Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (June 30th, 2023)

[xipotec]

Welp, going Friday to see it for myself....

I am pretty wasy on modern films , being a realist, I know the likes of Fury Road or BR2049, are rare for sequels these days.

All I want out of a cinema experience is a fun time.

The hate I have for KOTCS cannot be understated,....So I have no illusions of enjoying it more than that dumpster fire.....

For me, the question will be where it lands. I was older than most of you when I saw TOD and TLC.....its not secret that I do not like TOD...

 

[Raiders March]

Nothing makes up for gruesome deaths -- Forrestal, Satipo, Barranca, Ratty Nepalese, Mechanic, Toht, Dietrick, Belloq, Mola Ram, Chief Guard, Donovan, Vogel, even Dovchenko and Spalko.

Taking out 'you know who' was good though.


















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And the old german solider that Indy runs over... Don't forget him, that would have cut him in half

 

[Wor-Gar]

And the old german solider that Indy runs over... Don't forget him, that would have cut him in half

I like the thugee Indy punches off the mine cart who falls on the tracks only to get hit by the pursuing mine cart that is then derailed! Good times!

 

[Wor-Gar]

I know the likes of Fury Road or BR2049, are rare

This is no Fury Road or BR2049... be prepared. And expect the worst. That's what I did.

We're bickering about whether this is the 4th or 3rd best Indy movie. Come on, honestly, that's not too good.

 

[Khev]

Yeah if "needs to be better than Temple of Doom" is one of your requirements then uh.....I think it's going to be a long two and a half hours, lol.

 

[davejames]

If he didn't care for TOD then he's going to absolutely haaaaaate this movie.

 

[punisher1974]

I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. Ford and Mikkelson made for a great hero villain dynamic. Much better ending for the character than Crystal Skull. For me the movie falls around Last Crusade for sure but don't know where it is ultimately. I love Connery in Crusade so that may edge it out but I really liked Indy essentially seeing the past he taught about and his resignation to being a man out of time and wanting to stay there. I am glad he didn't get that ending and got some closure with Marion. Great seeing Sallah and I liked seeing Banderas but wish he got more time as Indy's friend in the movie. And as far as Ford in Expendables 3 he replaced Willis's character as the boss and Chopper pilot.

 

[JAWS]

Good review though I obviously disagree about TLC being better.

I think that the prologue *was* set up to be the "great or memorable action scene" and in that it may have succeeded seeing how many people have said that that sequence alone was worth the price of admission.

I was also a little bummed that none of the three main bad guys had uniquely gruesome on-screen deaths. Maybe the bad guy from Logan should have been one of the soldiers on the plane to get impaled by a ballista at the very least. Oh well, beats getting taken about by a bunch of fat kids and some grass, lol.

I also was expecting Short Round to make an appearance but ended up not being bothered that he didn't.

Part of the problem was that the best scene was the opening. After that nothing came close so you were high and dry for the rest of the film.

I did find myself very often while watching that this film was as good as if not better than TLC. Better villains for sure. But TLC had the Tank chase and nothing in DOD touches that scene imo , not even the beginning. I actually preferred the horse chase and buggy bike chase to the Boat scene and motorcycle/ plane chase in TLC. But TLC saved its best for last and that’s the way to do it if you are only going to have one remarkable action scene. Plus Henry Jones is better than Lady Jones. But it took the classic tank scene to squeak it out for me as the better Indy film. But I can see why people would like this better than TLC for sure and I won’t put up much of an argument. Take the tank scene out and that move is a 4/10 at best

Film need short round I don’t care what anyone says lol

I don’t think the filmmakers realize that people love Short Round now and that TOD is more well liked than it was. Hell I even love Willie Scott. I mean all anyone talked about after this years Oscar’s was that reunion between Indy and Shorty. They should have done one last reshoot.

 

[Mandible]

Holy crap!!!!

Never even heard of it???

14.5 million dollar budget, 2000 less screens, and will actually turn a profit - just knocked off DUD.

If this doesn't tell Hollywood they need to get their **** together, I doubt anything will.

 

[JAWS]

2nd best: fight with Mechanic at the Wing

How did you guys miss that one?

1. Truck Chase - Raiders
2. Mechanic Fight - Raiders
3. Tank Chase - TLC
4. Mine Car Chase - TOD
5. Slave Children Rescue - TOD (JW score is MVP)
6. Bridge scene - TOD
7. Germany opening - DOD
8. Ravenwood’s bar fight - Raiders
9. Basket Chase - Raiders
10. Fertility Idol scene - Raiders
11. Club Obi Wan - TOD
12. Motorcycle Chase - KOTCS
13. Horse Chase - DOD

You can keep the rest

 

[Entropy]

I’m a lifelong Indy fan and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this one especially after Crystal Skull. It’s not perfect but I had a lot of fun watching and smile walking out of the theater. The good definitely outweighed the bad.

 

[JAWS]

Holy crap!!!!

Never even heard of it???

14.5 million dollar budget, 2000 less screens, and will actually turn a profit - just knocked off DUD.

If this doesn't tell Hollywood they need to get their **** together, I doubt anything will.

To be fair that film had a pay it forward campaign. You could buy tickets for people that could not afford them. I actually did that as I believe the subject matter in this film is important. Going to go see it tomorrow night. It got the Mel Gibson seal of approval

I guess Disney tried to bury the film as it was part of 20th Fox when they bought that. Actor and crew put in own monie to finish… something like that. IDK could all be Internet BS.

Either way that’s not good BO for Indy. and yes Hollywood needs to wake up

 

[Raymond F.]

There’s a couple of people in here who seem hell bent on trying to over explain their hatred for this film… citing the box office bomb, this or that and anything else they can grasp at as to why it’s an abomination.

