Review: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore

We are back to the Wizard World for the first time in four years. While it is clear that people still care more for Harry Potter than Fantastic Beats, people will still check this out as the product still sells.

My initial thoughts after seeing its predecessor 'The Crimes Of Grindelwald' remain the same. Those thoughts being that in terms of the information presented to us, it was interesting. But in terms of a film narrative, it was a bit messy and lacked that emotional weight.

But as a big fan of this world, I like many others remain invested.

I am happy to say that we are partly back on track. But it is most definitely not without flaws. Many characters are back along with new ones, and the premise is certainly a lot clearer than the previous installment.

I have to mention that there was a scene very early that may be upsetting for younger kids. It certainly shocked me. So be prepare for that if you are bringing little ones expecting some light and fluffy magic.

I liked how they cover the themes of fascism a lot more. It has always been briefly mentioned at the very least in each Wizarding World installment. But in this one, it seems a much more as primary message.

I liked how they are still incorporating the 'Fantastic Beasts' side of these stories by introducing us to new some creatures that still play a vital role. I was fearing that they would completely sideline their initial idea of this film series. But for now, it is walking side by side with another idea coming through on the outside.

Despite some positives to speak of, my issues from the previous films where there are certain locations or characters making decisions that we are expecting to understand, but clearly cannot are still there. This is a big reason why I feel this film series would only work for the hardcore fans. That is probably why I was satisfied with enough of it.

Eddie Redmayne continues to have that charm and innocence that makes him very likable. He might be slowly be moving away from being the central character, his contribution to this film was still much appreciated for some memorable moments.

While it is disappointing that certain events meant Johnny Depp could not reprise his role. Seeing Mads Mikkelsen take up the reigns was a bit of top quality casting. Mikkelsen is great in everything and he keeps the character of Grindelwald be that solid antagonist. His natural menacing presence really works in this, his chemistry with Jude Law's character worked really well and you feel he is a genuine threat.

Speaking of Law, he was perfectly fine. I am still waiting for that moment that makes me believe he is a young Dumbledore, that all powerful wizard. But his cuddly and heart-warming presence he always gives off in his performances still has me invested in him.

I continue to enjoy Dan Fogler's character. Despite the reason for his character being part of the adventure being a poor for me, his energy is for me is what keeps this franchise going.

I must mention that there was a clear absence of one particular character, which intrigues me to see if they are being completely kicked out.

As you would expect, the visual effects are still tip top. Although, a lot of the scenes are pretty dark. So I felt you couldn't fully appreciate their designs which was frustrating.

The editing and general flow of the film still feels too lingering in many scenes. It's almost 2hrs 30mins long and with the amount of content this story had, it didn't need to be beyond 2hrs.

To conclude, I'll start with what I didn't like about it. The way 'The Crimes Of Grindelwald' ended, I think most of us was expecting something pretty impactful in this next installment given the characters involved. But it never delivers in that way. Certain characters were not given the amount of screen time the story was implying and so we had to find other characters to invest with. Luckily, there was enough to make this a solid watch.

I'm still not sure where this franchise is going. It's almost as if it's trying reidentify itself with new characters, whilst not feeling confident to get rid of the first lot in order to keep the 'Fantastic Beasts' aspect. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if there is not a clear end goal in this film series and these are just being made for the studio to keep the intellectual property.

While this felt more of a fun experience than in 'The Crimes Of Grindelwald' gave me, it is still lacking that magic ironically. This remains a franchise exclusively for the devoted fans and not for a mainstream audience. It doesn't feel accessible enough and so you are going to lose certain demographics. You can feel the general audience wants to care. But I don't think the film is doing enough or giving you that emotional weight to make you feel like it cares in its own product.

But what I liked about it, is there is enough fun and engaging content to get an overall pass from me. It has moments of that excitement and energy we expect from this world and all it need is those small doses to warm our hearts. It still has a long way to compete with the Harry Potter series. The way it navigates its plot remains scattered, there's not enough depth to its characters and therefore not making their motivations feel earned. There is a reason why 'Fantastic Beasts' is not being mentioned in its marketing for its theme parks and studio tours. The films have not been memorable enough for it to sell. But I remain hopeful for a satisfying conclusion, whenever that may be.

Rating: 7/10