WARNING: The following article contains minor spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Recommended VideosIndiana Jones’ final showdown, his big send-off, finally arrived in theaters this week after what felt like an agonizing wait. Although reviews scattered online seem in favor of the fifth and final installment in the much-loved franchise, there’s one common gripe with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny that fans can’t seem to shake off.
In the opening 20-25 minutes of the movie, we see a younger Harrison Ford and his then-colleague Basil Shaw, a fellow archaeologist from Oxford, captured by Nazis while attempting to retrieve the Lance of Longinus. The pair are interrogated by the Nazis, but Jones eventually escapes and rescues Shaw, jumping from a train loaded with stolen antiques. On the surface, nothing seems particularly wrong with that scene, but plenty of disgruntled viewers have spotted a major flaw: poor de-aging technology.
As you’ll glimpse in the GIF below, Dial of Destiny‘s de-aging efforts are incredibly patchy. Rather than simply casting a younger actor in Ford’s likeness, the Lucasfilm made the decision to de-age Ford, who’s about to be 81 years old. As several tweets point out, the de-aged version of Indiana Jones doesn’t physically match up with Ford’s raspy, 80-year-old voice… and that can be rather distracting.
The de-aging stuff in DIAL OF DESTINY is the crowning example of why studios need to stop de-aging actors in movies. The first 20 minutes of this film are so distracting because the technology does not match with Harrison Ford’s grizzled, 80-year-old voice. Just stop, studios. pic.twitter.com/BdP3H0oFS2
— Sean (@SeanJ8) June 30, 2023#DialOfDestiny is kind of great tbh! Big fun Indiana Jones romp, Ford is GREAT, my only complaints are some dodgy de-aging (just cast younger actors!!) and the odd janky green screen – but story itself is a FUN. ROMP.
(Also, it succeeds in a big way where Crystal Skull failed.) pic.twitter.com/e2sAFaS3tJ
— Seán Connolly (@TheSonicScrew) June 30, 2023#DialOfDestiny Get in! It didn’t suck and (some rubbery de-aging aside) was actually pretty good! The last act is a big swing that I enjoyed more than I thought I would #relieved
— Paul Claydon (@Mr_Claydon) June 30, 2023Although many are suggesting that Dial of Destiny succeeded where Crystal Skull failed, there are those who are willing to let bygones be bygones as Dial of Destiny proves to be just as stodgy as its predecessor. Overall, it’s quite the mixed bag of reactions; some agree that Jones’ swan song bid farewell to the franchise in the best way, whereas others are left unfulfilled by a sequel that chooses to cut corners.
There’s truly no definitive outlook on Dial of Destiny that isn’t a personal preference, but the de-aging segment is notoriously distracting, which takes away from Ford’s acting. Thankfully, newcomer Phoebe Waller-Bridge carries some of the Lucasfilm’s slack to make her mark on the Indiana Jones world. We’ll give credit where it’s due to Mads Mikkelsen, as well, who ticked off portraying both a Bond villain and an Indiana Jones villain in one eventful career.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is showing in theaters now.
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