Risk-Averse “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is Still a Home Run (Review)

The most recent three films in the Indiana Jones franchise have had perfect endings that could (and should) act as the closing moment of the series. But when there’s money to be made, there is sequel potential, no matter how many years pass in between.

I think, even though the film itself has been divisive, they could have done a lot worse than Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the franchise’s fifth entry, which has finally been released after years spent languishing in development hell (fifteen years after the last Indy adventure, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). Dial of Destiny largely plays it safe, without explicit willingness to take risks, which does remove some of its efficacy — you might expect a legacy sequel in one of the more consistent long-running franchises to diversify itself in some unique ways, but Dial of Destiny sticks relatively closely to the script that has made the series successful for decades. I can’t fault it; after all, why mess with a winning formula?

Expanding the Universe: July 2021

Another month has come and gone, and the summer is drawing to a close. Blockbuster theatrical releases picked up in July 2021, but I still found plenty of time to revisit some old favorites. Here are succinct reviews of what I watched in July 2021.

Minions (2015)

By all rights, this movie should not have worked. Take the main characters: silly yellow talking fire hydrants who speak a nonsensical, hodge-podge language. How would you be able to stand 90 minutes watching them travel the world and romance actual fire hydrants? Somehow, though, Minions pulls it off, giving the titular characters motivations and *shudder* personality. Pierre Coffin does wonders as both director and the voice of the Minions, and there are entertaining visual gags aplenty. [Grade: A-]

The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021)

The Boss Baby: Family Business manages to top the original, cramming more inventive ideas in addition to an absolutely insane villain reveal. I can describe it as nothing more than typical action-packed family fun; there is always something happening onscreen, oftentimes too much. The themes cover family and growing up -- nothing new there -- but something about Family Business feels fresh. Perhaps the charm of a returning Alec Baldwin carries the film, but it is quite possible Family Business is simply a better film. [Grade: B+]

The Fear Street Trilogy (2021)

One advantage of the Fear Street trilogy, released by Netflix over three weeks and based loosely on novels by R.L. Stine, was that all three of the films were made sequentially with a singular, interconnected story in mind. Every revelation is intricately set up, references carry over and pay off, and the viewers are rewarded for catching little, seemingly superfluous details. Part One: 1994 is a stylized nostalgia fest undoubtedly made with a ‘90s ‘to do’ list side-by-side with the script. It introduces us to the mythology of the Sarah Fier, the so-called Witch of Shadyside, a town with increasingly bad luck and a growing number of bodies. Part Two: 1978 brings us back in time to show us a massacre at a summer camp, with awesome performances from Sadie Sink and Emily Rudd. Part Three: 1666 shows us the necessary context behind Sarah Fier and her curse, and does a great job of answering almost every question we have. The Fear Street series also has the benefit of being rated R, which means each one is a no-holds-barred gore fest. And to top it off, each one is better than the last, in a rarity for horror movie franchises. [Grade: A+]