As a Harry Potter fan, it’s easy to get caught up in a desire to want more. That is, after all, why the Fantastic Beasts series was born, out of a desire to give the hungry fans who have read all seven books numerous times and sat through many a Freeform movie marathon weekend something new to cling to. While the spin-off franchise got off to a great start with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, centering on the author of one of the textbooks taught at Hogwarts, the ending made it very clear: this is the story of Dumbledore and Grindelwald told through Newt Scamander. Planed as a five-part series, the second installment, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, was met with both critical detestation and fan disappointment. With the future of the franchise potentially hanging on a thin thread, I went into Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore wearing both hats; that of a critic, but also that of a massive Harry Potter fan and a Hufflepuff who has relished in having one of my own at the center(ish) of this franchise.
(Warner Bros.)
My first impression is that The Secrets of Dumbledore course-corrects the series in many ways and also rights a few of the wrongs that made me feel underwhelmed by The Crimes of Grindelwald. Chief among them, Newt Scamander feels like the central character again. Sure, the narrative spends enough time away from him to feel a little unfocused, mostly following the titular wizard and his nemesis/heart’s desire, but overall, this one feels like it’s Newt’s movie again. The other joyous element of this Fantastic Beasts entry is that the beasts are back. In the last installment, Newt’s occupation as a magizoologist felt barely part of the series. Here, it’s what ultimately drives him back on a path that intersects with Grindelwald and therefore, his old Hogwarts professor. The nifflers and bowtruckle continue to follow Newt on his adventures, sadly the only recurring magical creatures we see him care for this time around. There is, however, a wondrous new entry as well, an adorable and charming creature called a Qilin that fans of the series are sure to fall in love with. There’s also a creature from the Harry Potter books that briefly appears for diehard fans (never named in the film, but if you know you know) and, overall, the return of these moments restores some much-needed lighthearted and whimsy to the series, another complaint of the last entry.
With a four-year gap between installments, partially due to the pandemic, partially due to other challenges, it’s hard to overlook some of the overhauls present in The Secrets of Dumbledore. Chief among them is the recasting of Gellert Grindelwald, formerly portrayed by Johnny Depp and henceforth performed by Mads Mikkelsen. It takes about twenty minutes to get used to the change and while Mikkelsen takes his own approach, making his own unique mark on the character, it is different. I actually prefer his take to Depp’s. Visually, he’s less offputting, striking a more natural hair and eye color and becoming someone that’s easier to believe the masses would follow as a leader. He feels darker and more menacing in the role as well, with Depp perhaps too recognizable with caricatures like Captain Jack Sparrow and Willy Wonka to truly break free of them at this point.
Far from perfect, the film falters in a number of ways. The plot is weighed down by too many characters, including the development of a few new ones while bringing ones you thought we were done with back into the fold. The consistent inciting incident for the series thus far has also surrounded Credence, with the heroes trying to protect him and Grindelwald trying to turn him into a weapon. He's back again and in The Secrets of Dumbledore (the title, at least in part, referring to him), he ultimately feels inconsequential here. It evokes the same level of disappointment Star Wars fans hold against the sequel trilogy, feeling like Rey’s parents would be of importance.
Another issue with the third installment is that it does little to refresh viewers on the events of The Crimes of Grindelwald, requiring it to be fresh in your mind or you will be lost at times. Such was the case with my moviegoing buddy, who casually enjoys Harry Potter films but has never had a Pottermore or Wizarding World account. The few refreshers included often come well after they were required, making the film feel half-baked at times.
As a fan, it’s fun to see new corners of the Wizarding World. The first entry brought with it MACUSA and mentions a U.S.A. version of Hogwarts (Ilvermorny, which we will likely never see on screen). The second took us to Paris and this time around, the compass has been set for Berlin. With each film depicting a new locale, it feels like part of the vision is to give fans around the world a piece of the Wizarding World that they can claim as their own. At the same time, the parallels between Grindelwald and Hitler are hard to miss and Germany in the 1930s is not exactly a magical place to be. The franchise seems bent on giving fans a Wizarding World Tour, but this stop feels like a questionable choice.
The biggest problem, however, is that Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore doesn’t do much to move the needle towards the finish line. You don’t have to be a huge Harry Potter fan to know where this is all heading, which takes some of the excitement out of it. If you had to sum up the plot of The Crimes of Grindelwald, it’s simply that the titular wizard breaks free and gains power. This one, despite the title not including his name, is basically Grindelwald gains even more power in spite of a few setbacks. If there are to be two more films, the next will likely be more of the same, unless J.K. Rowling has some serious tricks up her sleeve that have yet to be properly set up. The million-dollar question for Warner Bros. is whether or not they will invest in that future, or merely count their losses and try to stop this niffler from pocketing more galleons.
I give Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore 3 out of 5 entries in a story based off the back of a chocolate frog card.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore opens in theaters on Friday, April 15th.