The new Indiana Jones film is being defended from criticism of its “unrealistic” ending following a disappointing result at the box office.
The fifth film in the franchise, titled Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, was released last week, one month after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
Harrison Ford returns as the archaeologist, whom he first played in 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, for a new adventure alongside Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen.
The film has failed to set the US box office alight after earning $82m (£65.5m) in its first five days, with the global takings so far amounting to $142.50m (£112m). It will need to post a strong showing in the month to come if it’s to make back its budget, which was between $250m (£196m) and $300m (£236m). But it will face stiff competition in the form of blockbusters Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Barbie and Oppenheimer.
What might help its cause is the fact the film is garnering what seems to be shades of a cult fanbase. While receiving middling reviews, Indiana Jones 5 is being defended after many tore into what has been described as a “big swing” twist.
*Spoilers follow – you have been warned*
The film follows Indiana Jones as he takes on Mikkelsen’s villain Jürgen Voller, a Nazi attempting to rewrite history so that Hitler wins the Second World War.
To do this, Indy wants his team to hunt down a device that will enable him to do this. In doing so, time travel is introduced to the franchise.
The introduction of this concept has been criticised by some viewers, who believe time travel to be one “unrealistic” step too far for the film series. However, many others are pointing out that the Indiana Jones franchise has always been unafraid to make bold swings, and that the twist is in keeping with the spirit of the previous films.
Happy Sad Confused podcast jost Josh Horowitz wrote on Twitter: “Has anyone talking about DIAL OF DESTINY’s ‘big swing’ ending actually seen an Indiana Jones movie before? The ones where the Ark melted people’s faces, a guy pulled hearts out of living people, and an ancient warrior guarded the holy grail for thousands of years? Also, aliens.”
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Harrison Ford in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’— (Disney)
Horowitz’s “aliens” comment was referencing the fact that extra-terrestrials were controversially introduced in 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Giancarlo Sopo added: “It’s been funny to see people say the ending of DoD is too fantastical in a franchise where the Ark of the Covenant melts Nazis’ faces off (but you survive if you close your eyes), a guy’s heart is ripped from his chest, and bullet wounds are healed by water from a fictional cup.”
Twitter user @Tidmore waded in: “They’ve always been films that are grounded in reality with a HUGE Dash of the supernatural/Science Fiction.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Brizuela argued: “These films are meant to be silly. Was anyone paying attention to who made the last four.”
This is the first Indiana Jones film that Steven Spielberg did not direct, with the filmmaker stepping away from the project in 2020. However, he remained on board as a producer and, months before the film’s premiere, shared his verdict after it was screened for him.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Harrison Ford in ‘Indiana Jones 5’— (Disney)
Menwhile, some viewers of the film have been left stumped by a major “plot hole”.
Find The Independent’s review of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destin here.
