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| (L-R) JESSICA WILLIAMS as Eulalie “Lally” Hicks, CALLUM TURNER as Theseus Scamander, JUDE LAW as Albus Dumbledore, FIONNA GLASCOTT as Minerva McGonagall, DAN FOGLER as Jacob Kowalski and EDDIE REDMAYNE as Newt Scamander in Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy adventure "FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. |
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the third installment in the Fantastic Beasts series - which in and of itself is a prequel series to the incredible popular Harry Potter franchise. If you're like us though and have young muggles in your house, you may not have had a chance to see ALL of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films before watching this 2022 release. Do you need to see them though for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore to make sense?
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Movie Summary
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| MADS MIKKELSEN as Gellert Grindelwald in Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy adventure "FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. |
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is essentially a 2 hour battle between good and evil magical forces. Grindelwald, previously played by Johnny Depp and now played by Mads Mikkelsen, is the ultimate bad guy - manipulating followers and the general wizarding population into believing that he may be the best thing for them. Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) knows otherwise, but because of a magical connection the two share, he alone can't defeat Grindelwald. Dumbledore calls on a team of wizards, witches, and even a muggle to lead an epic plot to bring him down. But will it be enough to reveal Grindelwald's true colors before the council votes for their next leader?
At just over 2 hours, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a lengthier kids movie, but the action, excitement, and intrigue of the story makes the time pass quickly. The movie carries a PG-13 rating, but I felt incredibly comfortable watching with my 7 and 10 year old. The largest concern is the violence and some of the storyline may be a little complex to follow, but there isn't sex, themes, or language that are over the top.
Do you need to see the Harry Potter films before seeing Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore?
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| Hogwarts in a scene from Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy adventure "FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. |
Nope! This series serves as a prequel to the many Harry Potter films so you don't need to see them for any context. While Dumbledore is an overlapping character and some of the settings and references to the muggle world vs. the wizard world are common throughout both franchises, the plot lines can be followed independently of each other.
Do you need to see the previous Fantastic Beast films before seeing Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore?
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| (L-R) JUDE LAW as Albus Dumbledore and EDDIE REDMAYNE as Newt Scamander in Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy adventure "FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. |
If you want a true appreciation of the story, it's probably best to view the earlier movies before heading out to see Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Full disclosure, my family hasn't watched the first two Fantastic Beast films and, especially at the beginning, felt a little lost. It took the first 30 minutes or so to get through character introductions and for me to make sense of who was who. Even at the end of the movie, I still felt like there were a few holes in the plot without having prior knowledge of the story. However, I really enjoyed Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore for the story that was shared. Much like I've previously written about movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this film is a good standalone movie, but best enjoyed as part of the series it belongs in.
About Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (From Warner Bros)
Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?
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