Review : Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Improvements From the Previous Movie

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a place for improvement from director David Yates and writer JK Rowling and the rest of the crew to produce a better film than the previous saga, The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018). However, this film also has not been able to match the success of the first film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2001) which immediately caught the attention of Potterheads after the Harry Potter saga ended in 2011.

Fantastická zvířata: Brumbálova tajemství (2022) combines more of the memories that Potterheads are familiar with, a more intimate character story, more eye-catching visuals, to a more comfortable storyline to follow. After telling the story of Grindelwald's obscure crimes in the second film, Fantastic Beasts 3 is now more focused on uncovering the little-known secrets of Dumbledore, or his family.

The story of Albus Dumbledore or his family is not much in the spotlight in the Harry Potter legend. This legendary family name in the minds of Potterheads is still full of puzzles even after the Harry Potter saga is over. Moreover, the romance between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. In the Harry Potter saga, they are known only as "close" and as two wizards with many similarities and vow not to hurt each other.

In The Secrets of Dumbledore, JK Rowling as a screenwriter opens Dumbledore and Grindelwald's relationship more widely. Even so, the same-sex love story in this film is presented in a subtle way so that it seems like two old friends who later become enemies. Not only that, conflicts that are more humane and connected to human life in the real world are also presented in The Secrets of Dumbledore. One of them is the depiction of a dirty political game.

Rowling develops the premise of electoral manipulation in describing how Grindelwald seeks to bring about war between wizards and non-wizards aka muggles or no-majs. The tactics used also remind fans of the story of necromancy magic, which was once said to be one of the mainstays of the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, building Inferius who became his army.

Playing as a cunning figure, Mads Mikkelsen brought the character of Gellert Grindelwald beautifully. Despite being the latest to join, this 1965-born actor managed to execute his role so well that this film feels very real and close to the audience.

Mikkelsen succeeded in building the image of Grindelwald as an arrogant, manipulative and very cunning antagonist. But also smart and strong at the same time. He succeeded in breaking down public doubts when he replaced Johnny Depp who was already known to Fantastic Beasts fans and left his own image.

I myself was actually among those who were not worried when Johnny Depp was kicked out of Fantastic Beasts considering the character he played was not as iconic as Newt Scamander who became a pawn in this saga. Moreover, Fantastic Beasts is actually a play space for JK Rowling to explore wilder and more in developing the Wizarding World universe.

Not only Mads Mikkelsen, praise also deserves to be given to the ranks of other players. One of them, Alison Sudol, who successfully brought the more mature figure of Queenie Goldstein. Sudol successfully displays the emotional changes that occur in his character smoothly and emotionally. Likewise with his co-star, Dan Fogler who managed to show another side of the figure of Jacob Kowalski.

Despite being a better film than the previous saga, Fantastická zvířata: Brumbálova tajemství (2022) celý film still raises question marks. One of them is the closeness between Albus and his younger brother, Aberforth, who looks more familiar than in the stories in the Harry Potter world.

But that does not reduce my admiration for this film. Moreover, the CGI quality of this film is better than the second film with a more convincing magic trick game and a refreshing comedy insert. At least, this film is still able to hold back the enthusiasm for waiting for the fourth of the five films planned for the Fantastic Beasts universe.