A game of nostalgia
It cannot be denied that the opinions of critics do not leave a dry thread on newer productions from the Harry Potter universe. The first part is an exception – Fantastic Beasts and How to Find Them from 2016, the ratings of which indicate rather the sympathy of the audience: 7.2 / 10 on IMDb and 7/10 on Filmweb. In addition, in 2018, viewers faced the proposal of David Yates (director) and JK Rowling (script) – Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald . The next parts are to be released in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Steve Kloves collaborated with Rowling on the film being reviewed – Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secrets – hired to write screenplays for selected Harry Potter films.(and, incidentally, chosen by JK Rowling herself). His projects include Wonder Boys , Harry Potter and the Philosopher ‘s Stone , Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , and the Amazing Spider-Man. In addition to enriching this year’s production of Heyday Films and Warner Bros. The change of actor playing Grindelwald is also noticeable for the new writer – instead of Johnny Depp we will see Mads Mikkelsen (who – in my opinion – performs better than his predecessor!). The plot of the latest production focuses, among others, on on the figure of Newt Scamander, a magizoologist known in the world of wizards, as well as on the account of Dumbledore and Grindelwald. The latter must be stopped at all costs, because his plan to destroy the magical world and start a war with the Muggles will have dramatic consequences. A team of wizards and a Muggle (including brothers Skamander and Jacob Kowalski) sets out to save the world, and in the meantime, viewers will discover
Promotional material for “Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secrets” from Galapagos Films
The world is (not) so fantastic
Fresh after the screening, I thought: Rowling’s cutting off the tickets. Indeed, it is not hard to see in Dumbledore’s Secrets . The film is made of pure calculation, and although Harry Potter fans earnestly want to believe that an era did not end forever, what is currently being presented must be questioned. The prequel of the book series does not impress for many reasons – the story is bland, the magic is boring, and the characters? Predictable.
During the screening, we carefully observe the actors we know from so many fantastic (!) Productions: Jude Law and Mads Mikkelsen, and it’s hard for us to believe that the background of the film dominates their creations. Moreover – in the context of the production itself – the viewer may not be able to help but feel that JK Rowling is doing everything to please the public, especially since discussions about her views continue. Quite recently, in one of his speeches, Putin spoke about the unfair – in his opinion – the removal of the author from the public space due to her transphobia, as well as the growing discrimination against Russia. Without waiting for further arguments from the Russian dictator, the writer blocked the sale of her e-books in Russia. A similar fate, however, did not meet the traditional, paper versions of books managed by publishing houses.
In addition, there is another kind of hypocrisy in Dumbledore’s Secrets – Dumbledore and Grinewald share an extraordinary relationship, influenced by both feelings and the subsequent blood pact. Who would have thought that one day they would stand on both sides of the barricade … Rowling does not necessarily weave the LGBTQIA thread smoothly into individual fantastic threads. Artificiality infects the Harry Potter universe and leads to boredom.
Dumbledore’s Secrets were meant to be a movie – we may think so – for those who remember the Harry Potter universe from their childhood. Fans will probably be interested in the latest production, after all, filled with magical lands (there is even a symbolic capital of magic), although the thread related to the German Ministry of Magic may seem not entirely clear. Apart from the shortcomings, however, I would distinguish a few pluses: atmospheric music satisfies the recipient and helps to empathize with various situations, some scenes evoke an irresistible smile, fantastic animals – although there could be more of them – captivate the viewer by heart. In addition, Dumbledore’s Secrets evoke memories of childhood or teenage fascination with the wizarding world.
Promotional material for “Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secrets” from Galapagos Films
DVD release
On the album – again – atmospheric music that fits easily into the Harry Potter universe. We have a choice of several languages: Polish, English, Czech, Hungarian and Slovak, but despite the information on the album’s cover, before the screening, I did not find the possibility of including a movie with subtitles or launching a version for the deaf. The additional material is in the original version, with Polish subtitles – a little over five-minute movie entitled The Magic of Hogwarts shows the creators’ perspective and introduces the world of fantastic heroes (including those from the original series about the young wizard). I recommend the Galapagos DVD to everyone who is eager to add the latest fantastic movies to their library, as well as to fans who still believe that the wizarding world can be saved.
