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‘INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY’ A Lackluster Farewell to an Iconic Franchise

 Old dogs can’t learn new tricks in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. With the history books finally set to close on the beloved Indiana Jones series, and a sturdy director in James Mangold behind the camera, expectations were high for this final installment, which was tasked with righting the perceived wrongs of the previous entry, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and sending our beloved grave robber out on a high note. With the original trilogy holding a special place in the hearts of many, including myself, as some of the greatest adventure films ever made, the anticipation was palpable. However, as the film made its debut at this year’s Cannes Film Festival to overwhelmingly lukewarm reviews, enthusiasm skidded to a halt: this wasn’t the final crack of the whip many had hoped it would be. Nevertheless, with a mix of hope and trepidation, I journeyed into the theater, hoping for a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to the legendary archaeologist’s expedition. Read More

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‘NO TIME TO DIE’ Kills Off Daniel Craig’s Reign as 007 in Sullen, Disappointing Fashion 

With No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s run as gentleman spy James Bond has reached its final stop. And it’s with a heavy heart that I tell you that Craig’s last turn as 007 is a lumbering swan song at best; a heaving disappointment all in all, lacking in wit, memorable spectacle, even semi-logical villainy, and sensical plotting. For a near-three hour capstone to the Daniel Craig era of James Bond, No Time to Die is both overly-plotted and undercooked, too short on whizzbang set pieces and long on trying to tie up all the loose continuity of his run. It is, in a phrase, more than past the moment to let this particular iteration of the character go. It is indeed time to die.

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Bond, James Bond Has One Final Ride in Spicy ‘NO TIME TO DIE’ Trailer

Spectre may have been the worst Daniel Craig 007 outing but if the trailer for No Time to Die is any indication, it seems that Bond, James Bond is going out on a high note. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga of True Detective and Beasts of No Nation acclaim and written by Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this first look at No Time to Die promises to tie up Craig’s tenure as the infamous 00-agent, bringing back old friends and foes including Jeffrey Wright’s Felix, Christoph Waltz’ Blofeld, Léa Seydoux Bond girl Madeleine Swan (always rare to see a Bond girl return) in addition to mainstays like M (Ralph Fiennes), Q (Ben Whishaw) and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris.) He will be joined by newcomers Rami Malek and Lashana Lynch, playing a tech-savy heavy and 007’s replacement, respectively.

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