Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore 4K UHD Review
“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore” does not cast a spell.
Directed by David Yates (who is no stranger to the Harry Potter universe), “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore” is the third installment in the fantasy spin-off film franchise. The battle between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald continues as Grindelwald seeks to harness the power of a magical creature (Qilin) in his war against the Muggles. Grindelwald also plans to run as the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation Of Wizards. It’s up to Dumbledore’s allies Newt, Jacob, Lally, Theseus, Bunty and Yusuf to stop Grindelwald.
The Fantastic Beasts franchise is in chaos and it shows in the final product of “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore.” The essentially forced resignation of Johnny Depp angered many fans (even though Mads Mikkelsen is the best part of the entire movie), Ezra Miller’s troubling antics have proved to be bad press, and the controversial J.K. Rowling’s statements have wounded the fanbase. Rowling also found her role being reduced as a new writer (Steve Kloves) was added into the mix.
Behind-the-scenes nightmares aside, the main problem with this third entry is that the script is downright lackluster. One of the central characters from the first two films is sidelined until the very end (no spoilers as to who that is). The big cliffhangers from the underrated “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald” are resolved so easily. The actual plot of ‘Dumbledore’ is sloppy and features a staggeringly uneventful middle act in which characters merely run around until the third act which involves more running around with various briefcases. There is an attempt to explore character allegiances and families more here (particularly the Dumbledore and Scamander family trees), but it all feels too cluttered and unfocused.
The lone saving grace here is the cast. The aforementioned Mads Mikkelsen had the challenging task of stepping into Johnny Depp’s shoes, but he truly carried the movie with his excellent acting chops. Dan Fogler continues to be a scene stealer as the human Jacob. Jude Law has much more to do in this installment and has some of the most rewarding and heartfelt moments in the film. Newcomer Jessica Williams (Lally) is a fantastic addition to the franchise. If the franchise does continue, it would be nice to see more of her.
Given the underwhelming results, box office and fan response to “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore,” it just might be time to put the Wizard World to bed for awhile.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. How does it look? A pristine transfer that is so pleasing that you’ll be able to notice all the little production design details.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? A predictably dynamic Atmos track.
Extras:
* Blu-ray copy
* Digital copy
* 5 deleted scenes
* “The Dumbledore Family Tree”- A featurette about the family members.
* “Dumbledore Through The Ages”- A recap of the character through the saga.
* “Magical Or Muggle”- A game with the cast members having to pick if something is magical or muggle.
* “The Magic Of Hogwarts” is all about the sets.
* “Even More Fantastic Beasts” showcases the new creatures and some returning favorites.
* “Newt In The Wild”- A featurette about Newt’s exploration in the mountains at the start of the film.
* “The German Ministry Of Magic”- The title of this featurette says it all.
* “A Dumbledore Duel”- An extra about the big wand duel in the film.
* “The Candidates’ Dinner”- A featurette all about the dinner sequence.
* “Erkstag Jailbreak”- Another featurette about a particular sequence.
* “Battle In Bhutan” covers the events that transpire in the last act.
* “The Secrets Of Cursed Child”- A behind-the-scenes look at the stage show.
No comments yet.
Share This Blog
Robert Ham
dmanderson
Andrea
nicklyons1
DVD Corner's blog 
Leave a Reply