The Harry Potter universe isn't exactly the purest right now, but is Secrets of Dumbledore a step in the right direction? Not really...
Director: David Yates
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Mads Mikkelsen
Running time: 144 minutes
I you feel conflicted, just don’t go...
I wasn’t sure whether reviewing the latest instalment of the Harry Potter Universe was the right thing to do. But as a lover of the films and books, I decided to cave in.
It’s a decision I know most readers won’t – and shouldn’t – agree with. J.K. Rowling’s essays, tweets and aspersions over the past few years have flown in the face of trans rights. We all know that this simply isn’t good enough. Since then, the old debate of whether an artist’s morals should outweigh the art itself has continued amongst fans.
The film has also been marred by – as well as Rowling’s online rants - pandemic delays and the firing of Johnny Depp. How and why the producers continued to power on with the film’s release, I’m not sure. Money, I suspect.
So, having sat through the film, I can reassure anyone else wondering whether to go watch it – you won’t be missing out on much.
Jude Law, Jacob Kowlaski, Callum Turner and Mads Mikkelsen are really quite lovely. But their efforts aren’t enough
Picking up from the last two films, Fantastic Beasts follows Dumbledore and Newt Scamander as they fight the oppressive Grindelwald, who seems set on rising to power. But despite the threat of evil triumphing over good, the film is… just cute, I suppose. It scratches the itch of learning more about Dumbledore’s sexuality, and does some digging into the Deathly Hallows. But the funny moments are lost - thanks to a perhaps too timid Eddie Redmayne. Dumbledore’s ego also ends up taking centre stage when, let’s face it, we’re there for the fantastic beasts.
The film looks great, and performances from Jude Law, Jacob Kowlaski, Callum Turner and Mads Mikkelsen are really quite lovely. But their efforts aren’t enough.
The film has already bombed in box offices, making a mere $43m over its first weekend. You won’t be able to save it with your ticket purchase, and you probably don’t need to feel obliged to do so, either.
Did you know? The release of this film was pushed back a year after the mixed critical reception of the previous film and to give J.K. Rowling more time to fine tune the script.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is now showing at Broadway Cinema
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
