Director: David Yates
Writers: J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves
Cast: Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne, Mads Mikkelsen, Dan Fogler, Jessica Williams, Callum Turner, Ezra Miller
As the dark wizard Grindelwald continues his efforts for supremacy, Dumbledore enlists the help of an unlikely group of heroes—including Newt Scamander (Redmayne), his brother Theseus (Turner), and muggle Jacob Kowalski (Fogler)—for a mission to foil Grindelwald’s next big play for power.
From the very beginning, problems plagued The Secrets of Dumbledore like Myrtle plagues the second-floor girls’ bathroom at Hogwarts. Early on into production, Johnny Depp was replaced by Mads Mikkelson as the villain Grindelwald, the production schedule was affected by the global pandemic, and J.K. Rowling’s opinions on gender identity shadowed the Wizarding World. Finally, to top it all off, four years earlier, the previous instalment in the franchise, The Crimes of Grindelwald, hit the screen to an underwhelming reception, both via word of mouth and at the box office. As a result, The Secrets of Dumbledore was left with the challenge of recapturing the magic of the franchise—a heavy burden for any project to bear. And yet, despite everything weighing it down, the film marks a brave attempt to come back out on top.
It’s hard to ignore that with each iteration, the words ‘Fantastic Beasts’ in the title get smaller and smaller. It’s an apt metaphor for the decreasing relevance of its main character in what seems to be the bigger story the writers really wanted to tell: the tale of Dumbledore and Grindelwald, set against the backdrop of a wizarding war. There’s a myriad mythical creatures and magical spells, and yet Newt’s role in the plot still feels like the most far-fetched thing about the movie. That being said, The Secrets of Dumbledore does make an admirable attempt at keeping the introverted magizoologist Newt Scamander and his group of friends and family relevant to the overarching plot, even if it does feel rather contrived at times.
It’s an odd tone, part spy thriller, part whimsical fantasy, part heavy handed war film; The Secrets of Dumbledore plays like the weather, mixing up multiple seasons in a single day. It doesn’t manage to get the balance just right, but with a less convoluted plot and (thankfully) much less monologuing and confusing exposition, it’s definitely an improvement upon its predecessor. With magic duels, the appearance of a few adorable magical creatures, and a couple of strong set pieces, there’s some good, solid fun to be had along the way.
Grindelwald’s next move to win over the Wizarding World hinges on a magical creature called a Qilin, a doe-eyed animal with the ability to make or break Grindelwald’s bid to gain legitimate authority by manipulating a magical election. Dumbledore, operating like a spy from the shadows, masterminds a mission to thwart Grindelwald’s latest efforts in evil. Bringing in the Bambi-like Qilin at least gives Newt a reason (however tenuous) to be recruited for the operation, and so Dumbledore’s first army takes shape: a motley crew of unlikely heroes made up of a magizoologist, an Auror, a teacher, an assistant, a mysterious wizard, and… a baker.
There is no acknowledgement made of the fact that Grindelwald’s appearance has changed (again), but Mikkelson carries the role well. Jude Law’s Dumbledore has more screen time this go around (unsurprising, given the title); Law gives us a Dumbledore who is capable of exuding his classic, charismatic warmth whilst also internalising a deep loneliness and sorrow. In contrast, and despite having had a prominent role in the last two films, Ezra Miller’s Credence takes a back seat in the plot. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, the tone is dark enough already without the extra doses of angst. Katherine Waterston’s character Tina Goldstein, previously one of the leads of the franchise, also has a significantly reduced appearance, although no official statement has been released as to why the role was suddenly limited.
Redmayne’s Newt is as affable as always as he bumbles his way through the role of a hero. Fan favourite Jacob Kowalski (Fogler) returns, the muggle baker given a task that affords him a much bigger role to play in the Wizarding World. As usual, Fogler’s loveable outsider is a stand-out, bringing some much needed light and joy to the screen.
Revelations do get made; answers are provided about Credence’s backstory. The romance between Dumbledore and Grindelwald is finally fully acknowledged after being alluded to and spoken about in the background for years. However, with a touching conclusion, and especially given that fans of the books do know how this situation plays out, there begs the question: do we really need another one of these films? There were five instalments originally planned, and yet, given how difficult it has been just to get this far, to borrow a quote from the books, it’ll be admirable if they don’t run faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo at the thought of doing another. If we do get another Fantastic Beasts film though, it’ll be interesting to see how big the words ‘Fantastic Beasts’ end up being in the next title.
Over all, The Secrets of Dumbledore doesn’t hold much of a candle to the magic of the original Potter series, but it’s a step in the right direction for the franchise. Once again, the film wrestles with its chief conundrum, how to make a magizoologist key (or even relevant) to a Wizarding World War, but at least this time around, there’s a bit more fun to be had along the way.
