And Disney has just checked off another franchise off their list to ruin. Indiana Jones 5 has been getting utterly slaughtered by many critics after the early screenings of the film, and that’s sadly all too predictable with the circumstances surrounding this film.
I really hate how this is going to be the final outing of Harrison Ford and John Williams in this franchise.
Indiana Jones 5 or Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (which is still a God-awful name) has only been out for early screening for a few days, and the critical scores are surprisingly extremely mixed as many usually biased outlets have been giving this movie awful scores. And, to be honest, this is sadly what I was expecting.
I don’t want to make too many judgements or comments on this movie yet given the fact I’ve haven’t seen it (it comes out June 30th), but these reviews and all the promotional material I’ve seen thus far has me believing this movie is even worse than what the critics are making out.
Seriously, how many times in the past 10 years have we seen outlets like IGN (4/10), The Hollywood Reporter (4/10), The Telegraph (4/10), Vanity Fair (5/10), Rolling Stone (5/10), TIME Magazine (5/10), The Independent (6/10), and The Guardian (6/10), all outlets that, if we’re being honest, have not been giving the most critical reviews in years past, give major-corporation/franchise movies a score less than 7/10? Even if the movie is the worst garbage on the face of the earth.
Let me answer that for you: NOT OFTEN.
(Disney/Lucasfilm-Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny-Official Trailer)
Sure, there’s the flowery, asinine reviews out there from outlets like Vulture (7/10) and Collider (6.7/10), but they’re far and few between the numerous 4/10’s I’ve seen on Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes. This movie really must be one of the worst films of 2023 for these outlets to go against the House of Mouse and scathe this film so horribly after all the pomp and circumstance Cannes Film Festival provides these reporters and reviewers.
Nevertheless, I’m not surprised this movie is getting low scores as the trailers and plot leaks have been downright dreadful.
I’m not going to spoil this movie for anyone who hasn’t read the leaks for the reviews, but what was reported in the leaks really isn’t too far off from what I’ve read about the movie so far as the de-aging CGI, rehashing of the Nazis as the primary antagonists, poor CGI and visual effects, and general lack of purpose have all been key sticking points between the leaks and the film reviewers.
As I said, it’s a real shame the legendary Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones…duh) and John Williams (franchise composure) are going to see their legacies tarnished by the corporate greed and incompetence that has plagued Disney and Lucasfilm, but I guess that’s life in the end.
Disney has made the destruction of Lucasfilm and all its beloved franchises (ex: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Willow, etc.) it’s primary goal ever since the 2012 takeover, so it only makes sense that Indy 5 was given the same treatment as the Star Wars sequel trilogy and the Willow sequel T.V. show.
Still, I just hope this failure of a film (if it does indeed prove to be a failure) is the final nail in Kathleen Kennedy’s coffin as the President of Lucasfilm. I hate being cruel and this blunt, but that woman has been a literal plague to every single franchise that has come under her control…literally.
Star Wars and now Indiana Jones have been infected with the Kennedy bug of fan divineness, interjection of unnecessary, modern day political messages, nostalgia-baiting, and a general contempt for the history of the franchise.
I hope I’m wrong and this movie is fantastic, but it doesn’t seem likely at this point.
Images Source: Featured Image: (Disney/Lucasfilm) (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | Official Trailer – YouTube)
In Text Image 1: (Disney/Lucasfilm) (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | Official Trailer – YouTube)
