Whatever criticisms can be leveled against Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, it must be said that Mads Mikkelsen is a massive upgrade from Johnny Depp.
Depp portrayed the series’ main villain, the wizard Gellert Grindelwald, in the first and second films, contributing nothing to the franchise other than a prickly mustache and god-awful haircut. He was replaced by Mikkelsen after the actor’s personal woes became public knowledge.
There’s no on-screen explanation given for why the franchise’s main baddie suddenly looks so different when he appears in the first scene in The Secrets of Dumbledore, nor is one needed. Within five minutes, Mikkelsen brings swagger, seductiveness, and cool menace to a character who’d been a cartoon cypher in two previous films.
Mads Mikkelsen and William Nadylam in “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.” Warner Bros.
For the first time, it’s easy to see him not just as a monster, but also the man professor Dumbledore (Jude Law) loved so deeply in his youth that he would make an oath never to harm him. In the film’s first scene, a sit-down between the two at a British cafe, the Fantastic Beasts series finally seems to locate its emotional core.
It’s a pity it spends most of the next two hours ignoring it.
When Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) was released, it was pitched as an attempt to explore new corners of the Wizarding World established in the Harry Potter franchise. Introducing “magizoologist” Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), the prequel was a fitfully lively endeavor that worked best when it unveiled new mystical creatures and indulged in imaginative use of magic. But to satisfy fans, Newt’s story was pulled back for the turgid Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) to focus more on author J.K. Rowling’s sprawling mythology and link the story more closely to Hogwarts, Dumbledore, and other Potter-adjacent items. The result was a dour slog that filled in the world’s backstory without any of the whimsy or fun of Rowling’s original series.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a better combination of fantasy and mythologizing than its predecessor, due in no small part to the return of screenwriter Steve Kloves, the scribe behind seven of the eight Potter films. Kloves, writing with Rowling, understands not only the finer nuances of the Wizarding World, but is also more adept at finding emotional entry points and creating a cohesive structure.
The film opens about a year after the previous film’s ending. Grindelwald is attempting to take over the worldwide wizarding community, assisted by his legion of supporters. Dumbledore knows he must be stopped, but a youthful oath makes it impossible to move against his former ally. He enlists Newt, charms instructor Lally (Jessica Williams) and muggle Jacob (Dan Fogler) along with several others in a plan to confuse Grindelwald, whose psychic powers make it easier for him to anticipate their next move. Meanwhile, young orphan Credence (Ezra Miller) is wrestling with information about his identity and place alongside Grindelwald, and Jacob’s ex-girlfriend Queenie (Alison Sudol) wonders whether she was right to leave her friends and family behind.
Kloves and Rowling focus the story as a wartime spy thriller filtered through fantasy, and the formula gooses the momentum from the aimless Crimes of Grindelwald. Director David Yates helms several fun sequences, including an escape from a German wizarding prison, an assassination attempt during a dinner, and a climactic chase through the Himalayas. Where Grindelwald was dour and self-serious, Dumbledore is sprightlier. But the script also finds resonance in its themes of doing the right thing versus doing the easy thing, and warnings about the ease with which despots can take power. The Potter series always married political intrigue and ethics to its fantasy, which it’s struggled to bring organically to the prequel series, and the newfound thematic focus is welcome.
Unfortunately, the decision to focus on the broader Wizarding World mythos instead of stand-alone ventures with Newt and his magical creatures means the film continues to be bogged down by expansions in the mythology, which feels pointless when the end of this story has already been told in books and movies. There’s an interesting element when it comes to the love/hate relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, but the series’ decision to keep them separate through the majority of the movie means it can’t dig into it in any meaningful way, and there are too many side characters and subplots for Law to have an opportunity to explore Dumbledore’s past. It’s refreshing to see a big-budget franchise center its story around a gay relationship, but the Dumbledore/Grindelwald tension can’t register when the movie keeps jumping to other subplots and half of their scenes together involve shooting light at each other.
The Potter series was commended for attracting renowned actors, and the Fantastic Beasts franchise has done well by that tradition. Redmayne uses his soft-spoken nature to create a meek and pure hero in Newt, and he’s turned him into one of the more likable heroes in the Potterverse. Fogler, as the muggle enamored with the world of wizards, continues to be the franchise’s heart and the audience’s entry point. Law ably portrays a wise and torn Dumbledore, and Jessica Williams brings a much-needed jolt of levity and joy. Ezra Miller has struggled to find a center of gravity to Credence, but in this film he comes off better, portraying a villain who is conflicted and at war with his emotions.
The cast is solid, the themes are relevant and the film has several fun sequences. But something continues to keep the Fantastic Beasts series from achieving the sense of wonder, fun and emotion that the Potter series did so well. Part of that stems from the Potter movies’ child entry points, which heightened everything. The grown-up stories lack the sense of joy and ingenuity; there’s little separating this from being a Marvel movie with magic.
But it might also be a problem of familiarity. Director David Yates has helmed all three Fantastic Beasts films, and he also directed the last four Harry Potter movies. Yates is a capable director, but not a very imaginative one. The look is dour; it appears to be filmed through a layer of mud and grime. The film moves with a specific rhythm and tone seemingly because that’s what all the movies in this world do, but it keeps the series from ever being truly imaginative; instead, it seeks to satisfy Potter nerds, deepen the mythology and deliver a dose of Hogwarts-flavored nostalgia. One wonders at the missed opportunity of bringing in someone like Guillermo del Toro to write and direct a movie centered on mystical beasts, similar to the jolt of life the Potter franchise got when it brought in Alfonso Cuaron.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore should satisfy fans of Rowling’s universe, and by now it’s likely impossible to attract anyone new. It’s competently made, well acted and has moments of fun. But never for a moment does it feel truly magical.
