Why Indiana Jones 5's Outlandish Third Act Makes Perfect Sense, Actually

Spoilers for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."

There's a common thread woven throughout the "Indiana Jones" timeline, where Indy's (Harrison Ford) adventures generally involve an over-the-top plot turn in each of the films' third acts. But unlike the love the first three Indy films got from fans, the ending of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" and its time travel element is being met with some criticism.

Batting back critics, a group of Reddit commenters concluded in a spoiler-filled thread that the events of the film's third act make perfect sense in the overall context of the saga.

In the film, Indy and his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), secure Archimedes' Antikythera, a device that can open time portals to the past. However, Nazi scientist Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) wrestles the device from the duo and aims to change the course of history for his own benefit. Voller's calculations are incorrect, though, and instead of traveling back in time to Nazi Germany in the 1940s, he, Indy, and Helena end up in Rome in 212 BC during the Siege of Syracuse.

Reddit commenter u/Swackhammer_ wasn't bothered by the trip back to ancient Rome, writing, "Seeing those Roman ships was such a cool reveal. People might say it's out of place but it totally aligns with the Indy franchise and how crazy the third acts can get."

In addition, u/GamingTatertot wrote, "Yeah every Indy movie has some bats*** supernatural s*** in the final act. It's tradition."

Since the time Indy was nearly flattened by a large rolling boulder to begin 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," audiences have generally accepted how the adventurous archaeologist continuously seems to be lucky enough to survive every single dangerous scenario he finds himself in.

However, there's a big moment in "Raiders" — which was voted by fans in a Looper survey as the absolute best Indiana Jones movie — that is even more fantastical in nature, yet it seems to evade any scrutiny.

Reddit user u/SilverKry gave some context to their defense of "The Dial of Destiny" by referring to some key points in "Raiders," as well as the Indy films "The Temple of Doom" and "The Last Crusade." In fact, the commenter even went so far as to defend the ending of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which introduced aliens to Indy's universe. "I feel like people forget the franchise has skin melting crates and ghost sand[,] ripping a heart out with no scar or open wound or actual immortality," u/SilverKry wrote. "The 4th dimension being in Crystal Skull never bothered me."

Commenter u/PhinsFan17 shared the same sentiments as u/SilverKry regarding the aliens in "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," and alluded to the Ark of the Covenant scene in "Raiders" as well as the Holy Grail reveal at the end of "The Last Crusade."

"Yeah, I never understood the folks who thought aliens were a bridge too far," u/PhinsFan17 wrote. "Like, Indy has proven the existence of the Judeo-Christian God not once but twice but [it's] aliens where we draw the line?"

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" is playing in theaters.