harrison Ford’s fifth – and reportedly final – Indy instalment.
Unfortunately, my excitement quickly turned into disappointment, as I witnessed the beloved-titular-character portrayed as a weak and depressed man throughout the film. Towards the end, he literally wants to die.
This isn’t the character I grew up wanting to be! The Indy we all knew and loved was a daring and adventurous treasure-hunting archaeologist. Here, he’s reduced to a mere shadow of his former self. Gone is the charismatic and fearless hero. It was disheartening to see him struggle with his inner-demons and lose his characteristic spark.
The story sees the-famed-Dr Jones race against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history. Accompanied by his goddaughter Helena (British star Phoebe Waller-Bridge), he soon finds himself squaring off against Jürgen Voller (Casino Royale’s Mads Mikkelsen), a former Nazi who works for NASA.
Sounds exciting, right? Not really.
To be fair, there was the occasional glimpses of the older adventures that we cherish – with John Williams’ score providing a decent dose of nostalgia. Sadly, those moments were few and far between. The action sequences, which were once the franchise’s strength, lacked the intensity and excitement we’ve come to expect.
It definitely missed the Steven Spielberg sprinkle of magic.
While I admire acclaimed-director James Mangold (Logan, Ford vs Ferrari and 3:10 to Yuma) for attempting a distinctive storyline – complete with the dreadfully under-utilised and under-written Waller-Bridge – it was simply executed poorly.
The narrative seemed disjointed, with sub-plots failing to add significant value to the overall storyline. It felt like a missed opportunity to deliver a compelling and engaging narrative worthy of the Indiana Jones legacy.
The whole team behind this should receive ten lashings from Indy’s bullwhip – as it’s such a shame that Ford had to ‘down’ his famous Fedora hat in such an anti-climactic finale.
ESP Rating: 2/5
Mikey Clarke
Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough, Out Now
Cast: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Ethann Isidore, Thomas Kretschmann & Karen Allen
Running Time: 2 Hrs 34 Mins
Director: James Mangold