Reviewed: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

“By far the most compelling parts of the film are the fight scenes”

There was a time when films set in JK Rowling’s wizarding world promised wonder and excitement. However, the latest instalment in the franchise feels as if its primary purpose was as a sleeping aid.

When the Fantastic Beasts series was first announced, we were promised five prequels to the international phenomenon that was Harry Potter. These films were set to follow magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), and the part he ended up playing in the rise and fall of Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelson). You may recognise Mads Mikkelson from his three-year stint as everyone’s favourite cannibal therapist in the show Hannibal, or as a villain in Casino Royale. He is the wizarding world’s precursor to the dreaded Lord Voldemort.

Returning to the director’s chair after the previous two films and the last four Harry Potters is David Yates. After the middling-to-negative responses from the first two films, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was the chance for this series to prove its mettle. But if this is to end up as the final instalment, it would seem the series is to go out with a whimper.

Newt and co are sent on a mission by Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) to prevent Grindelwald’s rise. If they fail, a war between the wizarding world and our own will be inevitable. At the same time Dumbledore is on a separate mission to reunite his splintered family. It was nice to be shown new areas of the wizarding world and get a glimpse into some of the magical cultures as yet unseen.

However, it would have been nice to have them explained in a bit more detail. Something the Harry Potter films incorporated so well was world-building. Due to the fact the title character of those was a newcomer to the magical world, there was plenty of opportunity for the audience to learn at the same time as him.

Fantastic Beasts has its own newcomer to the magical world, No-Maj (non-magic user) Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler). But instead of using him to explain the unfamiliar aspects of the world, the writers chose to submit the audience to ham-fisted expositions which only half explain that world. This unfortunately holds back the story in a few places, as it’s never quite made clear why things need to play out the way they do.

Something I will always be curious about is why this series insists on continuing to use the title “Fantastic Beasts”. While unlike its predecessor, this one does feature a magical creature of importance to the plot, it is no longer what this series is about. There are certainly still many interesting background creatures, but they often feel as if they are little more than set dressing.

By far the most compelling parts of the film are the fight scenes. While these sequences are unfortunately few and far between, they bring a creative flair with them that I always relish in these films. It would just be nice if those flairs could last a little longer.

The Secrets of Dumbledore is a meandering wander through a few new corners of the wizarding world. While it offers little in terms of compelling storytelling, the interesting visuals may be enough to satisfy the appetites of fans. However, at this point it is starting to feel like the magic has been well and truly tapped for this series.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Nat Dolan is an Auckland actor and movie enthusiast