by Josh Sewell
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
(Rated PG-13 for some fantasy action/violence. Opens in theaters on April 15.)
First, some good news, since this review is about to get rough. The Secrets of Dumbledore, the third installment in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter prequel series Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them, is a vast improvement over the previous entry. The Crimes of Grindlewald was a truly dreadful film, full of meandering mythology; destructive miscasting; pointless twists; and infuriating story choices that betrayed endearing characters and obliterated what made them so interesting.
The new movie spends most of its 142-minute running time performing triage, erasing a lot of those awful decisions and attempting to salvage the series’ few compelling elements. However, by the final scene, viewers are basically back where they were at the end of the first movie. All the nonstop exposition, halfhearted action sequences and muddled politics are this massively expensive blockbuster’s way of hitting Ctrl+Z.
It’s tough to justify this series’ continued existence if even its’ creators don’t fully know why they’re making it. Aside from “because money,” of course.
Is it so we can follow the adventures of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his friends (played by Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol and Katherine Waterston) as they travel the globe searching for magical CGI creatures? Or is it so we can get the Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Anakin Skywalker-style backstory of the epic battle between Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law, the best thing about these flicks) and his lover-turned-enemy Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen, an immense improvement over Johnny Depp) that Rowling introduced in the final Harry Potter book?
Both of these options have their merits and drawbacks. But when the series tries to shove them together and make it work as a coherent story, it only exposes the uncertain aim of the whole endeavor. It’s like a toddler mixing all her bright Play-Doh colors together and creating an ugly gray blob.
Most of the actors do what they can to make the material work, and – in the moment, at least – they pull it off. Redmayne continues to be charmingly awkward and funny as Scamander, even though he has become a supporting character in his own story. Dumbledore takes center stage this time around, which makes sense considering how much more conventionally charismatic and handsome Law is in the role. In a franchise that’s content with remaining surface level, that was probably inevitable.
In his take on Grindelwald, Mikkelsen eschews the indulgent, actor-y tropes Depp brought to the role. Instead, he underplays everything, embodying philosopher Hannah Arendt’s thoughts on the banality of evil. He glides through the whole movie with a smug, disinterested look on his face, as if his character’s victory is preordained.
Even though they don’t get much to do this time around, Jacob Kowalski (Fogler) and Queenie Goldstein (Sudol) remain the franchise’s heart. The movie still doesn’t repair the catastrophic damage The Crimes of Grindelwald did to Queenie, but it at least acknowledges what a mistake it was to take her in such a ridiculous narrative direction.
The less said about Ezra Miller’s character the better, but it feels like Warner Brothers and the creative team knew something was going on with the troubled actor even before the recent headlines chronicling his dangerous behavior. The previous Fantastic Beasts movies established that Credence would play a major role in the series’ overarching mythology, but The Secrets of Dumbledore hand-waves all that away so fast it would be comical were it not so depressing.
Still, even an actor of Mikkelsen’s caliber can’t do much about the ham-fisted politics surrounding Grindelwald. Rowling, currently embroiled a real-life controversy of her own, has always been clumsy in linking her magical world with the history of ours. (Hey, remember in the last flick when she invoked the Holocaust in a staggeringly offensive way, even for her?)
It doesn’t improve this time around. The screenplay (co-written by Rowling and franchise veteran Steve Kloves, returning in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding) spends virtually the entire time elbowing viewers in the ribs and screaming, “Get it?! Huh?! This is how we got Trump! I know, it’s subtle!”
Supposedly, there are still two movies left in the Fantastic Beasts series, but I wouldn’t bet on it. The final moments of The Secrets of Dumbledore are clearly designed to serve as an abrupt conclusion to the whole endeavor, indicating how much faith Warner Brothers currently has in a once-beloved property.
I can’t say I’ll be sad to see it go. Cashing in their chips now, after miraculously breaking even, seems like the best possible outcome.
Grade: C
Home Video Spotlight
Jackass Forever
(Rated R for strong crude material and dangerous stunts, graphic nudity and language throughout. Available on April 19.)
Jackass Forever debuts on Blu-ray and DVD next week, featuring an older and grayer – but not wiser – Johnny Knoxville and crew. They return for another outrageous round of stunts and pranks, with help from new cast members and celebrity guests. A 4-movie Jackass Collection (Jackass: The Movie, Jackass: Number Two, Jackass 3 and Jackass Forever) can also be purchased on Digital for a special bundle price. The film is currently available to watch on Paramount+, but the Blu-ray is loaded with nearly 40 minutes of additional footage.
The King’s Daughter
(Rated PG for some violence, suggestive material and thematic elements. Available on April 19.)
This fantasy adventure, boasting a stellar cast, hits Blu-ray next week. It focuses on the powerful King Louis XIV (Pierce Brosnan), who is obsessed with his own mortality and the future of France. He turns to his spiritual advisor (William Hurt, in one of his final roles) and the royal physician for help, which centers on his belief that a mermaid (Fan Bingbing) holds the secret to everlasting life.
He commissions a young sea captain (Benjamin Walker) to search the seas and capture her. However, the king’s orphaned daughter (Kaya Scodelario) chooses this time to return to court with unclear loyalties. With a rare solar eclipse approaching, the king will discover his daughter’s true intentions as he races against time to extract the mermaid’s life-giving force. The Blu-ray includes a deleted scene and behind-the-scenes cast interviews.
