Review: ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Struggles to Justify Its Place

Following a fifteen-year hiatus, Indiana Jones has returned to the big screen in The Dial of Destiny. This time around though instead of being directed by the original creator Steven Spielberg, James Mangold takes directorial control. The previous Indiana Jones film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was met with very mixed reviews as it came out 19 years after the conclusion of the trilogy.  Many felt that it was a poorly done money grab profiting off of nostalgia for the previous three films.  So, the question going into Dial of Destiny is: what is its justification for once again coming back after all this time, besides being another easy money grab?  Upon watching, it’s hard to really see a reason for its reemergence besides to once again revel in nostalgia for the wildly successful original films.  As a film based purely on nostalgia bait though, it does a decent job at giving fans of the series what they want and making the experience a relatively good time.

Continue reading “Review: ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Struggles to Justify Its Place”

Review: ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Fails To Recapture The Magic

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the third installment in the Fantastic Beasts film series, has been bogged down by controversy and the failures of its predecessor. It’s been nearly five years since the last installment, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwaldwhich, besides being the lowest-grossing Wizarding World film to date, was panned by critics for its complicated and confusing plot. In the years since its release, the cast and creative team have faced a myriad of scandals, including J.K. Rowling’s  hateful remarks concerning the transgender community. The biggest controversy, Johnny Depp’s legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard, forced the actor to bow out of the film completely. Most recently, star Ezra Miller was arrested for disorderly conduct and harassment at a bar in Hawaii. 

Continue reading “Review: ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Fails To Recapture The Magic”