Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

We went to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth installment in the Indiana Jones film series whuich has had a mixed reviews from critics but I'm glad we ignored any of them as it was very much in the mould of the previous movies and very entertaining.

The film's story centres around the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient Greek artifact that we now know is hand-powered orrery and described as the oldest known example of an analogue computer used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance. That said, in the movie, it's also called the Dial of Destiny and attributed to Archimedes, an ancient Greek scientist well-known for running around in the buff while shouting "eureka", and supposedly it can be used to reveal the location of time fissures, wormholes through which one could travel back and forward in time.

The tale begins in 1944, near the end of World War II, and the Nazis are plundering arts and treasures as they retreat and pile it all on a train bound for Germany. In steps Indiana (Harrison Ford or at least his CGI-enhanced younger self) as he's heard they have the Spear of Destiny, the weapon with which the Roman centurion Longinus pierced the side of Christ on the cross. Here is also where we first meet this movie's Nazi villain, Dr. Voller (Mads Mikkelson). He and his thugs are also after the Spear.

Without wishing to reveal any spoilers, they also discover the Dial of Destiny on the train and as both Indy and Voller struggle to possess it, it's lost in the scuffle. Then we jump forward 25 years and, as Indy is set to retire, fate steps in as again Voller and his henchmen show up looking for the Dial and so does Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), his old collegue Basil Shaw's (Toby Jones) daughter.

So, we have the hero, the villain and the femme fatale in place and things just go action mad from there on as the two, sometimes three groups vie for possesion of the mystical device.

John Rhys-Davies is back as Sallah as is Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood and, with Denholm Elliot sadly gone, we have a very good replacement geek sidekick in the form of Toby Jones and even Antonio Banderas pops up as a Greek sponge diver.

All I can say is we both enjoyed it. It's a standard Indiana Jones romp and yes, it has some flaws and unlikelihoods but they all do. Yes, pedants, we don't know if Archimedes invented the Antikythera mechanism and maybe you could fly without a passport back then but it's all enjoyable hokum so just sit back and eat the popcorn.

Thoroughly entertaining 9/10 😀