Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore review: It's OG Dumbledore's Army vs Grindelwald, but did we need it?

3/5

Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) is aware that Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen), a powerful dark wizard, is plotting to gain control of the wizarding world. He entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches, and one courageous Muggle baker on a risky expedition, where they battle Grindelwald's growing legion of followers and encounter old and new animals. But how long can Dumbledore stay on the sidelines when the stakes are so high?

Way before the world of Harry Potter ended in 2011, fans were teased about Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore's sexuality. Five years later, JK Rowling brought another world of Fantastic Beasts, but still, it took the makers a few years to bring out Dumbledore's not-so-secret in a movie.

In Secrets of Dumbledore, we see him throw the biggest confession of the century, "I was in love with you," to Gellert Grindelwald, and how life has been tough since then. Potterheads are aware of the Unbreakable Vow, and this time we see the Hogwarts headmaster (Jude Law) making a blood pact with his archrival and one-time lover, Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen), to never get into a duel with each other.

Director David Yates brings this sequence right in the beginning, which can look delusional as it seems to be a part of the pensive which Dumbledore seeks every time.

In the very next moment, we see Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) hunting his next "fantastic beast", a beautiful creature named Qilin, with iridescent fish scales. It resembles a hybrid between a miniature dragon and a deer. The poor guy is attacked by Credence Barebone, aka Aurelius Dumbledore (Ezra Miller), who also wants the same beast for Grindelwald.

Thus, this establishes that even though the film is about the secrets of Dumbledore, without a "Fantastic Beast," the story cannot be taken ahead.

The film takes the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix route by creating Dumbledore's Army to fight against Grindelwald. Well, it's a mixture of wizards led by Scamander and also includes his best friend, the sweetest muggle, or no-maj, Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler).

The strength of Secrets of Dumbledore still lies in the three main characters: Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Scamander. But the cluttering of too many actors makes it just a bore with unwanted sequences.

The sequences are prolonged, and only a few grab your attention. One, in particular, is the funniest sequence ever seen in the whole of the Harry Potter universe. Newt and his brother, Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner), dance and walk to not get attacked in a dungeon by a weird Scorpio-like creature.

Wands blaze from every nook and corner, and you don’t remember the last time so many wizards assembled in one place. The film touches upon the rising fascism in the 1930s against the backdrop of Berlin, Germany.

But, that does come as a shocker, as thousands of people (who are supposed) wizards come together for rallies of the candidates fighting for the seat of Supreme Head. Then, out of nowhere, the Berliners travel to Bhutan for the election. Well, how does that even make sense, even in a freaking magical world?

The travelling of people from one place to another, only to take a halt at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (aah, the Hedwig theme) for a breather, will just make one seem to have lost the plot. Well, JK Rowling and Steve Kloves' screenplay does lose the plot right in the middle of the film.

You expect war, but you get insane brutality, which might be a little uncomfortable to watch knowing that the universe is for all ages to watch.

However, the lavish setting in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is something you might not have seen in a very long time. It's just bewitching and extravagant in every sense.

Jude Law's Dumbledore is more of the latter element in the sense that his dialogue delivery is nearly identical to that of Michael Gambon's in the six Harry Potter movies. Here, I thought that coming face-to-face with his love and enemy would finally make Dumbledore retire from his suited-up look and adopt the robes as his identity. We have to wait a little longer for that, it seems.

Well, I hands down missed the quirks of Johnny Depp, who has been replaced by Mikkelsen as Grindelwald. Yes, the latter is one of the greatest talents, but the character created by Depp is irreplaceable in my mind. However, credit cannot be taken away from Mikkelsen for his incredible performance and the stability he brought to Grindelwald's character.

Redmayne is more into Charles Dickens' space in this, with minimal dialogue and more actions as the stupendous Magizoologist the world has ever witnessed. He continues with his empathy act, and no doubt, he is plain impressive.

Miller completely gets into Severus Snape mode (played by the late Alan Rickman) from his look as well as mannerisms. Well, he could have easily played the younger version of Snape going by the get-up given to him in the entire film.

It's child's play for Yates to direct this magical world, and he takes us back to Hogwarts, where it all started. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is beautifully directed, despite the screenplay getting a little shaky now and then. When we think that World War II was witnessed just by the Muggles, well, this film shows that it's not true at all.

After Crimes of Grindelwald and Secrets of Dumbledore, one can expect that we will finally get a film that is Dumbledore vs Grindelwald. Well, Potterheads, this shouldn't be a spoiler for you. We all know how Dumbledore became the proud owner of the Elder Wand!

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is strictly for Potterheads who aren't over the Harry Potter universe. The film gives a sense of déjà vu of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but in the darkest way.