Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Knows The Value Of Antonio Banderas

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

During his travels across the world and through the echoes of history, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) has made many friends; each film introduces some new acquaintance(s) of his we've never met before. "Dial of Destiny" is no different — one of Indy's new-to-us friends in this one is Renaldo (Antonio Banderas), a Spanish diver who helps him recover a treasure map lost under the sea. 

Despite third billing, Banderas had previously said his role was more like a cameo. Sure enough, Renaldo is only in the movie for about 15 minutes and meets a swift end at the hands of Nazi villains. At least he goes down fighting. In a quick-paced blockbuster like "Dial of Destiny," there are always a lot of moving pieces. That means that some characters just have to be only functional and, sometimes, disposable. Even so, these characters, like Renaldo, can still leave an impression if a good actor plays them. And Antonio Banderas is just that actor.

Banderas' good looks are famous, but take a closer at his features — a slim face adorned with sharp cheekbones and piercing eyes, but with a kind smile. It's no surprise that he's equally convincing as a charming hero or sinister villain — somehow he looks just right in both parts. He's got the acting talent to excel in both roles too. The man can be anything — an action star, dramatic actor, romantic lead, or comedian.

Look at "Mask of Zorro," where he does all four in the same character: the outlaw Alejandro Murrieta trained into the next Zorro by the original Don Diego de La Vega (Anthony Hopkins). The only moment in the film that left me in disbelief is when Murrieta and his mentor express doubt he can be a proper gentleman — you're telling us it'll be difficult for Antonio Banderas to charm people? 

Nonetheless, Murrieta is initially out of his depth as a swashbuckler — count the number of times he fails to properly mount his horse. Banderas is hilarious when befuddled, for even then he never loses his quick tongue or wit. With his comedic chops, it's no surprise he would parody Zorro by voicing Puss in Boots in the "Shrek" series.

Banderas' baritone voice is like a seductive growl, whether he's speaking English or his native Spanish tongue. Indeed, he voices Puss in Boots in not just the English-language versions of "Shrek," but the Spanish dubs too. For 2022's "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish," he got to display his singing talent in both languages.

Some of Banderas' best roles are purely in Spanish. Pedro Almodóvar, Spain's finest living filmmaker, has two muses: if one of his movies doesn't star Penélope Cruz, odds are good it will star Antonio Banderas. "Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down" tests the limits of Banderas' charisma, for he plays a man whose idea of courting an actress is kidnapping her. Somehow, he still manages to charm both her and the audience. "The Skin I Live In" finally reaches those limits, with Banderas' creepy performance as a deranged plastic surgeon, one who becomes a monster in trying to avenge his daughter's death.

In 2019, Almodóvar trusted Banderas to act out his life story in "Pain and Glory" — the movie is about a gay Spanish filmmaker named Salvador Mallo (Banderas), showing him both in late middle age and childhood. It's Banderas' most muted performance — Salvador has lost his spark and is living with the triple burden of depression, health struggles, and drug addiction. The melancholy is all the sadder because we know Banderas can be such a lively performer. The filmmakers of "Dial of Destiny" did too, which is why they deferred to him in giving Renaldo a screen presence. 

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