(Rated PG-13 for some fantasy action/violence. Opens in theaters on April 15.)
First, some good news, since this review is about to get rough. The Secrets of Dumbledore, the third installment in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter prequel series Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them, is a vast improvement over the previous entry. The Crimes of Grindlewald was a truly dreadful film, full of meandering mythology; destructive miscasting; pointless twists; and infuriating story choices that betrayed endearing characters and obliterated what made them so interesting.
The new movie spends most of its 142-minute running time performing triage, erasing a lot of those awful decisions and attempting to salvage the series’ few compelling elements. However, by the final scene, viewers are basically back where they were at the end of the first movie. All the nonstop exposition, halfhearted action sequences and muddled politics are this massively expensive blockbuster’s way of hitting Ctrl+Z.
It’s tough to justify this series’ continued existence if even its’ creators don’t fully know why they’re making it. Aside from “because money,” of course.
Is it so we can follow the adventures of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his friends (played by Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol and Katherine Waterston) as they travel the globe searching for magical CGI creatures? Or is it so we can get the Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Anakin Skywalker-style backstory of the epic battle between Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law, the best thing about these flicks) and his lover-turned-enemy Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen, an immense improvement over Johnny Depp) that Rowling introduced in the final Harry Potter book?
Both of these options have their merits and drawbacks. But when the series tries to shove them together and make it work as a coherent story, it only exposes the uncertain aim of the whole endeavor. It’s like a toddler mixing all her bright Play-Doh colors together and creating an ugly gray blob.
Most of the actors do what they can to make the material work, and – in the moment, at least – they pull it off. Redmayne continues to be charmingly awkward and funny as Scamander, even though he has become a supporting character in his own story. Dumbledore takes center stage this time around, which makes sense considering how much more conventionally charismatic and handsome Law is in the role. In a franchise that’s content with remaining surface level, that was probably inevitable.
In his take on Grindelwald, Mikkelsen eschews the indulgent, actor-y tropes Depp brought to the role. Instead, he underplays everything, embodying philosopher Hannah Arendt’s thoughts on the banality of evil. He glides through the whole movie with a smug, disinterested look on his face, as if his character’s victory is preordained.
Even though they don’t get much to do this time around, Jacob Kowalski (Fogler) and Queenie Goldstein (Sudol) remain the franchise’s heart. The movie still doesn’t repair the catastrophic damage The Crimes of Grindelwald did to Queenie, but it at least acknowledges what a mistake it was to take her in such a ridiculous narrative direction.
The less said about Ezra Miller’s character the better, but it feels like Warner Brothers and the creative team knew something was going on with the troubled actor even before the recent headlines chronicling his dangerous behavior. The previous Fantastic Beasts movies established that Credence would play a major role in the series’ overarching mythology, but The Secrets of Dumbledore hand-waves all that away so fast it would be comical were it not so depressing.
Still, even an actor of Mikkelsen’s caliber can’t do much about the ham-fisted politics surrounding Grindelwald. Rowling, currently embroiled a real-life controversy of her own, has always been clumsy in linking her magical world with the history of ours. (Hey, remember in the last flick when she invoked the Holocaust in a staggeringly offensive way, even for her?)
It doesn’t improve this time around. The screenplay (co-written by Rowling and franchise veteran Steve Kloves, returning in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding) spends virtually the entire time elbowing viewers in the ribs and screaming, “Get it?! Huh?! This is how we got Trump! I know, it’s subtle!”
Supposedly, there are still two movies left in the Fantastic Beasts series, but I wouldn’t bet on it. The final moments of The Secrets of Dumbledore are clearly designed to serve as an abrupt conclusion to the whole endeavor, indicating how much faith Warner Brothers currently has in a once-beloved property.
I can’t say I’ll be sad to see it go. Cashing in their chips now, after miraculously breaking even, seems like the best possible outcome.
Grade: C
Home Video Spotlight
(Rated R for strong crude material and dangerous stunts, graphic nudity and language throughout. Available on April 19.)
Jackass Forever debuts on Blu-ray and DVD next week, featuring an older and grayer – but not wiser – Johnny Knoxville and crew. They return for another outrageous round of stunts and pranks, with help from new cast members and celebrity guests. A 4-movie Jackass Collection (Jackass: The Movie, Jackass: Number Two, Jackass 3 and Jackass Forever) can also be purchased on Digital for a special bundle price. The film is currently available to watch on Paramount+, but the Blu-ray is loaded with nearly 40 minutes of additional footage.
(Rated PG for some violence, suggestive material and thematic elements. Available on April 19.)
This fantasy adventure, boasting a stellar cast, hits Blu-ray next week. It focuses on the powerful King Louis XIV (Pierce Brosnan), who is obsessed with his own mortality and the future of France. He turns to his spiritual advisor (William Hurt, in one of his final roles) and the royal physician for help, which centers on his belief that a mermaid (Fan Bingbing) holds the secret to everlasting life.
He commissions a young sea captain (Benjamin Walker) to search the seas and capture her. However, the king’s orphaned daughter (Kaya Scodelario) chooses this time to return to court with unclear loyalties. With a rare solar eclipse approaching, the king will discover his daughter’s true intentions as he races against time to extract the mermaid’s life-giving force. The Blu-ray includes a deleted scene and behind-the-scenes cast interviews.
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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