Between the underwhelming reactions to the previous film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and the growing backlash to real-life figures involved in the franchise, which resulted in a major character being recast, odds surely aren’t in the favor of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore earning acclaim. Being the halfway point of the planned five-film series, the fate of the series surely isn’t riding on the success of this film, as the Wizarding World has enough of a following to guarantee the completion of this prequel narrative, but Secrets of Dumbledore could surely kill any interest among audiences if it’s as disappointing as its predecessor. Luckily, this film manages to course-correct the narrative enough to evoke excitement in the characters and what the future might hold for them, even if it’s still a far cry from the success of the proper Harry Potter series, as it invests more into its characters than its predictable premise.
