42 years ago, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark premiered. Nobody knew it at the time, but this movie would turn into one of the greatest movie series of all time. Fifteen years ago, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) hit the big screens, and fans have been waiting for another one ever since. The newest addition to the chronicles, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, has also been very popular since its release date on June 30, 2023. So far, it has been a rather eye-opening film for the franchise. Joe Kalinowski ‘26, says “It was great to see Indiana Jones back in action, another movie to this series was much anticipated.”
The story follows Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), an archaeologist who is in a race against time to possess a dial that can change history forever. It is not as easy as it might seem, however, as Indiana Jones is also racing against the biggest villain in the film, Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelson) for the dial. The cast for Dial of Destiny can be described as very star-studded as there are other big names such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, and Boyd Holbrook.
An interesting fact about the film is that it used visual effects and new technology to make the star (Harrison Ford), who is 81, look younger. Another fact is that the dial in the film is derived from an actual ancient Greek gadget that could tell the ancient Greeks the rotation of the sun and moon, adding a great historical reference. The film has many features that make it intriguing to people. It is historical, adventurous, and thrilling. Additionally, it brings life to one of the greatest and most popular movie series of all time. In total, Indiana Jones movies have grossed over one billion dollars. Specifically, Dial of Destiny has already grossed over 250 million dollars worldwide. Even though Dial of Destiny sold over 60 million dollars on opening weekend, according to “The Hollywood Reporter.”Dial of Destiny still has not passed it in money gross. Historically, there has been a bad drop off in ticket sales after the first weekend. In the US, sales dropped 56% after its opening weekend premieres, according to Variety. The prices of tickets are way more expensive than they were back in the 80s, but Dial of Destiny currently stands with the worst reviews out of all the movies in the series. It has a series low 69% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although this is not horrible, it is way worse than what was expected. Even though there are many people who think the movie has not lived up to the hype, there are fans who do think it has.
Dial of Destiny is a fast-paced, action-packed, and very adventurous movie that is sure to captivate its fans and audience.
