I've been genuinely enjoying the Fantastic Beasts prequels to the Harry Potter world, though I admit they're undeniably lesser than the uber successful, pop culture phenomenon that was its predecessor.
The first film was fun that felt a bit aimless, but had a solid hook at the end of the things to come. For as much as many people hate the second film, I enjoyed it (though looking back at my rating, I admit to overrating it). Sure, it was convoluted as all hell, but beyond that the core premise was solid and the anticipation of Grindelwald vs. Dumbledore is enticing.
I'm a Harry Potter fan, through and through, and I always enjoy returning to this world while also taking interest in a lot of the lore that went into it. An upcoming videogame set at Hogwarts in the 1800s has me nearly foaming at the mouth for the awesome secrets it will hold in its unique story, for example.
If you're a "casual" fan, as they say, then I can completely understand why these Fantastic Beasts films just aren't doing it for the mainstream audiences the same way Harry Potter used to. With The Secrets of Dumbledore, I was left with probably my least favorite installment of the supposed 5-film arc thus far, though only by a slim margin. It's a story that - much like many parts of the Hobbit films felt like - is a bit of filler in the "middle". And, if you're fully aware of most Harry Potter lore, the "Secrets" in said film are...well...they haven't been secrets for a while now.
My least favorite thing about Secrets of Dumbledore was its story. Say what you will about Crimes of Grindelwald, but it felt like it effectively built toward something. That something was a bit confusing, yes, but Dumbledore was consistently lacking focus and feels like it bides time for the series as a whole. Given the inability of Dumbledore and Grindelwald to actually fight one another due to a pact in their youth, it quite literally is biding its time and the overall plot is void of any surprises. There's a lot of things it wants to focus on - a confusing, but apparently key subplot about a magical creature, Credence's continued story, as well as Grindelwald's takeover - that it never really does any of those things well. If the opening weekend box office is any indication, Warner Brothers should probably skip the 5-film arc and make a single, hopefully epic finale and get J.K. Rowling some screenwriting help.
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| "So that's why I'm wearing a gray, pantsuit onesie. Any other questions?" |
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| More like Fantastic Beasts: The Tale of My Crazy A** Ex |
Director David Yates continues to really just get this world and is not only a solid director for action scenes, magical adventure, and dialogue heavy moments, but there's a level of care and detail for the magical world that were some of the best moments of the Harry Potter films. Back too is an...ahem...magical original score from James Newton Howard that elevates many of the best moments. And those moments are quite grand. Several magic battles are incredibly strong and have become unique action scenes in their own regard, often with lots of chaos and strong special effects. Many are inventive and more in-depth than just shooting spells at one another. For all that Harry Potter series gave us, some of these scenes feel akin to the Star Wars prequel trilogy where it may have suffered elsewhere, but had some of the best lightsaber battles of them all. Dumbledore's highlight is a creature-based moment with Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander having to gyrate to keep dangerous creatures occupied else he and his brother end up a pile of surprisingly-gory bones and saliva. It's equal parts light-hearted, with tension, and completely unique and represents the best of what this series and world have to offer.
Ultimately, I think many are finding the Fantastic Beasts series just isn't for them, for whatever reason. That's okay and, in a way, I think many people who grew up and loved Harry Potter have moved on. It no longer has the world's attention as it once did. That's the true shame, but Warner Brothers should take the hint on a final film and make it big, grand, and a period on the series.
CONS
- Plot is boring and feels like a bunch of filler. Truthfully, not all that much happens
- Doesn't balance several subplots well at all. The weird focus on a single magical creature felt goofy
- All of Dumbledore's secrets aren't really secrets anymore...unless I missed something?
PROS
- This prequel trilogy does a good job expanding outside the UK, not just in lore, but in location
- As per usual with these films, this is a strong cast that easily does well. Mikkelsen is a superb replacement for Depp
- Always fun to be back in the magical Wizarding World
- New creatures are a blast and highly unique. One scene in particular is a hoot
- Awesome magic battles that feel too short - some really neat moments
- David Yates as director "gets" this world
- Strong original score
- Entertaining for fans, if not a bit overlong due to the filler
Rath's Review Score | 7/10
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