Like so much children’s entertainment these days, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” is a political primer sprinkled with magical dust. In this third installment in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise (itself a prequel series to the original “Harry Potter” stories), cuddly critters have usually been swapped for dark creatures: Here, scorpion freaks guard a prison where activists are tortured ( or worse). Part of the story is set in 1930s Berlin. The deadly stake is crystal clear. An alternate subtitle could be “Totalitarianism for Tykes”.
It is a point to tail barbed film. Rather than build the plot around a nasty chase laced with adorable digital monsters—a misstep in the first two “Fantastic Beasts” films—recurring director David Yates and screenwriters, JK Rowling and Steve Kloves, center, “Secrets of Dumbledore at an election. Grindelwald, the wizard supremacist last seen trying to provoke a global war, hopes to convince the magical world to support his campaign platform to subdue non-magical humans. (The role was last played by Johnny Depp; Mads Mikkelsen takes over here, and Grindelwald’s discussions sound more likely when delivered with Mikkelsen’s bloodless chill.) Rowling’s readers know how to refer to non-magical people as Muggles. To Grindelwald, they’re “animals,” although he admits they make a good cup of tea.
The focus is on the tragic entanglements of Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), who once had a romance with the hate-mongering Grindelwald and still wears an old blood oath collar that strangles him for thinking mean thoughts about his former love. In addition to being haunted by his bad taste in men, Dumbledore must make amends with his moody brother (Richard Coyle) and tormented cousin (Ezra Miller), a shady figure so visibly miserable that flies buzz around his hands.
As Dumbledore grapples with a family of grievances, the story barely leaves room for Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), the fluttering zookeeper who tends to the fantastic beasts of the title. Redmayne’s character justifies his existence in the plot by coming into possession of a Qilin (pronounced chillin), a rare, fawn-like creature that unusually holds power in electoral races – it’s a type of mammalian dowsing rod that has the power to maintain one’s purity of heart and the ability to be a leader. The series seems to be shifting the spotlight from the alleged lead role and his love interest from the previous films, Tina (Katherine Waterston), who appears in pretty much only one scene. “She’s very busy,” Newt explains. It feels like a nod to the franchise’s apparent struggle to retain actors. Later, in an act of popcorn-movie prestidigitation, all memory of still another character is deleted. Nobody seems to care.
Still, this is the most captivating and well-running film in the trilogy to date, despite its nearly two-and-a-half hours running time – the rigueur for modern eyewear trying to convince audiences that they’re getting enough for their money. “Secrets of Dumbledore” gestures towards themes of vulnerability, thwarted intentions and forgiveness. Even the color scheme underlines that this story exists in shades of gray. It’s strange how recent fantasy movies seem to have been made primarily for adults – it’s hard to imagine kids queuing for butterbeer at a Harry Potter theme park being enthralled by an explanation of how toxic candidates are in the foreground. steps. (A short detour to Hogwarts serves as a startling reminder that these movies used to rely on actors under 30.) Still, there’s one beautiful image that should unite audiences of all ages: a teleportation device made from a swirl of floating book pages. The image reminds us that fiction is not just a history lesson, but a means of escape.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Rated PG-13 for some fantasy violence, especially against magical animals. Running time: 2 hours 22 minutes. In theatres.