“The Secrets of Dumbledore” - Film Review
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the third film in the prequel series to the original seven Harry Potter books/movies. Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) has been amassing an army of followers in an effort to take over the Wizarding World by force. There is an upcoming election for Supreme Mugwump and Grindelwald sees this as his chance for a coup. He believes that wizards should wage an all-out war against the Muggles (non-magical people) instead of living in peace as they do now.
Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) is seemingly the only wizard in the world who is aware of the potential consequences of Grindelwald’s coup. He calls upon magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), Charms professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks (Jessica Williams), French wizard Yusuf (William Nadylam), Auror Theseus (Callum Turner), and American muggle Jacob (Dan Fogler) for help. This team is Dumbledore’s answer to the imminent threat of Grindelwald and the only line of defense for the Muggle world.
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The film is disappointing for many reasons, but the one that deserves the most focus is J.K. Rowling’s pathetic attempt at LGBT representation. After the book series was finished, Rowling was quoted as saying that she “always thought of Dumbledore as gay.” There was a mix of emotions when this quote circulated the web. Some fans were excited that a character in this beloved franchise identified as part of the LGBT community, while others thought it was too little too late.
That was 2007 and the series was over, so it wasn’t like Rowling could include information about Dumbledore being gay in a later book. But then this series of spin-off Wizarding World movies, taking place during the time Dumbledore was in a relationship with Grindelwald, was announced. Finally, the Wizarding World was going to have an LGBT character on screen!
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald both came and went without addressing this supposedly integral part of Dumbledore’s life. Now, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is being touted as finally acknowledging his sexuality. That acknowledgment is Dumbledore telling Grindelwald that he loved him. It’s said so plainly that if the audience hadn’t known about this years-long build-up regarding Dumbledore’s sexuality, it wouldn’t have registered as such. It is said unfeelingly and never addressed again. The relationship comes across as just two pals.
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Law and Mikkelsen are more than talented enough to bear the weight of what this movie should have been: two ex-lovers on opposite sides of world-altering political upheaval. Inadvertently, Rowling has created a fascinating story. A young relationship that is so powerful the young men have a blood pact magically stored within a vial that makes it impossible for them to duel one another. This movie should have been epic, given the history of these characters, but Rowling (as screenwriter) is too cowardly to put her money where her mouth was back in 2007.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a dismal slog of a movie, somehow stretching thirty minutes worth of plot to almost two-and-a-half hours. It’s fun to see Mikkelsen play the bad guy, and Williams is always a delight, but there are far better examples of their talent. It’s difficult to imagine that this film series is adding enough value to the Wizarding World to warrant two more sequels, but that is Rowling’s and Warner Bros’ plan. Had the film gone all in on its lovers-at-war potential, it might’ve cast a winning spell.
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