# Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Review: Too Late > Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore steadies the series with Mads Mikkelsen's Grindelwald and a lighter tone, but the story still lacks magic or stakes. Canonical: https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/fantastic-beasts-the-secrets-of-dumbledore-2022-review/ Published: 2026-07-24 Last updated: 2026-09-24 Author: Kaiser Khan — Founder & Editor Language: English Review basis: direct-viewing Spoilers: none Rating: 2/5 ## Verdict Mostly no. It is tidier than its predecessor and Mikkelsen is an upgrade, but only viewers committed to finishing the trilogy will find this long, flat caper worth it. ## Is Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore worth watching? **Mostly no. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is an improvement on the muddled second film, with a more grounded villain and a lighter touch, but it is still a long, low-stakes franchise instalment that never recaptures the charm of the first.** Mads Mikkelsen brings cool menace to Grindelwald, and Jude Law's Dumbledore finally gets scenes worth playing. The problem is everything else: a meandering caper plot, sidelined characters and an ending that feels more like a polite goodbye than a climax. ## What is Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore about? The dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world, and Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), unable to confront him directly, entrusts magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) with leading a small team of wizards, witches and one loyal non-magical baker to disrupt his plans. Their mission takes them from Berlin to Bhutan as the wizarding world prepares for an important leadership election, and they soon clash with Grindelwald's growing legion of followers, while Credence (Ezra Miller) remains caught between the two sides. [Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore](https://celluloidscore.com/movies/fantastic-beasts-the-secrets-of-dumbledore-2022/) is directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves. It is a British production in English, runs 142 minutes, and is the third, and so far final, Fantastic Beasts film. ## Mikkelsen and Law lift the temperature The recasting of Grindelwald is the film's biggest asset. Mads Mikkelsen plays him as a calm, calculating politician rather than a flamboyant villain, and his quiet menace suits a story about manipulation and the seduction of power. His scenes with Jude Law carry a genuine charge, and the film is more open than its predecessors about the personal history between the two men, which gives their rivalry a welcome emotional dimension. Law, meanwhile, finally gets to play Dumbledore as a character rather than a dispenser of riddles. He brings wit, regret and warmth to the role, and the moments in which the film explores his past are among its best. ## A lighter caper that goes nowhere fast The film is noticeably less congested than The Crimes of Grindelwald, and more willing to be fun. The central plan, a deliberately confusing scheme designed to outwit an enemy who can see the future, gives the story the shape of a heist, and there are a handful of enjoyable set pieces, including one in which Newt must mimic the movements of dangerous creatures to survive a prison. Jessica Williams is a lively new addition as a Hogwarts teacher on Newt's team, and Dan Fogler's Jacob remains the heart of the franchise. Yet the caper structure never builds real tension. Because the plan is intentionally chaotic, much of the film consists of characters wandering between locations without clear purpose, and the election plot that is meant to drive the climax is thinly explained. At 142 minutes, the lack of momentum becomes wearying. ## Loose threads and missing characters The film also struggles with the baggage of its predecessors. Tina is almost entirely absent, the creatures are largely decorative, and Newt, nominally the lead, often seems like a guest in his own series. Credence's storyline is resolved in a way that feels perfunctory rather than satisfying, and several threads from the earlier films are quietly dropped. For a film carrying Dumbledore's name, it reveals surprisingly few of his secrets. ## Who should watch Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore? It is for viewers who have seen the first two films and want to finish the story, and for Wizarding World fans curious about Mikkelsen's take on Grindelwald. Newcomers should not start here. The violence is moderate, with magical duels and some frightening creatures and scenes of peril, making it suitable for older children and teenagers. If you are working through the saga: - [Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-2016-review/), still the most charming film of the three. - [Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/fantastic-beasts-the-crimes-of-grindelwald-2018-review/), the congested middle chapter this film tries to tidy up. - [Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-2009-review/), Yates's own and far richer exploration of Dumbledore's past. ## The verdict The Secrets of Dumbledore is a steadier, more likeable film than its predecessor, and Mads Mikkelsen and Jude Law bring real weight to its central rivalry. But its meandering plot, sidelined heroes and underwhelming finale mean the improvements arrive too late to rescue the series. **Rating: 2/5** ## Related title - [Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)](https://celluloidscore.com/movies/fantastic-beasts-the-secrets-of-dumbledore-2022/) ## Editorial - [Editorial standards](https://celluloidscore.com/about/editorial-policy/) - [Report a correction](https://celluloidscore.com/about/corrections/)