Review: Fantastic Beasts: The Secret of Dumbledore The Battle of Grindelwald VS Dumbledore

Twenty-five years ago, the whole world was captivated by a young wizard named Harry Potter. Character created by J.K. Rowling appeared in a series of seven novels and four years later Daniel Radcliffe appeared as Harry Potter in the film 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'.

After the success of the first film and seven other films, the 'Harry Potter' saga remains a popular pop icon and appears in other forms of media such as video games and rides at the Universal Orlando Resort. And to answer the longing for the wizarding world, J.K Rowling finally made a prequel entitled 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' in 2016.

Two years later the sequel, 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' was released to the public. Finally, after a long delay due to the pandemic and casting changes, the third series of 'Fantastic Beasts' was re-released with the subtitle 'The Secret of Dumbledore' this year.

Film Synopsis

Still starring Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, a magizoologist assigned by Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) to defeat Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) along with other wizards including Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), the Muggle Newt has known for a long time.

Seeking to expand his power, Grindelwald sought to contest the election of President of the International Confederation of Wizards. What Newt had to do was make sure he didn't win and at the same time expose his evil plan. The intricate real-life metaphor of racism ''Fantastické zvery: Tajomstvá Dumbledora (2022)'' is set in the 1930s, blending complex concepts and magical events into real-life history.

In that era in Germany (which is also one of the settings for this film) there was a turbulent political change where the rise of fascism was rapidly increasing before World War II. This also happens in parallel in the wizarding world, where the threat from Grindelwald is increasing. Grindelwald is also busy campaigning to elevate wizarding supremacy by eliminating Muggles (humans) or enslaving them. Which positions Grindelwald as a fascist who hates Muggles and reflects xenophobia in the real world.

Grindelwald vs Dumbledore fight

Mads Mikkelsen took over the role of the powerful and evil wizard from Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald, in this third installment of the Fantastic Beasts saga, we will see the battle between two of the greatest wizards of their time, Dumbledore and Grindelwald.

A battle that does not rely on magic power but also pits cleverness in reason and deception between the two to control the wizarding world. They both garnered a loyal following in the game of cat and mouse, Newt Scamander still plays a key role. However, this time, it is Albus Dumbledore who is the focus of this film, and this is where family secrets and his past begin to be revealed.

The supporting characters in this film are basically pawns in the tactical match between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. They each have a subplot that culminates in the final battle between the two. The film is slow at first by reintroducing each character, especially from Dumbledore's side. Where they meet each other and then separate again to carry out a solo mission mandated by Dumbledore to stop Grindelwald from taking over the wizarding world.

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Newt, played by Redmayne, is still charming, he comes across as socially awkward and charming as a magizoologist. Also quite prominent here is Jessica Williams' performance as Eulalie Hicks, a strong and wily wizard who is paired with Jacob Kowalski, a Muggle who works as a baker.

Not to be missed, of course, Dan Foggler as the only creature who does not come from among wizards, he appears funny and full of courage while still hoping for his lost love, Queenie Goldstein.

'Fantastic Beasts 3' looks more complex in presenting the storyline and full of emotional depth. Direct audiences on a winding adventure and keep their direct movements a secret from Grindelwald's eyes, who have the ability to see into the future. In that way, tension after tension builds up slowly and adds to the allure of the story.

Meanwhile, the visual appearance is enough to spoil the eyes of the audience, creating a diverse wizarding world when Newt and his friends travel to various places in the wizarding world. Which took them from the start of the city of New York, Berlin and Bhutan. While the battle scenes are sometimes slowed down and taken from various angles to add to the tension and at the same time show off sheer technical expertise.

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However, it doesn't make sense that Tina Goldstein's character (Katherine Waterston) is not involved in the mission to destroy Grindelwald's evil because in Grindelwald's army there is his sister, Queenie, who betrayed and helped Grindelwald's vision.

Conclusion

Even though it is the third film, the plan for five films to be made from the 'Fantastic Beasts' series is better than the previous film. This film also has some flaws apart from plot problems which are quite predictable, 'The Secret of Dumbledore' also has a lack of character depth and character development.