Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

April 19, 2022 By Adnerb Leave a Comment

Apple Rating:

Hi everyone!  I think I have turned a corner since breaking my arm.  I just haven’t felt comfortable typing reviews (even though we have seen movies every weekend as usual).  My arms is getting to the point where I have a better range of motion, and typing is not as much of a chore as it was – so here comes my first review since The Batman on March 7!  This is the third Fantastic Beasts movie out of what is supposed to be five.  I was charmed by the first one, didn’t like the second one at all, and thought this one was better, but not great.  When the movies stick with Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, who roams the world looking for fantastic creatures, the movie is enjoyable.  Also, Dan Fogler as the muggle baker Jacob Kowalski is a scene stealer and lights up every scene he is in.  But the rest of the movie is missing something and that is saying a lot when other characters are played by some great actors, namely Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore and Mads Mickkelsen as Gellert Grindelwald.  The plot, involves Grindelwald, who is manipulating people and events to seize control of the wizarding world and ultimately begin a war to destroy all muggles.  There is also a secret Dumbledore child, a cute animal called a quilin (looks like a tiny deer), a bunch of look alike suitcases,  and a new method of traveling by the pages of a book.  This whole Fantastic Beasts franchise doesn’t seem to contain the spark, or whatever you call it, that the original Harry Potter books had in abundance.  Maybe it misses the comradeship and trust of the Hogwarts students and their teachers. Maybe it’s that the plot lines are more murky and even somewhat disconnected and harder to follow. It just lacks that something special that the Potter saga has. Even so, if you liked the first movie, I think you will like this one too.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Fantasy, Futuristic Mystery, Uncategorized Tagged With: Dan Fogler, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Mads Mikkelsen

About Adnerb

I'm a middle school teacher and pop-culture lover. I created this blog to give you my take on movies, TV shows, and other things I find interesting.

About the Ratings:

= Highly Recommended!!
= Good Movie!
= Eh, it's okay.
= STAY AWAY!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Browse the Archives

Select Genre

Recent Comments

  • Adnerb on The Menu and Glass Onion
  • Kristen W. on The Menu and Glass Onion
  • Adnerb on Black Adam
  • Kristen W. on Black Adam
  • Adnerb on Black Adam

Tags

Adam Driver Allison Janney Ben Affleck Benedict Cumberbatch Bryan Cranston Bryce Dallas Howard Chris Hemsworth Chris Pine Chris Pratt Ciaran Hinds Colin Farrell Daniel Craig Dwayne Johnson Eddie Redmayne Emily Blunt Emma Stone Felicity Jones Gal Gadot J.K. Simmons James McAvoy Jared Leto Jason Statham Jennifer Lawrence John Goodman Johnny Depp Jordan Peele Jude Law Liam Neesan M. Knight Shyamalan Margot Robbie Matt Damon Matthew McConaughey Meryl Streep Michael Caine Morgan Freeman Olivia Colman Oscar Isaac Ryan Gosling Ryan Reynolds Samuel L. Jackson Tom Cruise Tom Hanks Tommy Lee Jones Willem Dafoe Woody Harrelson

Copyright © 2025 · but you wouldn't plagiarize a nice teacher would you? | Lovingly crafted by Adnerb's son at Aledor Web Design