Harrison Ford’s Final Indiana Jones Movie Gets Scathing Review From Franchise Veteran

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John Rhys-Davies isn’t a fan of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Directed by James Mangold, the fifth and seemingly final Indiana Jones movie features Harrison Ford back as the intrepid archaeologist, this time questing after a time travel device devised by Archimedes. Rhys-Davies returns for a brief appearance as Sallah, a character he first played in Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981.

In a recent interview with Off/ Frame, Rhys-Davies, 82, shares his review of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and he doesn’t hide his disappointment. The actor takes issue with the film’s focus on new cast members over original stars, and he reveals that scenes he had been promised didn’t make the final cut. Rhys-Davies also doesn’t care for how the movie handled Antonio Banderas’ character, Renaldo, who dies in a shootout after a limited amount of screen time. Check out Rhys-Davies’ full comment below:

“I’ll be honest with you, I was very disappointed in it. The film is a nostalgic film, and they filled it with people we’d never met before so there can be no nostalgia, really. I found that the scenes I’d been promised in the thing were cut immediately. I signed the contract. I think it’s a disappointing film. I mean, there are a number of disappointing things. [Antonio] Banderas, the most exciting actor of his generation – I think he’s a wonderful actor – but really what a terrible thing to do to him.”

“I’ll be honest with you, I was very disappointed in it. The film is a nostalgic film, and they filled it with people we’d never met before so there can be no nostalgia, really. I found that the scenes I’d been promised in the thing were cut immediately. I signed the contract. I think it’s a disappointing film. I mean, there are a number of disappointing things. [Antonio] Banderas, the most exciting actor of his generation – I think he’s a wonderful actor – but really what a terrible thing to do to him.”

Rhys-Davies, who played Sallah in three of the five Indiana Jones movies, isn’t alone in his disappointment in Dial of Destiny. The film was a major box office bomb for Disney, grossing just $384 million worldwide on a budget estimated to be north of $400 million (before tax rebates).

Dial of Destiny reviews were also somewhat lukewarm from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a soft 71% critics’ score, the lowest of the franchise. Though the film is largely considered to have provided an adequate sendoff for Ford’s Indy, many reviews take issue with the underwhelming action, overreliance on CGI, and a general lack of spark compared to past entries in the franchise.

Rhys-Davies’ complaint about the film’s focus on new characters also isn’t entirely unusual. Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays a new character named Helena Shaw, Indy’s goddaughter, and her inclusion in the movie and her prominence in the narrative was particularly divisive online. Still, the film fared well with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, sporting a strong 87% Popcornmeter.

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Other newcomers in the film’s cast include Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renée Wilson, and Thomas Kretschmann. The only other original franchise character to feature in the film, besides Rhys-Davies, is Karen Allen as Marion. Marion appears in a brief cameo in Dial of Destiny‘s ending moments.

After the fifth Indy adventure failed in theaters, it remains unclear what’s next for the franchise. Ford has confirmed that his time as the character is now over, but Disney could choose to reboot the franchise with a new actor. With Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny marking such a major bomb, though, it seems likely that the character won’t be returning to the big screen anytime soon.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny