Movie Review: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Feb. 8th, 2021 09:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
studio1009SPOILERS
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
I watched the movie on cable at 2/5/2021
I am not a Harry Potter franchise fan, but I enjoyed the first Fantastic Beasts film. Eddie Redmayne is good in his role as Newt Scamander. He seems to be portraying Newt as autistic. Rarely meeting people's eyes, not following rules, and having an all-consuming interest in a subject.
This film is set in 1927. Johnny Depp was unrecognizable as Grindelwald. It wasn’t clear to me what his crimes were. Jude Law is great in everything. He did a nice job being believable as a younger sexy Dumbledore. He is teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. He is wearing a suit, rather than robes. The timeline is odd though. Dumbledore visited Tom Riddle in the orphanage in 1938. How could he have aged so much and grown the beard and hair in 11 years? I guess wizards can change their appearance or he had a very harrowing 11 years.
I mostly ignored the "plot" and enjoyed Newt and the fantastic beasts. Interesting take on the kelpie. It was horse-like, but also covered in kelp seaweed. The encounter with the Zouwu, a large Chinese dragon-like creature, was delightful. It's all terrifying until Newt displays a featherly jingle toy on a stick. The Zouwu then acts like a cat intrigued by a toy.
I enjoyed seeing the magical world in Europe. (The US magical world seemed very fascist. No relationships with non-magic people.) There is a hint that repression by the US Magic authorities is what drives people to follow Grindelwald and later Voldemort. That and the idea that those of "pure blood" should have all the privilege.
So the abused squib Credence Barebone from the first movie is a key character. That's the thing that bothered me so much about the Harry Potter series; Harry Potter was also put in an abusive home by people who were supposed to be caring for him. It turns out that Credence is a Dumbledore sibling. How did they determine that? He was the baby from the ship that sunk killing Corvus and his real mother, but what linked him to the Dumbledore family? Grindelwald thinks Credence can kill Albus Dumbledore. Why does Grindelwald want Albus dead? (Commentators think this violates current canon. But Harry Potter stories never made much logical sense. Also Grindelwald could be lying. He is a known to be manipulative.)
Other timeline issues, Minerva McGonnagal wasn’t even born in 1927, let alone teaching at Hogwarts.
The Nagini character was interesting and tragic knowing her fate. She was Credence's only friend. Meeting Nicholas Flamel was fun. Immortality without youth. He is fragile and tottering, but still powerful.
So Newt Scamander could possibly be alive during Harry Potter. He is younger than Albus.
A word about the birds: Newt is shown caring for an injured Raven, the raven seems to be a symbol of Grindellwald and the Lestranges. The Phoenix is associated with the Dumbledore family. This film messed up the Phoenix life-death cycle showing a Phoenix chick turning into flames to be an adult, whereas in HP, Albus' phoenix, Fawkes (great name), is an aged adult that turns into flames and a chick that emerges from a nest of embers. Really, is it that hard to keep continuity within the world (there are worse examples even in the main series). I can enjoy a fantasy once I know the rules of the world, but Harry Potter continually breaks the rules and I feel betrayed.
I always enjoy the costume design in the Harry Potter franchise. The French witch hats mirror the Beau Baton’s uniform.
There are 3 more Fantastic Beasts and they will likely retcon more of the Harry Potter timeline. I would enjoy Fantastic Beasts more if they quit trying to link it into the Harry Potter series. Newt is just the author of a text book in the Hogwart's library. Let's just enjoy his character and the creatures.
Another thing I don’t like about the Fantastic Beasts movies is the romance between Queenie and Jacob. This is an issue I have with many Hollywood films. The fat, bald, short man can be loved by a young beautiful women because she likes his personality and ignores his appearance, but Hollywood never shows the reverse. I’d love to see Melissa McCarthy paired with Jude Law or Henry Cavill in a romance. Won’t happen. I'd also like to see more ordinary looking women, all the leading female characters are gorgeous. Bunty was the only homely woman in the film that I noticed.
I will probably watch future Fantastic Beast films, but only for Newt and the Fantastic Beasts.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
I watched the movie on cable at 2/5/2021
I am not a Harry Potter franchise fan, but I enjoyed the first Fantastic Beasts film. Eddie Redmayne is good in his role as Newt Scamander. He seems to be portraying Newt as autistic. Rarely meeting people's eyes, not following rules, and having an all-consuming interest in a subject.
This film is set in 1927. Johnny Depp was unrecognizable as Grindelwald. It wasn’t clear to me what his crimes were. Jude Law is great in everything. He did a nice job being believable as a younger sexy Dumbledore. He is teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. He is wearing a suit, rather than robes. The timeline is odd though. Dumbledore visited Tom Riddle in the orphanage in 1938. How could he have aged so much and grown the beard and hair in 11 years? I guess wizards can change their appearance or he had a very harrowing 11 years.
I mostly ignored the "plot" and enjoyed Newt and the fantastic beasts. Interesting take on the kelpie. It was horse-like, but also covered in kelp seaweed. The encounter with the Zouwu, a large Chinese dragon-like creature, was delightful. It's all terrifying until Newt displays a featherly jingle toy on a stick. The Zouwu then acts like a cat intrigued by a toy.
I enjoyed seeing the magical world in Europe. (The US magical world seemed very fascist. No relationships with non-magic people.) There is a hint that repression by the US Magic authorities is what drives people to follow Grindelwald and later Voldemort. That and the idea that those of "pure blood" should have all the privilege.
So the abused squib Credence Barebone from the first movie is a key character. That's the thing that bothered me so much about the Harry Potter series; Harry Potter was also put in an abusive home by people who were supposed to be caring for him. It turns out that Credence is a Dumbledore sibling. How did they determine that? He was the baby from the ship that sunk killing Corvus and his real mother, but what linked him to the Dumbledore family? Grindelwald thinks Credence can kill Albus Dumbledore. Why does Grindelwald want Albus dead? (Commentators think this violates current canon. But Harry Potter stories never made much logical sense. Also Grindelwald could be lying. He is a known to be manipulative.)
Other timeline issues, Minerva McGonnagal wasn’t even born in 1927, let alone teaching at Hogwarts.
The Nagini character was interesting and tragic knowing her fate. She was Credence's only friend. Meeting Nicholas Flamel was fun. Immortality without youth. He is fragile and tottering, but still powerful.
So Newt Scamander could possibly be alive during Harry Potter. He is younger than Albus.
A word about the birds: Newt is shown caring for an injured Raven, the raven seems to be a symbol of Grindellwald and the Lestranges. The Phoenix is associated with the Dumbledore family. This film messed up the Phoenix life-death cycle showing a Phoenix chick turning into flames to be an adult, whereas in HP, Albus' phoenix, Fawkes (great name), is an aged adult that turns into flames and a chick that emerges from a nest of embers. Really, is it that hard to keep continuity within the world (there are worse examples even in the main series). I can enjoy a fantasy once I know the rules of the world, but Harry Potter continually breaks the rules and I feel betrayed.
I always enjoy the costume design in the Harry Potter franchise. The French witch hats mirror the Beau Baton’s uniform.
There are 3 more Fantastic Beasts and they will likely retcon more of the Harry Potter timeline. I would enjoy Fantastic Beasts more if they quit trying to link it into the Harry Potter series. Newt is just the author of a text book in the Hogwart's library. Let's just enjoy his character and the creatures.
Another thing I don’t like about the Fantastic Beasts movies is the romance between Queenie and Jacob. This is an issue I have with many Hollywood films. The fat, bald, short man can be loved by a young beautiful women because she likes his personality and ignores his appearance, but Hollywood never shows the reverse. I’d love to see Melissa McCarthy paired with Jude Law or Henry Cavill in a romance. Won’t happen. I'd also like to see more ordinary looking women, all the leading female characters are gorgeous. Bunty was the only homely woman in the film that I noticed.
I will probably watch future Fantastic Beast films, but only for Newt and the Fantastic Beasts.
