Film Review: "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" (2022).

"Return to the magic" with Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. This fantasy film directed by David Yates and written by J. K. Rowling and Steve Kloves. It is the sequel to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), the third instalment in the Fantastic Beasts film series, and the eleventh overall in the Wizarding World franchise. Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?

By early February 2019, the third installment was announced and it was revealed the film will be set in the 1930s, with the story leading up to the Wizarding World's involvement in World War II and exploring the magical communities in Bhutan, Germany and China in addition to previously established locations including the United States and United Kingdom. In November, Warner Bros. put out a press release announcing the film's location of Brazil, a spring 2020 start of production, and that Kloves was hired to co-pen the script. In March 2020, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston, William Nadylam, Victoria Yeates and Poppy Corby-Tuech were confirmed to reprise their roles, with Oliver Masucci and Valerie Pachner rounding out the cast as newcomers. In November 2020, it was announced that Johnny Depp would not reprise his role as Grindelwald after being asked by Warner Bros. to resign due to negative publicity resulting from the libel case Depp v News Group Newspapers Ltd. In late November, Warner Bros. announced that Mads Mikkelsen would replace Depp. In late September, principal photography commenced, with safety precautions in place to keep the cast and crew safe from COVID-19, and took place in Berlin, Germany; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and at Leavesden Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, England. Filming was originally scheduled to begin in mid March 2020 but was postponed on that very day due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In early February 2021, filming at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in the UK was halted after a crew member tested positive for COVID-19. The film was initially scheduled for a 12 November 2021 release date, but following Depp's departure and recasting, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, Warner Bros. shifted the release to 15 July 2022. In September 2021, the film's release was pushed forward to 15 April 2022.

Despite the film's issues, the film's strength lies in the characters and their dynamics. It's the quieter moments where the characters does his thing that makes the film more than just another set-up movie.

Although the third installment might not be the strongest entry in this franchise, it promises exciting things for the future of the Fantastic Beasts canon.

Simon says Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore receives:

Also, see my review for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.