The Dial of Destiny is forgettable. Its moments of vulnerability have potential, but they're so minimal that they feel unearned and insincere. Instead, the film dances around action adventure with an 80-year-old protagonist, touching on themes of time without any firm conclusions. There are too many MacGuffins, constant coincidences, plain dialogue, pointless characters, convoluted plotting, and a silly climax. The actors do what they can with the scraps of emotion the script supplies, but that isn't enough to make a true impression. Ultimately, The Dial of Destiny is an awkward and tired rehash because it has no interesting ideas and can't concoct an immersive spectacle.
Technically, The Dial of Destiny is underwhelming. Its direction has little personality or creativity, like any other bland Disney product. The effects are excessively CGI, making everything cold and distant. Its production design offers a few eras and sets, yet also a digital artificiality. The editing adds cross cuts, inserts, dissolves, an iris, and a bloated runtime. Its imagery uses some motion and lighting, yet rarely stands out and is often too dark or drearily colored. The music is unimpactful, the cast is far from current, and the sound delivers genre elements without anything exceptional. Overall, The Dial of Destiny is mostly adequate, but also mild and belabored.
Writing: 4/10
Direction: 5/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Acting: 7/10
Editing: 6/10
Sound: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10
Production Design: 7/10
Casting: 7/10
Effects: 6/10
Overall Score: 6.2/10
Comments