I saw the film last Thursday, popped in to see precisely what one friend here, a loyal Indy fan, had to think about it, I saw he felt by in large the same as I did and that's really one of the only opinions that I was genuinely curious about

My advice to these couple of fellas who can’t seem to let it go : let it go. This film isn’t winning any awards no one is saying it’s the second coming. But if you put Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in 2023 that film would suck.

But for what it was in it’s time and place it was of a high caliber.

I’m this day and age dial of destiny is a mediocre film. But it’s a good Indians Jones film.

It wasn’t necessary but it happened. And it’s not trying to change the world, it is what it is. And what it is is a just fine enjoyable Indy outing.

Just chill the hell out. No one is taking away the first three films of you like this you like it if not then that’s all good too.

 

[Mandible]

To be fair that film had a pay it forward campaign. You could buy tickets for people that could not afford them. I actually did that as I believe the subject matter in this film is important. Going to go see it tomorrow night. It got the Mel Gibson seal of approval

I guess Disney tried to bury the film as it was part of 20th Fox when they bought that. Actor and crew put in own monie to finish… something like that. IDK could all be Internet BS.

Either way that’s not good BO for Indy. and yes Hollywood needs to wake up

Just looked up about it.... never heard of the film before half an hour ago. Trailer looks so intense.

Apparently the pay it forward was made of 2.5M, so still pretty amazing for a no-name film in the middle of the summer blockbusters.

 

[Mandible]

There’s a couple of people in here who seem hell bent on trying to over explain their hatred for this film… citing the box office bomb, this or that and anything else they can grasp at as to why it’s an abomination.

I saw the film last Thursday, popped in to see precisely what one friend here, a loyal Indy fan, had to think about it, I saw he felt by in large the same as I did and that's really one of the only opinions that I was genuinely curious about

My advice to these couple of fellas who can’t seem to let it go : let it go. This film isn’t winning any awards no one is saying it’s the second coming. But if you put Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in 2023 that film would suck.

But for what it was in it’s time and place it was of a high caliber.

I’m this day and age dial of destiny is a mediocre film. But it’s a good Indians Jones film.

It wasn’t necessary but it happened. And it’s not trying to change the world, it is what it is. And what it is is a just fine enjoyable Indy outing.

Just chill the hell out. No one is taking away the first three films of you like this you like it if not then that’s all good too.

Highly disagree with this statement.

Raiders is studied in film schools around the world to this day because it's a perfectly structured script.

It's not full of 2023 CGI fake as **** looking effects like DUD - even Tom Cruise was talking about why he does his own stunts because it registers with an audience on a conscious and subconscious level that there are things at stake. Dud doesn't have anything that feels real it in; fantastical setting or not. So if it was released now, as a new IP without baggage, I think it would be very successful.

As for the rest of your points - all fair and well said.

 

[jsgord58]

I won't watch this film until 2033. We should have a better perspective on it by then.

 

[Entropy]

There’s a couple of people in here who seem hell bent on trying to over explain their hatred for this film… citing the box office bomb, this or that and anything else they can grasp at as to why it’s an abomination.

I saw the film last Thursday, popped in to see precisely what one friend here, a loyal Indy fan, had to think about it, I saw he felt by in large the same as I did and that's really one of the only opinions that I was genuinely curious about

My advice to these couple of fellas who can’t seem to let it go : let it go. This film isn’t winning any awards no one is saying it’s the second coming. But if you put Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in 2023 that film would suck.

But for what it was in it’s time and place it was of a high caliber.

I’m this day and age dial of destiny is a mediocre film. But it’s a good Indians Jones film.

It wasn’t necessary but it happened. And it’s not trying to change the world, it is what it is. And what it is is a just fine enjoyable Indy outing.

Just chill the hell out. No one is taking away the first three films of you like this you like it if not then that’s all good too.

There are certain people who take great pleasure and glee in being negative and constantly sharing their negativity. It’s a strange and short sighted approach to life, Frequently Announcing Rotten Thoughts.

Luckily F.A.R.T.s are usually loud and can be easily detected generating a stink cloud around themselves like Pig Pen from The Peanuts.

 

[Felinx]

Really need a side-by-side before I see DoD again to rank it - gonna watch TOD and TLC in the next few days. Haven't actually watched them start to finish in a great many years.

I had pretty much the same reaction to this as I did to TLC back in the day (like a 7/10), though HF still looks great in TLC, it had Connery, and the tank chase is very "Indy cool" (blimp was sort of fun but marred by some mediocre effects and silliness.) So I think right now TLC still lands firmly above DoD.

DoD didn't have anything especially standout for the Indy cool list for me, but the good still outweighed the bad. The ending was a fun idea and some really nice visuals but it felt just so far out of the realm of believability for me (even in the Indy world), like Monty Python as an action movie. It was more the villains and authenticity (the way the Germans are in opening, and the random killings) at times that I liked, and it was kinda fun to see Indy in the 1960s.

But that first 20 minutes is what really brought it way up to TLC for me. Just so much fun.

 

[Prime Clone]

DOD was good but KOTCS was better.

And neither of them were as good as TLC.

The biggest flaw in DOD for me was the same as FR: the titular character took a backseat to the sidekick. I don't care if they're male or female. At least in KOTCS Indy was still the lead.

Spoiler

However I did think Mutt's whole setup was wasted and couldn't shake the feeling a male had been killed off to make way for a female.

 

[Raiders March]

Connery makes me laugh Every..single.. time. The banter between father and son and their odd relationship is the true appeal for me with Crusade.
Some of the effects are a bit clunky and haven’t aged well but the film has heart. And, for now, unless on next viewings of DoD I’m swayed, The Last Crusade holds firm in third spot

And yes, I’ve seen it many, many times. But not as much as Raiders!