First Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Reactions Emerge From Cannes

By Cameron Bonomolo

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is whipping up the first reactions out of Cannes. The fifth and final installment of the long-running franchise premiered Thursday during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, giving attendees their first look at Harrison Ford's sendoff as the famed archeologist adventurer 15 years after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opened the French Riviera festival in 2008. Following the screening Thursday night, the first reactions from reviewers landed online — and critics seem to agree that Indiana Jones rides into the sunset on a high note.

Directed by James Mangold (Logan, 3:10 to Yuma), who takes over from franchise filmmaker Steven Spielberg, Dial of Destiny stars Ford alongside an international cast that includes Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) as Jones' goddaughter, Helena Shaw; Mads Mikkelsen (Star Wars: Rogue One) as ex-Nazi Jürgen Voller; Antonio Banderas (Uncharted) and Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger) as Indy allies Renaldo and Basil; and John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark) returning as Sallah. The final Indiana Jones film swings into theaters June 30th.

See a sampling of the first reviews below.

Variety's Clayton Davis

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Radio Times: 4/5

RadioTimes: "In a film about the the past, its fitting that there are some references to former adventures, but Mangold and his scriptwriters don't overdo the Easter eggs. There's enough iconography – the whip, the fedora – close to hand anyway, to ensure you don't forget you're watching an Indiana Jones movie. The final reel may take a serious flight of fantasy, but unlike those aliens in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it somehow feels an apt journey for Indy. Perhaps the film could've been more daring – it feels fairly safe – but fans will leave cinemas feeling like their old hero had one final great outing in him."

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South China Morning Post: 4/5

South China Morning Post: "Fans of the adventure series are given a film replete with Indy staples: action, humour, mystery and his old foe, the Nazis. Director James Mangold, stepping in for Steven Spielberg, brings the character's adventures to a satisfying close, while Ford revels in reprising the role for one last hurrah ... With some throwbacks (including an underused John Rhys-Davies), Dial of Destiny feels like an old-school Indy romp, more so than 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as it tries to capture the rollicking spirit of the originals. With genuine emotion sewn into the story, it's not just John Williams' instantly recognizable score that hits the right notes."

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Irish Times: 3/5

The Irish Times: "Let us put one worry to rest. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, premiering to much hoopla at Cannes, is the best film in the series for 15 years. It counts as a sort of compliment to say that James Mangold's film – until a gleefully absurd ending – plays like just another episode in a creaky unpretentious romp ... Nobody with a brain in their heads will compare Dial of Destiny favourably to the first three films. There is a sense throughout of a project struggling to stand beneath the weight of its history. But Mangold, director of Logan and 3:10 to Yuma, knows how to keep his foot on the pedal."

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Total Film: 4/5

Total Film via GamesRadar: "There's a nostalgic, old-fashioned feel to the film, a rollicking, globe-trotting ride that pits Ford's intrepid adventurer against the Nazis once more. Certainly, it makes up for 2008's outlandish Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, with a more grounded story. Well, until the final reel, at least… (no spoilers!)"

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