I was so excited to hear that Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was finally coming out, and I couldn’t wait to see it at the cinema.

My verdict? It was fun, action-filled and entertaining!

The Secrets of Dumbledore contained more of the magic of the original Harry Potter series that we love so much compared to the first two films of this production (Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald).

This HP companion series feels a little lost, to be completely honest. And the three episodes that make it up so far haven’t been consistent. The focus of the story has shifted from the MC and his stunning and unique magical creatures to Dumbledore’s backstory. Which is what we want of course, but it’s a weird ride.

Saying that, The Secrets of Dumbledore was very engaging and I preferred it to The Crimes of Grindwald by a mile. This one wasn’t as dark and gloomy, and the storyline was gripping.

In Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) and Queenie (Alison Sudol) captured my heart. In this one, they were just as adorable, strong and funny. The Hufflepuff MC showing awkwardness and compassion is something I find refreshing to watch since he isn’t your “typical” hero. We’re also introduced to other characters in The Secrets of Dumbledore who are vital to the plot to stop Grindelwald, and Lally (Jessica Williams) quickly became the favourite for me. The acting is on point throughout by all, but Dan Fogler as Jacob still manages to steal the show despite being a side character.

Something not to leave out in the review, of course, is the replacement of Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald. Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen did an admirable job of stepping up as our villain. Though he didn’t have the flare that Depp brought to role. The energy nor appearance of Grindelwald as a character matched the previous films, which was a little disappointing.

Overall, the style, magic, cgi creatures and cinematography was a delight and again reminded me of the HP series. Stepping back into Hogwarts was nostalgic and always feels like a lovely treat.

Fantastic Beasts 3 wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was a great fantasy film to watch on the big screen.

Lets hope the next one follows suit, and doesn’t digress any more. Nor go back to the wishy-washy feel of The Crimes of Grindelwald. I am actually excited to see the story develop and come to what will no doubt be an epic conclusion.

Side note: I’m still conflicted about the situation with Rowling, yet decided to separate the story from the author. People might feel differently and will not want to continue seeing or supporting what she writes and that’s understandable.

Until Next Time,

M