‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ is more of a return to form for The Wizarding World franchise, as it is an improvement over its predecessor, but still pales in comparison to the Harry Potter series heights. That being said, it is not without its charm.
The ‘Fantastic Beasts’ series is loosely based on a catalogue of magical creatures for the Harry Potter Universe called ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them’ published by JK Rowling herself and also happens to be a textbook within the Wizarding World universe itself. Aside from some vague background information in the Harry Potter series, the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ films aren’t based on any narrative driven source material and that frequently shows itself with its inconsistencies in writing.
I was pleased that several of the titular ‘fantastic beasts’ do play central roles in the plot of the film. Newt Scamander, played once again with charisma by the ever charming Eddie Redmayne, also continues to have a significant role in the series. ‘'The Secrets of Dumbledore’ has plenty of call backs and references to the original Harry Potter films and most of it is organic to the narrative as opposed to being shoehorned in and/or catering to nostalgia.
The new and returning casts are fantastic. Jude Law, who plays Albus Dumbledore, beguilingly displays many of the mannerisms and idiosyncrasies that remind us why we love Dumbledore, he certainly feels like a younger Dumbledore (Richard Harris or Michael Gambon’s iteration). While I was looking forward to Jonny Depp playing Grindelwald, his aesthetic in the previous film was over-the-top and off-putting. Mads Mikkelson replaces him in more grounded make-up and garb. He plays the part so well that we completely understand why he’s always typecast as a villain.
The action in the film was smooth but lackluster. It was during many of these sequences that it was hard to believe that the Harry Potter/Wizarding World films have had the same director, David Yates, and most of the same crew since, 'Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix'. A lot of the thrill, grandiosity, and magic is gone.
Fans know that Dumbledore kills Grindelwald. As far as the general audience is concerned Grindelwald has little relevance in the original series, and the wizarding world knows an era of peace before Voldemort. The Grindelwald/Dumbledore conflict was always conveyed as a footnote in the Harry Potter films, It is because of this along with the 'Fantastic Beasts' films lacking a strong narrative foundation and execution that the threat of Grindelwald never feels palpable nor is there a real sense of tension or urgency.
Impressive performances, visuals, and production design don’t fully compensate for the film’s many shortcomings.
MY RATING 3/5 STARS
All of the Harry Potter films and novels are available to checkout at The Brown Deer Public Library
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