NYSQ At the Theater Spoiler Free review of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

We are at the theater seeing Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and are sharing our spoiler free thoughts on it, so should you see it? Are you planning on seeing it opening weekend? 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a 2023 American action adventure film directed by James Mangold, and co-written by Mangold, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and David Koepp. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the film is a sequel to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) and serves as the fifth and final installment in the Indiana Jones franchise. The film stars Harrison Ford in his final portrayal of archaeologist Indiana Jones, with John Rhys-Davies and Karen Allen also reprising their roles as Sallah and Marion Ravenwood, respectively, from earlier films. New cast members include Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen. Set in 1969, the film follows Indiana Jones and his estranged goddaughter Helena Shaw trying to locate a device that could change the course of history before Jürgen Voller, a Nazi-turned-NASA scientist, can get it for himself and alter the outcome of World War II to correct Adolf Hitler's past "mistakes".

Dial of Destiny is the only film in the series that is neither directed by Steven Spielberg nor written by George Lucas, with both serving as executive producers instead. It is also the only film in the series not to be distributed by Paramount Pictures, following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm that transferred film rights for future sequels; Paramount instead retains the distribution rights to the first four films and a residual associate credit.

Plans for a fifth Indiana Jones film go back to the late 1970s when Lucas and Spielberg negotiated with Paramount for four sequels to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Lucas began researching potential plot devices for a fifth film in 2008, although the project stalled for years. Koepp was eventually hired to write the fifth film in 2016, with a release date set for 2019, although this was delayed several times due to rewrites and later the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, Jonathan Kasdan was hired to replace Koepp, who returned to write in 2019 before eventually leaving the project. Spielberg was to direct, but stepped down in 2020, with Mangold taking his place. Filming began in June 2021, taking place in various locations including the United Kingdom, Italy, and Morocco, and wrapped in February 2022. With an estimated production budget of $295 million, it is the most expensive film in the Indiana Jones franchise, as well as one of the most expensive films ever made. However, the reports on the film's budget have not been verified.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2023, and was released in the United States on June 30, 2023. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Ford's performance, Mangold's direction, and the action sequences, but criticized the overuse of CGI and considered the film inferior to the original trilogy.