Potter heads rejoice! We have a new Fantastic Beasts film! Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the third film in the new franchise and kicks things off directly after the events of the previous films.
Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful, dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving in to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, Dumbledore entrusts magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards and witches (and a muggle). They soon encounter an array of old and new beasts as they clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. With a huge cast of interesting characters, beautifully detailed sets and interesting magical beasts, this film has everything fans have come to expect from the series. While the story can be a little haphazard at times, with many storylines not going anywhere meaningful, overall this is a fun ride that had us captivated from start to end.
Following the pandemic setbacks and the replacement of Johnny Depp with Mads Mikkelsen, it feels like a long time between instalments so we were worried that we wouldn’t remember what happened in Beasts 2. Having said that, my plus one and I instantly fell back into the Wizarding World and could place who these characters were with little introduction. For fans of Harry Potter, there are a lot of nods to elements of those stories that you are bound to pick up on. For newcomers to the series, you will likely get more out of this film if you have caught up on the first two Fantastic Beasts before heading to the cinemas.
While the film was written and produced by J. K. Rowling who has tarnished her legacy with dangerous and damaging views on trans women, we have separated the artist and the artwork in this case due to the hundreds of other creatives involved in bringing the film to life. It truly is wonderful to step back into this magical world that has brought so many of us joy over the years, and we’re looking forward to seeing the next instalments in the franchise.
– The Plus Ones
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is in cinemas now.
Hoyts Melbourne Central is an accessible venue.
