Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
As the third entry in the Harry Potter spinoff saga, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore takes off after the events of the previous film, and jumps right into the havoc caused by the wizard Grindelwald and his followers. Unluckily for him, Newt Scamander and a team assembled by Albus Dumbledore himself are hot on his trail, and determined to put an end to Grindelwald’s plans.
The film has David Yates once again at the helm, with his distinct style shining through; rich with political undertones and social commentary. His rather serious tone carries across from his previous Fantastic Beasts films, as well as the last four films from the Harry Potter series – and it’s this tone that gives the film a very different mood to the others, playing out more like a political thriller than anything. With scenes that feel right out of a heist film, with a bit of magic thrown in, The Secrets of Dumbledore is easily one of the stronger (if not strongest) entries in the Fantastic Beasts saga.
Returning to the series once again is Eddie Redmayne as the awkward Newt Scamander, Callum Turner as his brother Theseus, Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore, as well as Dan Fogler (Jacob) and Ezra Miller (Credence). Joining the cast is the brilliant Mads Mikkelsen, now playing the part of Grindelwald, Jessica Williams as Professor Hicks, and Richard Coyle as the mysterious Aberforth Dumbledore. The strained relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald is at the forefront of the film, and is a catalyst of sorts; diving into many details that JK Rowling teased in her previous series.Sharing plenty of touching scenes together, the on-screen chemistry between Law and Mikkelsen is palpable, and adds yet another tragic layer to the character we’ve all grown up watching over the years.
With well thought out pacing, enough twists and turns, and just the right number of new and fantastic beasts, The Secrets of Dumbledore gets the series back on track with an exciting new instalment. Given we’re still a few films off from the conclusion to the Fantastic Beasts series, we’re excited to see where the story goes next.