Newt and his magical suitcase are back, babies, and it’s glorious to behold! In case that first sentence doesn’t make any sense to you- let me Movie Mylasplain it to you. There’s this little, unknown thing in the world called Harry Potter. He spawned a few books and a couple of movies. Perhaps a worldwide phenomenon? No big deal, right? A little-known spin-off came from all that Harry Potter stuff- Fantastic Beasts. The third movie of that franchise, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, is a must-see!
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Review
In case you are not familiar with the Fantastic Beasts movies, let’s do a quick catch-up with the lovable Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and the rest of the 1920’s era wizarding and witch crew. Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is still a bad guy (with a new face) running as an all too familiar populist candidate in a wizard election. Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) is a troubled and confused mess. Jacob Kowlaski (Dan Fogler) will forever be our favorite muggle even while Queenie (Alison Sudol) continues to break our hearts. Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner) and Bunty (Victoria Yates) are standing by Newt. Eulalie Hicks (Jessica Williams) is a force to be reckoned with as Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam) stoically plays his part. Dumbledore (Jude Law) is just being Dumbledore, which is the best thing anyone can be. Director David Yates cleans up a lot of loose ends and noise that Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald brought to the screen.
Photo: Warner Bros.
This review will not cover any plot because there should never be spoilers in the Harry Potter universe. The viewers just need to know that though dark, the movie is fun and fabulous. The story wraps up in a tidy package with a bow on top ready for Harry Potter’s timeline.
If you are asking yourself- do I need to see the Harry Potter movies to enjoy Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, you do not. The series stands on its own. However, you absolutely should see the other Fantastic Beasts movies to get ready for this one. Trust me, you will be treated to some lovely rewards for sticking through to the end. Plus, you will get to see what is going on with Teddy the Niffler and Pickett and Bowtruckle!