REVIEWS
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Review
2022 | PG-13 | 2 hrs 22 mins
The third film in the Fantastic Beasts franchise “The Secrets of Dumbledore” centers itself around the pivotal relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald and the oath which binds them. The second and previous installment “The Crimes of Grindelwald” ends on two separate notes.
Newt’s Niffler has stolen the vial of the blood oath during their escape from Grindelwald and it is later presented to Dumbledore – a physical proof of his promise to Grindelwald that neither can harm the other. It is what has left Dumbledore helpless against his old friend and now nemesis unless he can find a way to break that oath. On the other side, Grindelwald tells Credence of his secret ancestry. He reveals to him that he is a Dumbledore as well, abandoned by his family.
The movie begins with Albus Dumbledore sitting in a European-style restaurant, waiting for someone. We see Grindelwald take the chair in front of him, and this is our first look at Danish actor Mads Mikkelson as this film’s antagonist. Many fans were disappointed when Johnny Depp was let go as the previous actor to play this role, but it is apparent very early in the movie that Mads has understood the assignment and he expresses himself with a wonderful nuance that captures you entirely.
The two men talk of their youth when they were the closest of friends, and Grindelwald reminds Albus that he used to believe in the same ideology as him. Albus replies with a ‘That was because I was in love with you’, which although a simple line, makes you gasp in surprise. After all, this is the first time that Dumbledore has said these words on screen out loud, and you now know that this is no longer speculation about his character. Grindelwald seems to acknowledge his raw confession as a fact but does not reciprocate – which I felt revealed his motives a little. He warns him that he will not stop – he intends to wage a war on Muggles, considering them of lower status than magical folks, going as far as to call them ‘animals’.
The scene burns away to show Newt Scamander in the jungle, witnessing the birth of a magical creature called the ‘Qilin‘. However, the youngling is captured by three mysterious figures before Newt can save it while its mother dies in the process, too. Newt mourns the death of the creature when another baby Qilin finds his way into Newt’s arms, and he exclaims when he realizes that the mother had given birth to twins.
The importance of this animal is revealed later when the mysterious figures (which includes Credence) present the young Qilin to Grindelwald, who quite mercilessly kills it, and in its blood, sees glimpses of the future. Dumbledore had sent Newt to procure this animal so it does not get into the wrong hands, but they have failed, except that the twin Qilin (its presence unknown to Grindelwald) remains as their only hope.
The Qilin has another use besides this, which becomes important as the film begins to show the political candidates for the elections of the leader of the magical world. The Qilin is the purest of creatures that can sense goodness in humans, and it will bow to the candidate that it deems worthy. Grindelwald wants to acquire a position as a new third candidate for the elections, and Dumbledore decides to make his team stop Grindelwald’s plans. Our squad consists of Newt Scamander, played by the talented Eddie Redmayne, his brother Theseus Scamander, Jacob Kowalski, our endearing muggle friend, and Professor Hicks, a new face in the team, along with Yusuf Kama and Newt’s assistant Bunty. They decide to take their chances against a powerful foe, their plans made as topsy-turvy as possible so that they can elude Grindelwald’s power of being able to see their next move. They try to stop Grindelwald from being chosen as a candidate in Germany’s Ministry of Magic but fail, with Theseus taken away by Gellert’s followers.
I thought this movie was much better than its predecessor, putting the plot on track again and giving its multitude of characters much more depth. There were new hidden magical spells and devices, more light-hearted humor, and even though Dumbledore’s secrets have been revealed, it leaves you curious for more.
Rating the Film:
Visuals: 3/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
Music: 3/5
Originality: 5/5
Seater Score: 3.6/5
