New 'Indiana Jones' Not As Bad As Critics Say, But Didn't Need To Be Made [SPOILER-FREE REVIEW]

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" might not be as bad as critics have painted it to be, but that's not the main takeaway.

The main takeaway is simple:

Why was this movie made?

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" is out. (Credit: Disney)

I ventured away from my OutKick den this afternoon to catch the fifth and final Indy film with Harrison Ford. "Indiana Jones" has been a film franchise I've been obsessed with since I was a little kid.

In terms of series, it's among my all-time favorites. No way was I going to miss Ford's last time as the legendary archeologist.

However, it's not a secret "Dial of Destiny" has received some awful reviews. It's been more or less universally panned and is expected to be a box office bomb.

What is "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" about?

The plot of the fifth Indy film isn't overly complex. Indy discovers an item that might be able to manipulate time while he's battling the Nazis during WWII. Fast forward to 1969, and that's where the majority of the film takes place.

The object is still the center of the entire movie, but now, the Nazis Indy was fighting have been brought over to help America's space program.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" features Nazis as the main villains. (Credit: Disney)

It's clearly based on Operation Paperclip. It was a real program that brought Nazis scientists to America to help us beat the Soviets in the Cold War.

The entire film centers around this mythical object that might be able to open wormholes to different eras. That's all I'll say without getting into spoilers.

The good news about the film.

The good news is simple. "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" isn't nearly as bad as critics have painted it to be.

If you spent any time reading reviews, you'd think this had to be one of the worst movies ever made. That's just not true.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" isn't as bad as reviews might suggest. (Credit: Disney)

Not true at all. It's an entertaining movie (for the most part, more on that in a bit), and is worth seeing at least once.

The drama surrounding the quality of the latest "Indiana Jones" movie is wildly overblown. Also, the de-aging technology in the film is even better than advertised. It's downright incredible.

That's the good news. Now, let's discuss the bad.

This movie absolutely did not need to be made.

I hate to say it, but I found myself thinking multiple times throughout the movie one simple thought:

What is the purpose of this film?

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" is Harrison Ford's final time as Indy. (Credit: Disney)

It truly did not need to be made. It doesn't in any way, shape or form do anything to bolster the legacy of the franchise or drastically alter the way people view Indy.

People have been talking about "Raiders of the Lost Ark" for more than 40 years. Nobody will be talking about "Dial of Destiny" by the time football season starts.

If you're going to make a new "Indiana Jones" film, you better make it legendary, epic and have it do something that fundamentally alters the way people view the movie.

This was really just a standard action-adventure movie for the most part.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" has some very boring moments. (Credit: Disney)

Also, it could have easily been 30 minutes shorter. The runtime is 154 minutes, and you will find yourself very bored during a handful of moments. There's also a line about capitalism that is so comically stupid and forced I found myself wondering how Harrison Ford allowed it in the script. You'll know it when you hear it.

VERDICT: I'll give it a 6/10. Not as bad as I expected, but also just not necessary. History will soon forget this movie, and that's a shame to the franchise's legacy and reputation.