Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Mads Mikkelsen, Ezra Miller, Callum Turner, Richard Coyle, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Alison Sudol, Jessica Williams
Distributor: Universal Pictures International
Runtime: 137 mins. Reviewed in Apr 2022
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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The Fantastic Beasts stories focus on the younger days of Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, and the conflict with his former friend, magician, Grindelwald. Dumbledore’s former pupil, Newt Scamander works with a team of Dumbledore’s friends to confront Grindelwald and prevent him from becoming Chief Wizard.
This is the third film in the Fantastic Beasts series. The stories are the works of JK Rowling and the director is David Yates who made four of the Harry Potter films. The first film made an impression, but the fans were disappointed with the second. With the third, there are some changes. First, American writer Steve Kloves, who wrote all but one of the Harry Potter films, has joined JK Rowling for the screenplay. Fans and critics have already noted that the plot is clearer, with better dramatic development.
Of course, the focus of the Fantastic Beasts tales is Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts (and there is a visit to Hogwarts in this film, including the students, the staff, and echoes of the musical theme). But, as in the earlier films, Dumbledore, played by Jude Law, is in conflict with his former friend, Grindelwald. In fact, this film opens with a confrontation between the two, Grindelwald asserting an enmity and his overpowering desire to control the world of the wizards and even to conquer the world of Muggles.
In this film Grindelwald is played by Danish actor Mikkelsen (who replaces Johnny Depp). Mikkelsen is always worth seeing, and has played many an effective villain over the decades. Here he is more subdued, but always menacing.
The other central character, Newt Scamander (Redmayne), gets caught up in the conflict. He is joined in the struggle to defeat Grindelwald by his brother, Theseus (Turner).
The occasion for the struggle and a climax is an election for the Chief Wizard. Grindelwald is relying on an acknowledgment by a small magical dragon whose talent it is to recognise interior goodness and bow before that person. But there are twin dragons and while one is magically controlled by Grindelwald, the other is eventually free to bow before the accepted leader.
Quite a lot of adventures, the finding of the dragons in Chinese forests, a hostile expedition led by Credence (Miller looking for all the world like a young version of Severus Snape) to steal the little dragon, the involvement of the Muggle baker, Kowalski (Fogler), and assorted, including Dumbledore’s brother (Coyle).
The climax takes place at quite an exotic setting, the last castle, staircase and halls in Bhutan. This film is often dark, even visually dark, and a film for adults rather than younger audiences (although those younger audiences for the Harry Potter films are now older, ready for Fantastic Beasts).
- JK Rowling and the producers have promised two further episodes.
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