Not that I want to give too much away, but when the central protagonist survives being hanged within the opening few minutes of a film, you know you’re in for two to three hours of contrived Hollywood bollocks!

Yesterday I took myself to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at the cinema. To be honest I don’t go to the cinema very often these days, simply because it is easier to watch films here at home, but yesterday I thought I’d make an exception: This was an Indiana Jones film, after all. I don’t think I had been to the cinema since watching No Time To Die two years ago in fact, but as soon as I entered the screening room I remembered why film is so much more awesome on the big screen.

As for the film itself though, I must say I left the cinema in two minds about it. The eight year old in me was awe struck: this was a rip roaring action adventure involving Nazis, fights on trains, ancient artefacts and tons more. Given the audience it was aimed at, it hit the spot quite perfectly. There were plenty of pleasing, nostalgic nods to the previous films in the franchise, including a rendition of ‘A British Tar‘. On the other hand, again not wanting to give the game away, the extent to which this film requires you to suspend your sense of disbelief really pushes the limits. Frankly I burst into open laughter at one point, and I daresay anyone who knows anything about ancient Greece, Archimedes etc would do the same. The film critic in me is crying out this is contrived, inane bollocks which only got made to revive a forty year old franchise whose lead actor is clearly far too old to play the part.

Which is it then? A fantastic action adventure bringing back one of post-classical Hollywood’s greatest heroes one last time, or a bit of contrived rubbish flogging a horse which should have been allowed to die about two decades ago? I honestly can’t decide; but then, isn’t that part of the joy of going to the cinema?