Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald - Has J.K. Rowling Become George Lucas?
1. Losing The Actual Story
For the many ills of the Star Wars prequels - and there's almost 20-years of history recounting them by now - the actual concept itself is not inherently bad. Lucas had some very compelling ideas for the prequel series - the arc of Palpatine, and the long-con at play, twinned with the fall of the Jedi Order and Anakin Skywalker, is potentially fascinating. The issue lies not in the idea but the execution. It lies in his determination to sell toys, hence why Jar Jar Binks exists; in his misguided belief in what CGI could do; and in his inability to write dialogue or a clear narrative. The actual good stuff gets completely buried in the messiness of all his flaws, and means we lose out on what could've been a genuinely great story.
Such is the case with The Crimes of Grindelwald. There are absolutely some interesting ideas and characters here, especially in the core four from the original movie - which, lest we forget, was a LOT of fun - but it feels like Rowling has zero faith in their ability to carry the story, and/or zero interest in telling it from their perspective. Harry Potter worked because it was channelled through the titular character, and Fantastic Beasts should be channelled through Newt.
Instead, we're off for digressions to introduce us to Nagini, to Nicholas Flamel, and even to Professor McGonagall, none of which have any real purpose to the film, but exist to give some unnecessary, even confounding, backstories and exposition to these characters. This is the same kind of thinking that led Lucas to include Anakin being the one who built C-3PO, or making Boba Fett a clone. Newt becomes a passenger in his own movie, and the relationship of Dumbledore and Grindelwald, another interesting aspect of this story, is overshadowed by the focus on Credence's parentage and on tracking him down. It's a mix of setup for the next three movies to come, and Pottermore come to life.
Unlike with Lucas, however, there's still time for Rowling to turn things around. She does have another three movies, and maybe she'll take on board some of the criticisms of this film and be able to course-correct. Or maybe she'll reveal Aurelius Dumbledore is actually a clone. It could go either way.
Do you think J.K. Rowling is becoming George Lucas? How do you feel about The Crimes of Grindelwald? Let us know down in the comments.