'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Now that the Harry Potter spin-off The Secrets of Dumbledore is out on HBO Max, many fans won’t be too eager to see it in theaters. It recently grossed $400 million after being in theaters for two months. It sounds like a lot of money, but it is a huge disappointment compared to all of the other Wizarding World films.
The film centered around Newt Scamander finding a Qilin that can decipher the purity of one's heart. However, Grindelwald puts his minions to work to track down the creature. The creature is manipulated to bow down in front of Grindelwald, as it is the decisive criterion to win an election.
While, like the other Harry Potter films, the film is visually majestic but falls short on the narrative front and fails to resonate within the Wizarding World community.
Here are the potential problems with the Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Disclaimer: The article reflects the views of the author.
What could be the reason behind the lukewarm response to Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore?
No Johnny Depp
The most significant inconsistency that many fans will have problems grappling with is that Mads Mikkelson replaced Johnny Depp for the role of Gellert Grindelwald. Of course, Mikkelson isn’t terrible in the role, but one can’t help but miss Depp’s portrayal and heterochromia that made him stand out as a villain.
Mikkelson does have the sinister cynicism down to a tee, but that isn’t enough to evade the film from roaming into bizarre territory. Moreover, Warner Brothers didn’t do themselves any favor by firing Depp, as they still had to pay him his eight-figure salary. Unless Mikkelson worked for free, the company also had to pay for Depp’s replacement, which became a problem for the film financially.
The Qilin and other magical devices
In the film, Grindelwald searches for the Qillin to manipulate the creature to bow before him so that he can win the election and rise to power in the Wizarding World. Gellert kills the creature to use its abilities and then brings the creature back to life in a small pool. The scene itself is riveting, but it raises a slew of questions.
For example, where was all of this magic when Harry Potter attended Hogwarts? One can be certain that raising someone from the dead, even if it is for just a few hours or a day, could have been very beneficial when an essential character passed away. This necromancy practice isn’t even mentioned. It could be said that it was a dangerous practice that was forbidden, but it would have made a lot of sense if it had been at least mentioned.
Aberforth and Credence Dynamic
Something that sticks out like a sore thumb on a snowy winter day is that Credence is the son of Dumbledore’s brother Aberforth. Credence is heartbroken after discovering that he was born out of wedlock and given away. That might have been a great subplot to develop, but the film fails to capture the relationship between the two.
In the film, Credence is saddened that he was the Dumbledore family's “dirty little secret,” and Aberforth is upset that he did not accept Credence into his home and becomes noticeably regretful. However, that’s all the film shows, and it never goes any further than that. If the filmmakers gave these two characters time to develop on screen, it would have given Credence a better arc.
Dumbledore’s flawed guidance
In the Harry Potter movies, Dumbeldore is shown to be a helpful guide to Harry and his friends during their adventures at Hogwarts. However, that guidance seems to have gone out the window, knowing what Dumbeldore went through before Potter arrived.
A spoiler alert is in effect for those who haven't seen the movie. Dumbledore and Grindelwald battle it out in the film's climax, which already seems lackluster compared to what has already been shown in wizarding battles. Dumbledore is able to break the blood pact by showing his virtuous side to protect others while Grindelwald seeks to kill.
When Potter comes across Dumbledore, the professor imparts no knowledge of handling situations with Voldemort, similar to how he took Grindelwald.
Ezra Miller
One thing that has been a glaring issue with the franchise was Ezra Miller’s character, Credence. He has been arrested a couple of times during his time with Warner Brothers and has come into a few disputes with the law.
The bigger problem seems to be Credence's character, as he appears to be vapid and one-dimensional with some fluff interspersed with some macabre. Miller seems to work better as The Flash in Justice League.
This franchise seems doomed and will likely have a hard time rebounding due to the disastrous financial losses.
