First off, I'd like to acknowledge that Hollywood and Big Mouse have generated some seriously woke dumpster fires in recent memory.
Some that were so bad that they have taken measures to erase them from history...(Willow T.V. series comes to mind)
It is painful to watch nostalgia get out right Exploited for an agenda.
Now...perhaps Indy 5 has all the warning signs of that same formula.
That is not the case, though.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the fifth installment of one of the greatest adventure movie franchises to exist in the history of cinema.
You are going to see Indy punch Nazi's again and honestly, that alone was worth seeing on the big screen.
I would say that the Helena character and her side kick come off more as fellow adventurers on par with Crusade's Elsa. She is no hero, she is damn near a villain, to be honest. It works, though.
For Indy 5, She is a great fit.
Indy has been dealing with some seriously heavy stuff since the last movie and this unexpected adventure helps snap him out of it.
It is non stop adventure and if you are or were a fan of the series, you will regret not seeing this one on the big screen.
Is it the best, no...
Probably 3rd best.
If this Nerd were to rank the indy films...
It would be
1, 3, 5, 2, 4
That is just an opinion, though.
Final thoughts...
An enjoyable Summer Action flick that visits with a familiar hero and takes you on an adventure.
Enjoy the popcorn, sneak in the candy from the dollar store and go watch a chase for Fortune and Glory in...
yo man Conspiracy theory time. Are they ruining movies on purpose? Are there fake critics out there writing scathing reviews on purpose? Is the media falsely reporting poor ticket sales?
I have serious doubts about what I see reported these days, so much is false and misleading. No one punishes official media, but private citizens with opinions do get punished.
Some of the reviews blame Kathleen Kennedy, claiming she takes pride in producing flops. That seems counterintuitive, but the way the world acts since January 2020 I can believe it. Other reviewers claim that Helena actress was so happy to punch out Indy. I don't know if that's a true quote, again these days it seems believable.
We're living in a Bizaro world. I liked the movie, and whatever problems the film had paled in comparison to the megaplex cinema I saw it in. Regal theaters have ruined once great cinemas. But I'm getting off track.
If the Indy story is going to continue, pass the torch to Short Round, played by Ke Huy Quan, if he wants it. Don't make him an Indy clone, but it's the spirit of adventure. Positive up-beat stories. Clear cut good versus evil. Action, suspense. Good old-fashioned story telling.