After four years, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” has arrived, and it is a slog more than an event.
"The long-awaited third installment of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World sub-franchise is less clogged with distracting detail than its immediate predecessor"
It’s hard not to think of these real-world issues when watching The Secrets of Dumbledore, which pulls its major plot points from present-day political struggles.
The Secrets of Dumbledore opens with a chilly encounter between Dumbledore and Grindelwald (now played by Mads Mikkelsen), the avatars of this moral conflict.
"Compared with the previous two films, Secrets of Dumbledore feels more like a Harry Potter film than a Fantastic Beasts one."
"If Secrets of Dumbledore has a reason for existing, it’s perhaps as evidence of coping with disenchantment."
It’s difficult to remain enamored by the Wizarding World when its production is mired in controversy and its creator frequently espouses dangerously myopic views.