Harrison Ford‘s swan song as Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Junior has been the source of significant buzz since it was revealed that James Mangold was brought on board to helm the film. Trailers and promotional material for the film continued to generate excitement for the film ahead of its June 30th wide release; however, after debuting at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the film’s place in the franchise is already being called into question.
While it’s not all doom and gloom for the fifth entry in the series, early reviews that have been made available via Rotten Tomatoes will certainly cause some concern. Though it’s currently just a small sample size of 26 reviews, only 50% of those who have reviewed the film have had primarily positive things to say about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
While it’s not typically the kind of fare that debuts at Cannes, it is a bit shocking that Ford’s farewell to the character has been so harshly hit. Obviously, at 50%, it’s currently split right down the middle in terms of positive and negative reviews; however, even some of the more positive takes on the film echo some of the negative review’s concerns. Though AwardsWatch’s Ben Rolph calls Dial of Destiny “a thrilling, action-packed swan song for the iconic character“, the Playlist’s Robert Daniels firmly states that “some relics should just stay buried,” calling into question if the new film was necessary. “The jokes, the zest and the exuberance just aren’t there,” said BBC’s Nicholas Barber, adding to that narrative, “so instead of a joyous send-off for our beloved hero, we get a depressing reminder of how much livelier his past adventures were.”
Fortunately, most critics, including Geoffrey Macnab from the Independent, are quick to praise the film’s star in his last turn as Indy. “Harrison Ford is the hero of the hour. He never loses either his scowl or his doggedness. He plays even the flimsiest scenes with conviction and dry humour. His performance carries the movie.” Rolph, who gave the film a B score, added that Ford’s performance in Dial of Destiny is “a fitting end to one of cinema’s greatest action heroes, and one of the most iconic roles of his career, with this film.” With the film set to be screened at least a few more times ahead of its premiere, the Rotten Tomatoes score will certainly change. The only question is whether or not that will be for the best.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
