The Fantastic Beasts series has had a hit-or-miss track record. While the first one was a fairly good entry, its sequel The Crimes of Grindlewald, was a convoluted mess.
Thankfully, this series is somewhat back on track with The Secrets of Dumbledore which, despite some stumbles in its plotting, manages to conjure up a much more cohesive story.
Eddie Redmayne is back as Newt Scamander and this time, he’s out to help a magical creature called a Qilin which has the ability to see into a person’s soul.
He tries to go to Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) for help, but he’s unable to due to a blood oath he made with the sinister Gellert Grindlewald (Mads Mikkelsen replacing Johnny Depp).
Instead, Dumbledore assembles an army to help Newt protect the creature and stop Grindlewald’s plans for world domination. Grindlewald also has another Qilin and has absorbed its powers.
Newt and his team converge at the International Confederation of Wizards where Grindlewald is running for the top position. They believe this might be their best chance to take him down. This is where the plot delves into a lot of dialogue that’s often reminiscent of what George Lucas did with the Star Wars prequels.
Ezra Miller costars as Credence Barebone, Grindlewald’s top henchman who has some rather interesting secrets that might make him question his loyalty.
We get some easter eggs of things that will eventually come into play in the Harry Potter series with some subtle and not-so-subtle. There’s also intriguing character development among some of the supporting cast such as Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) still pining for his long-lost love Queenie, the renegade witch (Alison Sudol).
As I’ve said, the Fantastic Beasts series is mixed, and especially after the underwhelming sequel, I entered into this one with little expectation. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself mostly absorbed by the plot twists, the humor, and the imagination.
These movies are a far cry from their superior originals, but there’s plenty in this installment to keep fans satisfied until the inevitable fourth chapter.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG-13 for some fantasy action/violence.)
