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Even though Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a visually pleasing, action-packed adventure that keeps all the traditions of the previous films, this is not the Indiana Jones from the 1980s.

Director James Mangold (Logan, Ford v Ferrari) does a masterful job of bringing the world of Indiana Jones to life, and the film is full of exciting set pieces and memorable characters. However, at times it seems as though he’s trying a little too hard to make sure this installment matches previous ones, and the usually faultless composer John Williams could be accused of the same. It looks like an Indiana Jones movie, it sounds like an Indiana Jones movie, but it’s still not quite an Indiana Jones movie for one obvious reason. More on that soon.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a magnetic presence as Indiana Jones’ goddaughter, Helena Shaw, and she brings a much-needed dose of humor to the film. Of course, it should be mentioned that I’m a fan of Waller-Bridge and the three Emmy’s that she’s won for both comedic acting and writing.

Mads Mikkelsen plays a rather routine Nazi now working for the American space program but still loyal to Hitler’s idealism, if not Hitler himself. Mikkelsen did what he could with the role, but there’s nothing terribly original or memorable about his character.

Honestly, and it pains me to say this … the film’s biggest problem is its star, Harrison Ford. Ford is now 80 years old, and it’s clear that he’s no longer the spry action hero he once was. This makes the film’s action sequences feel forced and unrealistic, and it also limits the film’s humor. It’s hard to watch my childhood hero seem cranky and broken down while still putting on the same outfit he wore forty years ago and brandishing a whip. It’s a strange kind of arrested development that felt awkward and unhappy for much of the time.

Even Waller-Bridge’s typically wicked humor seems constrained in Dial of Destiny. It’s as if the film is afraid to go too far, lest it alienate fans of the older Indiana Jones movies. Yet the film can’t match the physicality of former movies due to its protagonist, which likely acts as a deterrent for potential new fans. As a result, Dial of Destiny seems like a watered-down version of the classic Indiana Jones films.

While I love Harrison Ford, I think it might have been better to leave the film series in the 40s with a peak Dr. Jones adventuring around the world of a bygone era. Again, I love Ford, but I also love Indiana Jones and I want more Indiana Jones stories. If that means recasting the archeologist, so be it.

Overall, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a serviceable entry in the Indiana Jones franchise, but it’s not an instant classic and will likely be remembered more for its impediments than its boons.