For likely no reason other than a quick cash grab, famed archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is on screen yet again to do what he usually does: track down a MacGuffin, in this instance being the Archimedes Dial, an invaluable artifact possessing Antikythera properties. In 1969, crotchety old Indy is beset with varying personal problems, but still attempting to educate a younger generation of students until he's needed for the latest search. Oh yeah, they threw in a goddaughter for Indy, presumably to raise the stakes. A bit of nostalgia early on, but really brings nothing to the table afterwards...Mangold has a proven track record as a director, but it's unclear what he's trying to accomplish here; there isn't an exceptional story, there's little to no excitement, there's not even a truly adventurous feel which was such a key component in all of the original films. Even at his advanced age an elder, quippy Ford is still quite engaging to watch, and there are some new characters, too bad they aren't interesting and exist only to service a manufactured plot. There's action, banter, globetrotting, nice scenery, some callbacks, and other stuff, but in terms of pure entertainment where's the true value in any of it? How's this for an idea: instead of dragging down established and iconic cinematic characters in a cynical attempt to try and score big bucks with contemporary audiences who weren't even alive when they originated, just make a new movie altogether. **
