First 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' Reviews Are In: Here's What Critics Think
New chapter of 'Harry Potter' spin-off is almost out, and critics are ready to share their thoughts about it.
After the disaster second 'Fantastic Beasts ' turned out to be, millions of fans were unsure of their favorite franchise's future. Recasting Johnny Depp 's Grindelwald with Mads Mikkelsen raised some questions too. David Yates and his team were certainly restless to restore their series to its former glory – and they did it. Kind of. The film is currently sitting at acceptable enough 60% freshness from Rotten Tomatoes, almost doubling the result of the previous installment.
The AU Review's Peter Gray noted that the latest film "steers the series back onto a more calming, digestible path", with Time Out stating that Scamander's new story "delivers rich, immersive and thrilling moments".
Seems like the main talking point is Mads Mikkelsen, bringing his Scandinavian gusto to the series. ABC Radio's Matthew Toomey congratulated actor for creating "a worthy villain worth rooting against", while CineXpress' Fico Cangiano concluded that Mikkelsen is a "reason enough to watch this".
However, not all critics liked the latest Potterian endeavor. Culture Mix's Carla Hay described the flick as "messy and often tedious", adding that it "stumbles and fumbles around like a franchise in search of a coherent plot". Screen International's Tim Grierson pointed out that "three installments in, 'Fantastic Beasts' can't shake the impression that it is merely a footnote in comparison to Harry Potter 's coming-of-age saga".
It's still way too early to decide the fate of 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise. We have to wait and see what fans think about, when the film will hit theatres on April 15, 2022.