Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

 The latest instalment in the Wizarding World franchise, and also the third Fantastic Beasts movie.

And as such, after Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp, also the third actor to play Grindlewald in the person of the always magnificent Mads Mikkelsen.

 

Taling place a few years after the events of the second film, in 1932, Newt is helping a Qilin give birth.  A magical creature with the power to see the pureness of one's soul, but he is attacked and the mother killed by Grindlewald's followers.  They kidnap the newborn, but unknown to them there where two calves born.

 

 

Grindlewald kills the first beast though, intending to use it's power of precognition.  Dumbledore recruits a group of wizards to tackle Grindlewald's plan, as they travel to Berlin and the ministry of Magic there.  Here they witness how Grindlewald is absolved of his crimes, allowing him to run in the elections of becoming the next leader of the Wizarding World, and enable him to declare war on the muggle world.  

 

While the group splits up to work from different angles, the power of Grindlewald keeps ascending as he prepares for the elections in Bhutan, resurrecting the Qilin calf as a pawn to influence the chosing.  They are faced with the acolytes, but manage to get to the election stage, and with the help of the calf that is still alive prevent Grindlewald of becoming the one ruler.  

 

 

So this was an enjoyable movie, but really not the greatest of all.  Fantastic Beasts, which should be what this trilogy is all about, is even more then in the previous instalment just an afterthought, and I wonder if it either will continue, or if we will get a new series about Grindlewald's war on the regular world instead.

 

Well, I don`t have a precognition spell, so I guess we will have to wait and see...

Voldemort: Origins of the Heir

Italian made and english voice-overed, this is a 2018 released, YouTube exclusive fanfilm detailing the rise of Voldemort, aka Tom Riddle.

While spectacular special effects have been used, perhaps the most heard critic is the age of the actors compared to the ones they represent during school years, but it looks great.

As a flashback, Tom Riddle is shown packing his bags and preparing to leave his house. As he does so, he pauses over a photograph of himself and three other students before abandoning it. In the present, Grisha McLaggen is attempting to break into a Soviet Auror warehouse, but despite defeating many of the guards is captured and fed an intravenous drip of Veritaserum while questioned by General Makarov.

In a mixture of flashbacks and present tense a Soviet reconnaissance team finds a chest filled with dark objects, including Tom Riddle's diary, but are killed soon after opening it. In the warehouse Grisha explains that she was a student with Riddle at Hogwarts, who along with Wiglaf Sigurdsson and Lazarus Smith were the true heirs of the Hogwarts founders (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff respectively). The heirs formed a club dedicated to "making the world a better place". When an argument occurred between Lazarus and Tom over Grisha's affections, they fell out. Grisha noted that Tom was becoming distant to them all and changed completely after the incident. Over the last few years Grisha has become an Auror and dedicated herself to tracking down Tom in the belief she can save him from himself and the dark path.

Under further questioning and flashbacks it is shown how Tom stole both Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket from Hepzibah Smith before killing her and framing her house elf Hokey, and that Grisha believes he intends to create Horcuxes. She thinks that Tom's diary - the artefact she was trying to retrieve from the warehouse - will give her a clue as to either Tom's whereabouts, or his intent. She also explains that Tom has since killed both Lazarus and Wiglaf and it is implied that he has already taken and started using the name "Voldemort" rather than Tom Riddle.

After deliberation, Makarov says that he believes her story as she was under the influence of Veritaserum when she told it - yet just because she believes it does not actually mean that it is true, she could be mistaken in her belief. However, he is not willing to take the chance as the threat of Grindelwald is still a recent memory and so gives her the diary, saying, "it is a Brit problem", and that they should deal with it. Grisha is released, given her personal effects and allowed to leave. As she leaves Makarov asks her how she knew they had the diary, and Grisha replies, "I didn't - or maybe I did...", before transfiguring back into Voldemort and killing Makarov and his assembled guards.
The film finishes with a flashback to a second reconnaissance team finding the chest and recovering it. The two Soviets discuss the contents, mentioning that the bones are female (the implication being that they are Grisha's) and what they mean, with one grimly concluding that there must be darkness in order for there to be light.

A nice little fanfilm for sure, and definitly worth watching if you like Harry Potter, as it is a good expansion on things the main storyline just grazed on.

Fantastic Beasts: the Crimes of Grindelwald

The first movie theatre report of the year, as me, Noshi and her brother went to see the latest Wizarding World instalment right before new year.

And with the first movie being such great fun, I wondered what this would bring.

The movie starts with Grindelwald's escape in America, and he sets chase after Credence, residing now in Paris.  Here he has teamed up with Nagini, yes, the same that would become Voldemorts companion in a few decennia.

