By Charly SHELTON

Harry Potter is the boy who lived. But without the Dark Lord, young Potter would just be another kid. The story of the hero is nothing without a villain. And yet, in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, the villains have been oddly absent. The main ride, “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey,” has monsters and elemental evils like Dementors and giant spiders and a dragon, but no real villains who act on forethought and malice as opposed to hunger and instinct. Now, for the first time, the villains are getting a spotlight in the land with a fantastic new nighttime light show, “Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle.”

The Dark Mark illuminates the spire of Hogwarts as monsters and villains are called in from around the Wizarding World to try and destroy the castle. Aragog’s giant spiders cover the towers in webs, the haunted artifacts found in the evil Knockturn Alley are scattered around the grounds, trolls attack, Death Eaters swarm and a dark spell summons a dragon made of fire to spout flames around the castle. And worst of all, the dark Lord Voldemort steps in to crack the walls of the school and launch a few “Avada Kedavra” killing curses. The only defense for the crowd of onlookers crowded throughout the land is a massive protection charm, a Patronus, which is made of love and negates the hate fueling the Dark Arts.

This show is great. It’s a definite must-do at the end of a day at Universal Studios Hollywood. I wish the show were longer, though. It runs only eight minutes, which is longer than the four-minute and six-minute light shows that preceded it, but it still leaves me wanting more. The entire show is played out in projected lights thrown onto the castle and now, for this show, with drones as well. It can’t be that much more expensive to expand it into a 15- or 20-minute experience as the tech is already owned – just build a longer show. I would stand and watch for a half hour – a format that has been proven at Disneyland’s “World of Color” and “Fantasmic!” This light projection-type show at 30 minutes would be unique to Universal and would really make it worth staying late for. As it is now, I’d still stay for the show because it’s fun and new, but I don’t think it would become a repeat attraction the way “Fantasmic!” is year after year, unless it’s made into something longer and maybe incorporated a story. This show is kind of a loose collection of showing the villains but there really isn’t any through line (connecting theme). It’s fine for a show that lasts a few minutes but, again, may not attain that same fan following and, therefore, longevity in the parks the way a longer show with a plotline would.

That being said, the show really is great. My complaint that I want more show is indicative of how entertaining this type of show is. “Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle” is playing now through the summer at Universal Studios Hollywood. Check UniversalStudiosHollywood.com for dates and showtimes.

  Charly Shelton