Last week, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was screened for fans and critics at the Cannes Film Festival. This was the first time the movie had been publicly shown, and there was a lot of anticipated over the fifth – and final – film in the franchise.
After the movie came to an end, director James Mangold, Harrison Ford and the rest of the cast attended a press conference to discuss the picture.
During this time, Ford hit back at the criticisms the film has received thus far, including comments about the extensive CGI being used throughout his adventure.
The trailer for The Dial of Destiny left fans divided when it hit the internet, as it showed off the titular hero de-aged with Disney CGI magic, turning the 80-year-old Harrison Ford back into his 40-something self.
Ford defended this practice during the press conference, saying: “I know that that is my face. It’s not a kind of Photoshop magic – that’s what I looked like 35 years ago.”
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Ford explained that Lucasfilm pulled this graphic feat off by using footage and data filmed across the previous four Indiana Jones movies, according to Entertainment Weekly.
“Lucasfilm has every frame of film that we’ve made together over all of these years,” he said. “This process, this scientific mining of this library, this was put to good [use].”
Ford went on to add that the CGI was added as a way of expanding the narrative, rather than being used as just a gimmick.
Ford continued: “It’s just a trick unless it’s supported by a story, and it sticks out like a sore thumb if it’s not honest, it’s not real… I mean, emotionally real. And so I think it was used [in the Dial of Destiny] very skilfully.”
The American actor ran to the defence of his final Indiana Jones movie after reviews slammed the picture for being “uneven”.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was awarded a meagre 52 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, placing it in the “rotten” category of the website.
Reviews slammed the movie, with Variety calling the picture “joyless” overall.
Collider agreed, calling it “not perfect, with uneven storytelling”.
Meanwhile, Empire said: “If you join him for the ride, it feels like a fitting goodbye to cinema’s favourite grave robber.”
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hits UK cinemas on June 28, 2023.
