Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny is a Must-See in IMAX
Jun 30, 2023
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY opens June 30th
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas first conceived 1981’s RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK as a mere tribute to adventure serials from cinema’s golden age. Yet, they wound up creating one of film’s all-time most beloved adventure stories and made one of its most iconic heroes out of Indiana Jones. Now, for the fifth time and the first time in more than a decade, Harrison Ford is putting the hat back on to play the title role in INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY – a movie so big that seeing it on the big screen is an absolute must.
However, in particular, we recommend that this latest action-packed blockbuster – in which Indy teams up with his goddaughter to find the other half of a famed, possibly mystical artifact before it falls into the wrong hands – should be experienced on an IMAX screen at AMC Theatres. In case you needed any convincing to purchase your ticket for INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY in IMAX when it at the end of June, we have selected three key scenes from the film that look especially amazing in that gloriously large format. Without giving too much away about these spectacular sequences, let’s embark on this journey.
Taking over for Spielberg as the director of INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, Academy Award nominated filmmaker James Mangold – known for LOGAN and FORD V FERRARI, most notably – brings the franchise into a new era, namely the late 1960s. However, the film’s opening scene brings us back to a time that is closer to the original trilogy’s setting and also sees one of Indy’s most hated enemies, the Nazi regime, at their most dangerous – World War II.
Indy finds himself at odds with them while attempting to retrieve a prized artifact that soon turns into a mission to rescue his friend and fellow archaeologist, Basil Shaw (Toby Jones), who is being held captive on a train by Colonel Weber (Thomas Kretschman) and Dr. Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen). Watching an impressively de-aged Harrison Ford as Dr. Jones infiltrating the train, knocking out bad guys and taking the action to the roof immediately gives the audience that jolt of excitement that these films are known for.
Following the 1940s-set introductory sequence for the movie, we flash forward to 1969. Then, we become acquainted with a near-retirement Indy living in New York City, where neighboring citizens are celebrating the return of the Apollo 11 astronauts from taking the very first steps on the Moon. A parade being held in their honor ends up becoming the site of the movie’s first great chase scene.
Previously, we have seen Indy ride horseback through the Egyptian desert to intercept the Ark of the Covenant in RAIDERS and again during his race for the Holy Grail in 1989’s INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE. However, DIAL OF DESTINY gives our hero the chance to put his horsemanship to good use in the streets of Manhattan to avoid the clutches of Dr. Voller and his hench people – also including LOGAN’s Boyd Holbrook as Klaber, BLACK WIDOW’s Olivier Richters as Hauke and Shaunette Renée Wilson as CIA agent Mason. Never would we have expected to see an urban American area serve as the setting for an Indiana Jones action sequence, nor would we have been able to predict it would be such a tremendous thrill.
However, our pick for the crown jewel of chase sequences in INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY – and one of the entire franchise’s all-time best, probably – takes place in Tangier. Indy flies himself to the Moroccan city to find his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Emmy winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge), and, along the way, meets her young sidekick, Teddy (Ethann Isidore). The newly formed heroic trio find themselves at odds with Voller and his goons, and a few other notable parties, when a fight inevitably breaks out that, eventually, gets taken to the streets.
The ensuing chase calls to mind the marketplace sequence from RAIDERS with a little bit of the mine cart scene from TEMPLE OF DOOM and even a dash of Indy and Henry Jones, Sr.’s (Sean Connery) motorcycle escape from LAST CRUSADE. Indy commandeers an auto rickshaw to flee from a local gang that has it out for Helena while also pursuing Voller. However, it is Helena who wins the scene for demonstrating her hardcore heroism by gracefully hopping from one vehicle to another in fierce pursuit of her prize, earning the honor of being one of the franchise’s most daring and memorable first-time characters.
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY is an effective return to the old school, action-packed entertainment that brought out the inner-child in audiences decades ago with the adventure that started it all. We hope that our guide to our favorite scenes persuades you to check it out on an IMAX screen when the blockbuster comes to an AMC Theatres location near you!
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY opens June 30th
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