In 2023, the Indiana Jones franchise brought Harrison Ford’s reign as Indiana Jones to an end with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, however, this isn’t the first time the fedora-wearing adventurer has said goodbye, and it certainly isn’t his best ending. Indiana Jones is an action adventure franchise that first began in 1981 with Raiders of the Lost Ark, and has since spawned four more movies. The film series follows the intelligent, fearless archaeologist and explorer Indiana Jones as he searches for the most prized historical artifacts in the world. The most recent film, Dial of Destiny, sees Indy go on one last adventure with his goddaughter.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny stands out among the Indiana Jones movies for many reasons. First and foremost, this is said to be Harrison Ford’s final appearance as Indy, which makes sense considering that Ford is 81-years-old. His days of adventuring on-screen definitely need to come to a close. But additionally, Dial of Destiny introduced a new and exciting character, Helena Shaw. Shaw is Indy’s goddaughter, and becomes his ally when searching for the aforementioned “dial.” All in all, Dial of Destiny presents itself as a perfect ending with an opening for a spinoff, however, Ford’s best Indy exit already happened.
The Dial Of Destiny Isn’t The Final Indiana Jones Movie Harrison Ford Deserved
The unfortunate truth is that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny did not give Harrison Ford the send-off that he deserved. After playing such an iconic character for so many decades, Ford’s exit from the franchise deserved incredible praise, fanfare, and appreciation. Unfortunately, Dial of Destiny didn’t get any of these things. The movie underperformed at the box office, and when it came to critical and audience opinions, the reactions were mixed. Despite including new characters and a fresh new story, Dial of Destiny was labeled as being more capable of producing nostalgia than any of Indiana Jones’ classic thrills.
Ultimately, Dial of Destiny’s poor performance makes it a terrible ending for Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones. Apart from the Indiana Jones franchise, Harrison Ford has made an incredible name for himself, and in this way, his projects should always see a certain amount of praise. But also, when it comes to Ford’s contributions to Indiana Jones, the respect he deserves is immense. As the face of the franchise, he carried each Indiana Jones movie, so to see Dial of Destiny receive a lukewarm reaction is disappointing. Ford should have gone out with a bang, not a small, forgettable ding.
The Dial Of Destiny Was Indiana Jones’ Third “Final” Movie
What makes Dial of Destiny’s failure even worse is that it was the third time the Indiana Jones franchise has claimed to be ending. In 2008, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was said to be the final Indiana Jones movie. And even before that, in 1989, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade also claimed to be Harrison Ford’s final Indy appearance. This means that Dial of Destiny was, in a sense, an additional ending that didn’t necessarily need to happen. But, because it did happen, it has left the franchise with an arguably bad ending.
Overall, the fact that Dial of Destiny did not need to happen, but did, makes it an even worse ending. In an alternate universe, Harrison Ford’s final stand as Indiana Jones could have been much better received, and therefore, could have been the pefect ending. Additionally, Dial of Destiny’s failures highlight that the movie itself could have been better. If Dial of Destiny had been made with a few key changes, it could have been the Indiana Jones ending that everyone wanted, and that Harrison Ford deserved.
Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade Gave Harrison Ford & The Franchise Its Best Ending
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade would have been a much better ending. Like Dial of Destiny, The Last Crusade introduced new characters and a fresh story for Indy to take on, but it did not get bogged down by nostalgia or special effects, because it only came out eight years after the first film. Furthermore, with The Last Crusade being the third film in the franchise, it would have made a perfect trilogy. Finally, The Last Crusade had an ending that was classic to an Indiana Jones movie, whereas Dial of Destiny’s ending left fans confused. In this way, Indiana Jones had its best ending 24 years ago.