Newt in the meantime is forbidden to leave London, but as we learn he works for Dumbledore, he travels to Paris after all, joined by Jacob who is looking for Queenie.  Here he traces the trail of Tina and Grindelwald, leading to the Lestrange tomb where Grindelwald wants to show the wizard community why they should rule.  A large fight ensures, costing the lives of some dear friends, but it unveils the big secret of the Lestrange family... and in the aftermath, the true identity of Credence.

It's not a feel good movie with a lot of fun beasties like the first one, but a far more grim, setting up the pieces story.  While I liked a lot of references to the latter movies, even with Nicolas Flamel appearing, I am going to get the wrath of the female audience over me with the following statement: I think Johnny Depp was miscast for the role.  His charisma is present, but he doesn't carry that sort of "regal presence" the character needs as a pureblood.

But that doesn't mean I'm not waiting for the third part...

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone MOC

The latest completed MOC I made, this one was actually build about 2 months ago, but it just took this long before I've gotten around making pictures.

The build, a display based around the three sets of the first movie, was made for the 2017 geeky con season, but well, then "that" happened so it`ll be on display in the living room instead for the rest of it's days.

Because the GF would kill me if I took down anything Potterverse, let alone part with the sets... so that is one of the few things that will be surviving the big clear-out of my bricks and pieces.

I went for a sort of towery build, to follow a bit the trail the heroes took in the movies.  Now, in hindsight I should have made the side walls 2 thick instead of 1, but as it won`t be transported around I can get away with that...

The pieces where engraved by Mijn Blokje, while the tiles are from the Hogwart's Castle, I got about two dozen of those tiles through Brick Link the past years.

The top level is the one where they discover the secret entryway and be tested to reach the stone.  It`s guarded by the huge three headed dog Fluffy, and by playing the flute they can get past him.

Another test the heroes have to pass is to get through some flesh eating plants.  I included an interpretation of the Quidditch at the front of the build to break up the gray colour scheme and fill up the "border" between top and bottom level.

Ron is ready to face the chess game challenge!

Harry needs to get past the Chamber of the Winged Keys in order to proceed.

The final confrontation, as poor professor Quirrel has been possessed by Voldemort himself, who is also trying to get his hands on the Philosopher's Stone, and a duel ensues.

I also tried to incorporate the Harry Potter logo in the floor, again to break up the gray, and because well, I thought it was fun :-)

I hope you like it!

Classic Lego Build: 4762 Rescue from the Merpeople

In today's build report I have an old Harry Potter set I aquired at Brick Mania Antwerpen 2015 (and gave to the kid in the meantime), the Rescue from the Merpeople.

The set hauls from 2005, and counted 154 parts and 5 excellent figures.

These figures are Harry in his swimsuit, Ron and Hermione with their eyes closed as they are unconscious under water, Victor Crum with his sharkhead and a merman guardian.

The first small thing we build is the small rowing boat that comes with the set.  nothing to fancy on this one.  The base is two brown inverted slopes.

On top of this, a border is made of grey elements, and the oars are added on this.

Next, we have a small scenery piece that goes with the set, and it`s based on a blue plate.

A small push lever is installed at the back, and then surrounded with some dark blue transparent elements for the watery effect.

The rock is build up next, and a trans green plant is used to decorate it.  The lobster (a scorpion model) is then inserted in the cavity.

We now start the big build of the set, being a rock on which the hostages are connected.  Again it`s based on blue plates, to represent the watery bottom.

A hinge is added on the side for the second baseplate to be connected to.

First, we build the launcher to go with the base, for the play feature of the set.  This is added to the back of this base.

Blue arches are put around and closes off the edges of this build, as we use plates all over the top.  The Technic plate is to hold the hostages later on that pops up with the catapult we just build.

The second plate that goes in this build, contains the stairs leading up to the dias.

A plant is inserted based around a Technic pin on the dias.

The knife is put inside the transgreen cone of this small construction, bravely guarded by a crab!

This fits on the top of the stair build as they are hidden from the heroes.

Ron and Hermione are "equipped" with Technic pins at their feet, to be placed inside the Technic plate holes at the dias.  If you push the lever at the back, the figures will pop out as such...

The octopus is added to a green frame, and then by using hinge elements it looms over those trying to climb the stairs.

The top of the dias switches from blue to green as we continue the build with arches to build up the height.

These blue orbs nicely represent a jellyfish.

And as such, the set stands completed:

It`s a great set, with a lot of unique minifigures to this set, even for the three main heroes!