(Jean-Pierre Marielle as Jacques Saunière in the Ron Howard movie The Da Vinci Code).
The movie begins with the pursuit if Louvre Museum curator Jacques Saunière, as portrayed by Jean-Pierre Marielle, in the world famous Paris, France art museum by Roman Catholic, albino monk named Silas; Silas was portrayed by Paul Bettany. Saunière, while coming out of the exchange dead, leaves clues amongst the artwork of Leonardo da Vinci, the namesake for the movie, the book, and the clues embedded in the art around the museum that lead the police to summon renowned Harvard University symbologist Robert Langdon to the case.
(From left, Paul Bettany as Silas and Alfred Molina as Bishop Aringarosa in the Ron Howard movie The Da Vinci Code).
Robert Langdon, as portrayed by Tom Hanks, initially is suspected of the murder of Jacques Saunière, by police captain Bezu Fache, as portrayed by Jean Reno. Police cryptologist Sophie Neveu, as portrayed by Audrey Tautou, disagrees that that Langdon should be suspected of her grandfather’s, that is Saunière’s, murder; Neveu and Langdon shake Fache’s pursuit and deduce that Saunière was a grand master of the French founded Priory of Sion.
(From left, Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu and Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon near the Louvre Museum in the Ron Howard movie The Da Vinci Code).
Silas, meanwhile, works for an anonymous to him person he calls The Teacher, which has links to the Bishop Aringarosa led Opus Dei. Aringarosa, as portrayed by Alfred Molina. Circumstances send Langdon and Neveu to Sir Leigh Teabing, as portrayed by Ian McKellan.
(Jean Reno as Police Captain Bezu Fache in the Ron Howard movie The Da Vinci Code).
It was Teabing, a purported expert on the Holy Grail, who introduces a theory contrary to accepted religious canon about a relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, which motivated much of the subtextual mystery functioning in the movie. Charlotte Graham portrayed Mary Magdalene in The Da Vinci Code.
(Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing in the Ron Howard movie The Da Vinci Code).
The thriller aspects of the movie, along with the intrigue underpinning the mysteries animating the story for the movie, largely worked. That the resolution went in the direction it did was a bit provocative for my taste, though that does not mean the fiction did not work. I give The Da Vinci Code as directed by Ron Howard 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five.
(From left, Oliver Masucci as Anton Vogel and Mads Mikkelsen as Gellert Grindelwald in the David Yates movie Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore).
Writing credits for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore rested with J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves, with Kloves reemerging after several successes as a screenwriter for many of the novels written by Rowling for the Harry Potter movies. That Gellert Grindelwald appears in this Fantastic Beasts movie in a third incarnation is perhaps the biggest distraction entering this movie. *Remember that Colin Farrell had portrayed American auror Percival Graves in the original movie, only to be revealed as Gellert Grindelwald in disguise as portrayed by Johnny Depp for the remainder of the first and second movies. Mads Mikkelsen entered that role with Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
(From left, Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski, Jessica Williams as Eulalie ‘Lally’ Hicks, Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander and Callum Turner as Theseus Scamander in the David Yates movie Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore).
The central story of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore in large part continues to focus on the theme of blood relationships coupled with the future of the magical world. The central action for the movie transitions from Paris, France with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald to Berlin, Germany with touchpoints in Kweilin (also spelled Guilin), China, Scotland (Hogwarts), and New York City, New York, United States. Grindelwald looks to gain control of the International Confederation of Wizards, which is due to elect a new head in Berlin.
(From left, Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore and Richard Coyle as Aberforth Dumbledore in the David Yates movie Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore).
The pair of secrets that informs much of the conflict are, indeed, the conflicts among siblings that inform much of the Fantastic Beasts world. The nature of the blood pact between Albus Dumbledore, as portrayed by Jude Law, and Gellert Grindelwald keep the two from acting in opposition to one another, despite contrasting world views. With the notion of a fantastic beast known as a qilin central to the Grindelwald’s ambitions, Grindelwald had dispatched Credence Barebone to the birth of a qilin in Kweilin to interfere with some special qualities for the birdlike creature. Barebone beats Newt Scamander to the quick in protecting the qilin’s birth, with much to come from the exchange. Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander as Ezra Miller portrayed Credence Barebone.
(From left, Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein and Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein in the David Yates movie Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore).
The relationship that Credence Barebone has to the Dumbledore bloodline invokes brotherly questions between Albus and Aberforth Dumbledore, with Aberforth Dumbledore portrayed by Richard Coyle. Newt Scamander and his brother, Theseus Scamander as portrayed by Callum Turner, must join forces to with non-magical helper Jacob Kowalski, American Charms teacher Eulalie ‘Lally’ Hicks from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Newt’s assistant Bunty and French wizard of Senegalese descent, Yusuf Kama. Dan Fogler, Jessica Williams, Victoria Yeates and William Nadylam portrayed Kowalski, Hicks, Bunty and Kama, respectively.
(From left, Ezra Miller as Credence Barebone, William Nadylam as Yusuf Kama and Victoria Yeates as Bunty in the David Yates movie Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore).
The goals of Dumbledore’s group overlapped in opposition to those in some ways as the roles portrayed by Anton Vogel and Queenie Goldstein. Oliver Masucci and Alison Sudol, portrayed Vogel and Goldstein, respectively. Tina Goldstein, Queenie’s sister as portrayed by Katherine Waterston, had a small role with Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore that did more for the Fantastic Beasts franchise than it did for this particular movie.
(From left, Steve Kloves and J.K. Rowling wrote the screenplay for the David Yates movie Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore).
Lynn, my wife and significant fan of the Harry Potter books and movies, rates Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore as the third movie for her in the Fantastic Beasts movies currently released. There’s an early and difficult scene with a qilin that was arguably too graphic for this franchise that I think set the stage for the larger movie experience for her. The emotional impact that this action had for the larger story is understandable, yet could have been depicted with more subtlety, in my personal opinion. The larger story did work for me, however. I grant Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore as directed by David Yates 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.
Matt Lynn Digital 