Fantastic Beasts 3: the magic that we all need
Just by the title, you could tell that this blog is going to be about me fangirling and fawning over Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. As I am typing this, I still cannot believe that the movie is finally here after 2 years of waiting or that I have watched it (I’ve been avoiding cinema since the start of the pandemic, but for fantastic beasts 3, I risked it all).
I understand that the movie has received mixed reviews as it appeals to the nostalgia of the fans of the Harry Potter franchise and builds on Dumbledore’s backstory stated in book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (I truly recommend everyone to read the Harry Potter series if you enjoy the Fantastic Beasts series and would love to have more background of the wizarding world). Without giving any spoilers, here are my honest review of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. I know that some of my reviews would be a little biased considering I am a Potterhead, but I would try to be as honest as I can about how I feel about the movie.
1. The plot: the good and the not so good
Similar to its predecessor, the Crimes of Grindelwald, the Secrets of Dumbledore is essentially another stage-setting film that is building up to the big battle in the fifth instalment of the Fantastic Beasts series. In the secrets of Dumbledore, you would see Dumbledore finally assembles his own team and trying to break his blood pact with Grindelwald. In the movie, you would see Dumbledore’s Army setting off to stop Grindelwald’s influence in the election of the supreme mugwump, the head of the International Confederation of Wizards.
The good:
Since the opening scene, the secrets of Dumbledore tries to tell the audience that from this movie on, the tone and the storyline of the series would become darker as we are heading toward the impending and historic battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. However, even with this serious undertone, what I like about the third instalment is that it still manages to maintain the light-hearted quirkiness that we all love since the first movie. Those little quirky and heart-warming moments are to show that “happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times.” Not to mention, we are also introduced to new magical creatures along with seeing the reappearance of our favourite creatures. In addition to the heart-warming moments, the secret of Dumbledore does answer all of the questions that were leftover from the previous movies. There were multiple moments when the revelations put me at the edge of my seat.
The secrets of Dumbledore also introduces the audience to two new wizarding communities and the election of the head of the International Confederation of Wizards. Speaking from an International Relations major, I do appreciate the introduction to the confederation as I get to learn more about how the wizarding communities in different countries cooperate. (For those of you who do not know, the confederation is like the wizard’s version of the United Nations). Furthermore, the storyline about the confederation does bring into perspective how much of a threat Grindelwald is and why the impending duel between Dumbledore and Grindelwald would later be considered a turning point in the magical history.
The not so good:
In the movies, the characters are set off to complete different assignments to confuse Grindelwald in the end. While I enjoy the journey that different characters went on and the tension that the movie tries to build up, the big revelation or the climax in the end did not live up to the anticipation. Compare to Fantastic Beasts 1, the secret of Dumbledore falls flat in making a satisfying final moment. Unlike Fantastic Beasts 1 which got my jaw dropped with the revelation of Grindelwald, I did not have the same reaction to the supposed-to-be final big moment in the secret of Dumbledore. It was exciting, but I had expected more.
2. The Characters and their relationships
I would say that the heart of the secret of Dumbledore is the relationships between each character, not just the chemistry on screen, but the overall brotherhood and friendship that the characters have for each other.
Two pairs of brothers: Without a doubt, the secret of Dumbledore tries to show the parallel between the brothers of the Dumbledores and the Scamanders. While the two pairs of brothers are of different character, in the movie, you would see the pairs of brothers bonding and patching their relationships. It gave me a warm feeling when the brothers open up to each other and slowly trust one another again.
Dumbledore and Grindelwald: it is probably not a Fantastic Beasts movie if we do not learn more about the state of the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. It has already been a well-established fact that Dumbledore was in love with Grindelwald, but it is a different sensation to see the relationship unfold on screen. It was fascinating to see Albus struggles between doing what is right while fighting his fear of being alone and unloved. On Grindelwald side, I have to say that Mads Mikkelsen did a good job portraying Grindelwald. I was sceptical of him at first because I was so in love with Johnny Depp as Grindelwald, but Mikkelsen was amazing showing the narcissistic side of Grindelwald as he was relishing in fame, manipulating those around him, and still trying to gaslight Albus. I could imagine how toxic the relationship would be if Albus and Grindelwald was in an actual relationship.
The unexpected characters: I went into fantastic beasts 3 hoping to see more of Newt and his quirks, yet I fell in love with Professor Eulalie (Lally) Hicks and Bunty. Professor Lally was such a breath of fresh air. She was charming, caring, and funny. Lally adds flair to the entire story. It makes sense that she is a Charms professor. As for Bunty, it was satisfying to see her play a bigger role and to get to know her better. In this movie, even though Bunty is still a bit socially awkward, we get to see her warm and caring side with a big heart. It makes sense that she gets along well with all of Newt’s magical creatures. Go Bunty!
Overall, my experience with Fantastic Beasts: the Secret of Dumbledore was nothing but magical. It was full of nostalgia as there were many references from the Harry Potter series. It was eye-opening with the expansion of the magical communities. It was funny, quirky, and heart-warming. Above all, it was the light and escape that I needed from the dark reality that I am going through.
