The newest film from the Harry Potter universe - or the Wizarding World, as a title card helpfully identifies it – is a scattershot, info-dump of a film, a series of trailer-like scenes glued into a movie. It seems shrewdly designed to download random bits of wizarding mythology to its fans, stringing along plot revelations to compel viewers to see the next three planned sequels in a five-film series.
Read MoreGomez-Rejon throws a lot at the screen, especially some adventurous cinematography, but it doesn’t help clarify a thorny narrative that spreads out over many years and offers valid arguments on either side of the debate. No matter the subject matter, historical period pieces generally need to synthesize the many sources out there into something that educates and entertains inside of two hours. It’s kind of hard to do that when the director appears to be fussing over the umpteenth long take, off-kilter composition, or daring scene change.
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