A Quick Recap and a Few Reviews of The Secrets of Dumbledore

With the third film in the Fantastic Beasts franchise – The Secrets of Dumbledore – now showing in cinemas around the country, we asked provide a brief, almost spoiler-free recap about this new, prequel side of the Wizarding World.

We are first introduced to the loveable Magiczoologist Newt Scamander in the first film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film, released in 2016.

Set in 1926, Newt appears in New York looking to release some one of his fantastic beasts back into the wild. However, his magical suitcase filled to the brim with creatures goes missing, where said creatures start to wreak havoc on muggle and magical New York.

Along the way, we are introduced to Jacob Kowalski, the muggle baker; Tina Goldstein, Auror for the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) and Queenie Goldstein, sister to Tina and a Legilimens.

As the quartet try their best to locate all the creatures loose in the city, there is another unknown menace causing chaos on the streets of New York. Gellert Grindelwald, the dark wizard and Dumbledore’s greatest foe, has plans for magical superiority around the world and is beginning to collect like-minded individuals for his plan of the greater good.

As MACUSA’s authority closes in on Newt and his friends, darker forces begin to menace the non-magical population of New York, leading to the discovery of the slightly-magical Credence Barebone, at the mercy of his witch hunting adoptive mother, who hides his own secrets about his magical abilities, eventually escaping and travelling to Europe.

This escape leads us to the next Fantastic Beasts film, The Crimes of Grindelwald. Released in 2018 and set in Europe 1927, we are once again introduced to the quartet of Newt, Tina, Jacob and Queenie. However, the film takes a sinister turn quickly, with Newt being called upon by a young(-er) Albus Dumbledore to contain the threat of Grindelwald who has escaped MACUSA custody and is gaining support throughout the European magical community. Not only are we re-acquainted with Newt and friends, but we again meet Credence and also encounter his new friend Nagini (fans of the original Harry Potter series will recognise that name), living with a magical circus. She is in fact a Maledictus (a human who can not only turn into a snake but is destined to one day remain one).

Throughout a plot-packed film, we so meet Newt’s brother, Theseus Scamander, and his fiancé Leta Lestrange. In attempting to atone for prior wrongs, Leta sacrifices herself to help others escape the clutches of Grindelwald, and provides an inkling that Credence is not just slightly magical, but possibly a member of one of the wizarding world’s most powerful magical families.

This last nugget provides perhaps the strongest link to the latest and third in a five-movie series Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

What we know so far…

The trailer (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – Official Trailer 2 – YouTube) for the new film show us many familiar faces from the previous two films including Newt, Queenie, Jacob, Theseus, Dumbledore, Credence and Nagini.

Mads Mikkelsen steps up to play Grindelwald after Johnny Depp’s departure, and some other brand new characters appear throughout the trailer, of which we know very little. The posters seem to divide them into one of the two camps: Grindelwald and Dumbledore. We were all very pleased to see Newt’s demure assistant Bunty playing a more prominent role but puzzled by the seeming absence of Tina.

As Grindelwald begins to ramp up his quest to start a war with the non-magical community, so does Dumbledore’s efforts to thwart him… from ending blood pacts, to giving a wand to a non-magical Jacob, to starting his own team to counter Grindelwald’s growing threat, this film looks to be jam-packed with beasts and duels!

Early Reviews…

Much has been kept hush-hush about the film since its worldwide premiere in London last week. However, early Twitter reviews seem to hype the film up much more than its predecessors. Yet, early reviews call it a ‘love letter to misfits’ and ‘fun’, with KoiMoi.com claiming it is “the best amongst the three.”

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore Early Review Out! Fans Call The Jude Law Starrer By Far The Best Amongst The Three

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see the development of the new film and how Mads Mikkelsen goes as Grindelwald. Aside from those, I’m keen to meet more magical creatures and delve further into the storylines of complex characters.

Come and join us in Sydney for an exclusive Quizzic Alley Watch Party on Thursday 7th April at 6pm at Events Cinemas Macquarie Centre. There are a few tickets left and lots of fun and prizes on offer. Get your ticket/s here.