The first 'Fantastic Beasts' film was very enjoyable. While having its fair share of problems, namely over-stuffing which affected the coherence, there was also a lot to like about the second, with Johnny Depp having much more of a chance to shine and shine he did. So seeing the third was definitely on the cards, despite its troubled behind the scenes with Depp's firing and the JK Rowling controversy which has affected the franchise's popularity this reviewer thinks.
Was also really interested in seeing how Depp's replacement Mads Mikkelsen would fare as Grindelwald. Am someone who has a very high opinion of Mikkelsen and there are not many actors who can play villains as well as he. When seeing it in the cinema some months ago, my thoughts were mixed to midlly positive at first. When thinking over it more recently when finally getting round to reviewing, this reviewer actually found herself liking it less and feeling more strongly about the problems. Of the three, it's for me the weakest (and no, that it doesn't have Depp in it has nothing to do with it) as the first two at least felt like 'Fantastic Beasts' whereas this felt like a distant relative.
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' does have good things. It looks absolutely fantastic, with stunning set/production design, very atmospheric photography and effects that really do give off a sense of wonder. The music is rousing in spots, eerily haunting in others, jaunty in others and melancholic in others. Really liked that Newt had more to do and was more incidental to the story. When the beasts do feature, they are fun. Niffler steals every scene he appears in. Liked the Quilan too.
Of all the scenes in the film, it does start off very well and intriguingly, everything with Dumbledore intrigues and evokes some nice unforced nostalgia and the climax did excite initially. But the highlight is the riotously bizarre dance as part of a particularly perilous escape, a scene that also had a lot of nail biting tension. It is well performed, Eddie Redmayne continues to be well cast as Newt and Dan Vogler has a lot of fun moments. Ezra Miller is quietly intense and Jude Law is nobly charismatic. Mikkelsen is always going to be compared to Depp, and while it is a very different interpretation and more James Bond villain-like Mikkelsen is still very menacing in a subtle way.
Against all of that, there is a lot wrong. It was good that the plotting is more streamlined/straightforward and more coherent than the second, but it does suffer still from not doing enough with too many plot strands. Coming off worst is the Yusuf Kama subplot and role, which are completely incongruous to the story and could have been left out entirely because absolutely nothing is done with it. Credence's story, after so much promising build up and some nice suspense still, felt rather rushed.
Moreover, 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' is too long by about twenty minutes, tightening the pace, exciting Kama's role and storyline and trimming down a little some of the last act would have solved this. Didn't like too the script's annoying tendency to over-explain, too much telling and not enough show and too much of a reliance on background exposition. Really wish that there was more of the beasts, when they do appear they are fun (though only Niffler is properly memorable) but they are very under-utilised and have very little role in the story. Excepting a nice build up, the ending felt very anti-climactic and incomplete and is a type of ending that this reviewer doesn't care about usually in case another instalment or two is not done.
In conclusion, very conflicted here and couldn't have feeling disappointed. 5/10.
