Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a highly anticipated sequel with Harrison Ford returning as the titular adventurer. Sitting on the director’s chair is James Mangold, who brought us the brutal and critically acclaimed Logan. I was able to check out Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and it delivers on the Dolby Cinema experience with roaring Dolby Atmos and wonderful Dolby Vision.
The Dolby Theatre is a Hollywood landmark that’s home to the Academy Awards and movie premieres. There are 215 powered speakers inside the theater, which is more than enough to make Dolby Atmos shine, and Dolby Vision helps to enhance the dark and light areas of the screen along with vivid colors. I knew I was in for a treat when watching Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
The film’s prologue mostly takes place at night, which is a good way to show off the dark scenes in Dolby Vision. We see Indy getting chased by Nazis, and the nighttime scenes are dark while maintaining details in lighter areas. The clothing, objects and people look detailed, but sadly, the clarity in the night scenes makes the CGI for young Indy more noticeable. As a result, the de-aging outcome feels off where it’s cutting on the uncanny valley.
One of the vibrant scenes was the protest on the streets that was set during the day. The colors popped as we see a crowd marching along with confetti falling and the United States flag with its red, white, and blue. There are a couple of scenes that transition from night to day quickly, and it was very intense in a good way. One particular transition went from night to day quickly, and it was bright enough that I had to squint for a bit to adjust my eyes.
Dolby Vision looked great, but the real star is the Dolby Atmos presentation, which had me on the edge of my seat. The most important thing for me is clear dialogue, and even with all the explosions, bullets whizzing by, and car chases, it was very audible and easy to understand. The mixing was wonderful while still being able to showcase the heavy-hitting sounds. The explosions are loud and clear, Indy’s whip gives off a sharp crackle, and the car and train engines purred. Sala, Indiana Jones’ longtime friend, punched a person really hard, and it was loud with power behind it.
There’s no denying the greatness of a John Williams score, and the composer is back with the recent iteration. The film boasts an impressive music space, especially the brass instruments making Indy sound triumphant.
Overall, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny boasts an impressive Dolby Cinema presentation with its hard-hitting Dolby Atmos audio and vivid and contrasting levels thanks to Dolby Vision. There are plenty of impressive scenes that truly showcase the premium Dolby format.
