Placed alongside commodified Marvel and bastardized “Star Wars,” the Wizarding World stands as the last great original blockbuster franchise. I think it will be appreciated for that in the years to come. For now, though, people weren’t truly lining up around the block for the third of five “Fantastic Beasts” films, “The Secrets of Dumbledore,” when it hit theaters in April.
A Mads, Mads, Mads world
This might be because the “Harry Potter” saga was a thing from the Aughts that, for reasons we’ll only understand with time, petered out in the ’10s and is sputtering into the ’20s. Indeed, “Secrets” feels out of time. Filled with snowy locations, it might become cozy Christmas staple, but at the moment it feels like it was dumped to screens in April, then dumped to HBO Max in the heat of summer.
Or the relatively low public interest might be because J.K. Rowling committed political correctness crimes. Or because Johnny Depp was dismissed from the Grindelwald role because of Warner Bros.’ fear of alleged PC crimes.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” (2022)
Director: David Yates
Writers: J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Mads Mikkelson
Mads Mikkelson takes over, so it’s like Hannibal Lecter is suddenly trying to win election to the highest Wizarding World seat. Depp is one of the best parts of “The Crimes of Grindelwald,” but “Secrets” wants so much for us to forget about him that Mikkelson doesn’t even have the villain’s distinct mustache and spiked hair.
When I see Queenie (Alison Sudol) — who has joined Grindelwald to try to overthrow him from within — interacting with Mikkelson I have to mentally superimpose Depp so the scene will make sense.
Newt as Indy?
“The Secrets of Dumbledore” is the most respectable attempt so far by Rowling to translate her novel-writing style to the screen. It’s no coincidence that Steve Kloves, writer of most of the “Potter” films, co-writes this time.
David Yates, director of many “Potter” films and all the “Beasts,” opens this one up for an “Indiana Jones”-style adventure. But, unfortunately or intriguingly, there’s no single Indiana Jones stand-in.
Nominally, it’s Newt Scamander, the animal lover who is again perfectly played by Eddie Redmayne, who understands the subtle difference between shy and socially awkward. Newt will someday be recognized as the first major-franchise autistic hero, but that’s not talked about now because the general public largely misunderstands high-functioning autism.
Rocky relationships
Also, Dumbledore (an on-point Jude Law) is sometimes in the spotlight, nervous about Grindelwald’s schemes yet calmly delivering insights like he’ll do in his later days. He recognizes the “full heart” of Muggle baker Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler, a great deadpan line-reader), who wants to get Queenie back and sometimes fills the hero role himself.
A random new character, Charms teacher Lally Hicks (Jessica Williams) — Jacob’s handler — also takes the lead sometimes. She checks the black and female boxes, or — to be less cynical — she’s an example of a character who would be excised if this was a novel compressed into a film.
But, of course, “Secrets” is a novel writer’s screenplay; there is no accompanying book. So we return to the mystery of Creedence (Ezra Miller), who may or may not be part of the Dumbledore family tree. I’m not sure if this character or mystery is needed.
Jacob-and-Queenie remains a winner, and Newt-and-Tina (Katherine Waterston) isn’t far behind. Plus, is Newt’s assistant Bunty (Victoria Yeates) into her boss? Will we have a love triangle down the road?
Other relationships don’t ring as true, most glaringly Dumbledore-and-Grindelwald. Law and Mikkelson have no romantic chemistry, and there are no backstory scenes. We’re told they loved each other – and maybe still do, on some tragic level – but it doesn’t come through.
Around the Wizarding World in a few days
“Secrets” is a tempting film to nitpick, but it’s also a sweepingly easy film to watch, even if primarily as visual and aural art. Coming off “Crimes,” this one is less confusing, more focused, and more beautiful.
Rowling’s imagination remains in full flower is we meet two baby deer-like creatures called Qilin in an early scene. In a welcome surprise, they aren’t merely an entry in Newt’s encyclopedia: The Qilin have a through-line centered on their ability to read people’s souls.
Rowling and Kloves crib from the “Seven Potters” sequence in “Deathly Hallows, Part 1” by giving us several copies of Newt’s suitcase, each carried by a different hero and pursued by Grindelwald’s thugs. This gives momentum to the final act.
Before that, “Secrets” has a little of this, a little of that – it’s mesmerizing in a sleepy way. Our protagonists explore the Wizarding World’s lighter version of Nazism in Germany and Eastern mysticism in Bhutan. I didn’t grasp it all, but I will revisit this film someday with gusto.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” isn’t perfect, but it’s tighter than the last entry, and this saga remains Rowling’s grand, original vision. In an era when Disney owns everything else, we shouldn’t take that for granted.