The franchise's only entry directed by someone new, Dial of Destiny is different from Spielberg's Indiana Jones movies — for better and for worse.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the first in the franchise without Steven Spielberg in the director's chair, and it's different in some key ways. Whether Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones dies at the end or not, Dial of Destiny is the titular hero’s last outing — for real this time. It’s notable for another reason as well, with director James Mangold taking over for Spielberg while tasked with balancing nostalgia and novelty.
In Mangold’s Dial of Destiny, Helena Shaw — played by Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge — is in control of her own fate. “I offer the feeling of choice,” Helena explains of a card trick she performs, “but I ultimately make you pick the one I want.” It’s the perfect encapsulation of her character: a strong-willed person who’s constantly outmaneuvering the men around her — and she also happens to be a woman. And, unlike the franchise’s women who came before her, Helena hardly needs rescuing.
Admittedly, Spielberg also leaned heavily into CGI flourishes in Crystal Skull. Still, in comparing Dial of Destiny with Spielberg’s original trilogy, a glaring difference between the CGI usage and practical effects artistry can be seen in the films’ endings. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, antagonist Belloq opens the Ark of the Covenant, unleashing face-melting, head-exploding chaos that eviscerates him and his Nazi companions.
In Spielberg’s installments, the artifacts in question are sacred or legendary items, but they don’t necessarily serve plot-related purposes. Those who look upon the Ark’s insides are killed, and the true Holy Grail has the power to heal Indy’s father, Henry Jones Sr. . The Crystal Skull has psychic properties of some description, but it doesn’t really lead to new plot developments — it’s an item everyone’s chasing.
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