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Yesterday I got out and finally got to dive into The Wizarding World again with Fantastic Beasts the Secrets of Dumbledore. The third Fantastic Beasts movie was just a blast to me. Granted I really liked the other two as well. I never really understood all of the hate for them other than JK Rowling is a massive bigot and should step away from this franchise. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter gets a lot bigger with this movie as we see for the first time, Germany, China, and Bhutan, as well as returning to Scotland, England, France, and America. We learn a lot about the politics of the world which is something that always interests me about fantasy worlds. But what I really love is how crucial they make Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s love to the story. I’m proud of Warner Bros for committing to such a queer centric story but they went and edited it for China. Eddie Redmayne is still the adorable Newt we know and love but this movie felt like a passing of the torch from Newt to Albus. Jude Law is just so good as Albus and gives him so much charisma and depth. I loved Johnny Depp’s Grindelwald but Mads Mikkelsen is a fantastic replacement that works perfectly with Law. Ezra Miller continues to be the weak link of this franchise. I don’t hate his character I just wish they’d give him more depth. Dan Fogler continues to be the heart and the comedy of the series and his love story with Alison Sudol is just so good. Callum Turner gets so much to do this time with a much more crucial role. Jessica Williams is absolutely fantastic here and I really hope we get to see more of her. Katherine Waterson is listed pretty high for someone with so few scenes here. William Nadylam is back and still just as meh, I like his acting but his character has no emotion. Richard Coyle is a pretty good Aberforth and sells the twist of this movie. Oliver Masucci, Maria Fernanda Candido, and Dave Wong show us new politics in a cool way. Victoria Yeates is good as Bunty and gets her a few good moments. Fiona Glascott is back as McGonagall and steals the few scenes she’s in. David Yates clearly knew what he wanted to do with this film and it pays off. The movie is acted well, looks and sounds fantastic, and has a really good score that knows the perfect times to kick in the established themes of the franchise. This movie is two hours and twenty two minutes but it feels way shorter. When it ended I was like… this is a fake out, there’s more right. The ending is super sweet but there’s no set up for the next movie. I know it’s possible there won’t be, so if this is the end, it’s a good ending. So despite the fact that I really like this entry, it just felt a little lackluster, it just needed something more. And don’t worry I’m not talking action, there’s quite a bit of really good action in this. Fantastic Beasts the Secrets of Dumbledore is a fun addition to the Fantastic Beasts series and adds a lot of the Wizarding World overall. I’m excited to see what they might do next. I’m giving this one a pretty big 9/10, I really liked it. -Tyler.
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The Secrets of Dumbledore is convoluted by inconsequential plotlines and redundant characters. It's so unfocused, it doesn't have a consistent tone or protagonist. The film centers around wizarding politics, but doesn't elaborate on them. This shrinks the Potterverse and satisfies nobody. Meanwhile, Redmayne and Law's protagonist duet is equally unsatisfying. Oddly, no character feels essential (besides Grindelwald) and action sequences don't progress the story. Ultimately, the movie is overstuffed and develops nothing. Mikkelsen and Fogler excel in their limited roles, but they're sparse in this jumble. Without streamlining, The Secrets of Dumbledore is emotionally uninspired.
Technically, The Secrets of Dumbledore is disappointing. First, the effects are overdone. Earlier action is compelling, but the finale is undercut by excessive CGI. Plus, the production design in that final act feels empty. Squandering the union of fantasy and period dressings, the climax is woefully shallow. Furthermore, the editing is bloated and arbitrary because scenes don't influence one another. Lastly, the imagery is drab due to needlessly muted colors and plain framing. The solid music, impressive cast, and meaningful sound can only go so far. Overall, The Secrets of Dumbledore might please some, but is unlikely to leave an impression.
Writing: 5/10
Direction: 5/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Acting: 7/10
Editing: 5/10
Sound: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10
Production Design: 6/10
Casting: 8/10
Effects: 6/10
Overall Score: 6.3/10
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With Grindelwald (Mikkelsen) and Credence (Miller) now aligned, Dumbledore (Law) enlists the help of Newt Scamander (Redmayne), Jacob Kowalski (Fogler) and some fantastical beasts to break an unbreakable vow and reveal Grindelwald’s evil to the wizarding world.
The Secrets of Dumbledore is not a bad film, but it is not a particularly good or interesting one. To its credit, the story is much more stripped down and intimate than its predecessor which lacked any significant human connection. The characters in this film evolve and grow in interesting ways and some charming new animals and wizards are introduced to the film canon. But while the Harry Potter films were able to capture both the wonder and grandeur of Rowling’s narrative creativity, the Fantastic Beasts saga continues its turn towards the dour, providing only glimpses of the fanciful magic of the films it tries so hard to emulate.
Mads Mikkelsen assuming the role of Grindelwald provides a definite boost. He embodies pure evil but his undeniable charisma makes his acceptance by the wizarding community believable. His replacement of Depp is never discussed or referenced in the slightest, a choice I found quite odd. And as much as I enjoyed Lally (Williams) as a new character, her appearance and role seemed to be a clear replacement of Katherine Waterston’s Tina Goldstein. Tina’s absence from the film is never explained and she awkwardly appears in two short scenes which barely even qualify as a cameo. Her centrality in the first two films and unexplained disappearance from the third was, for me, the film’s greatest weakness.
While many of the previously established story arcs from the previous two films are addressed, many felt overly rushed. Tina and Newt are inexcusably sidelined, Queenie and Jacob’s life-altering story is resolved far too quickly, and Credence’s evolution is also hurried and resolved poorly. These choices detract from the overall narrative leaving the audience with barely a cliffhanger ending. Despite all its flaws, Crimes of Grindelwald went out with a bang. Sadly, Secrets of Dumbledore ends with a whisper.
The standouts here continue to be the animals in Newt’s magical briefcase with old favorites and new additions eliciting the most charming and magical moments of the film. Similarly, James Newton Howard’s score builds upon its previous themes and delivers something memorable and beautiful. Otherwise, The Secrets of Dumbledore feels cobbled together, rushed, and unsure of what it wants to accomplish. It is forgettable and offers no significant improvement over the previous films. I didn’t hate it, but that hardly feels like much of an endorsement.
Hot take: Sidelining Tina is unforgivable, and I expect this to be a commercial failure. I would be surprised to hear about plans to continue the franchise.
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