The Latest Harry Potter Movie Has Not Gone Down Well With Critics

Once upon a time, the Wizarding World held a certain level of prestige but alas, Potterheads, those glory days seem to be over. In recent years, the Fantastic Beasts franchise has been plagued by controversy. In November 2020, Johnny Depp exited his role as Gellert Grindelwald in the franchise following the abuse allegations by his former wife Amber Heard. More recently, JK Rowling has been accused of transphobia.

The latest installment, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is set to explore a long awaited relationship in the Potterverse - that of Dumbledore and Grindelwald. First introduced in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 back in 2010, Grindelwald is a known romantic partner of Dumbledore with the duo eventually falling into a lovers-to-enemies storyline. How their romantic downfall plays out, though, has been a long kept secret… until now.

Check out the trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore below.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be quite enough to save what’s seemingly becoming a doomed franchise as the film currently holds a 58% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Leigh Paatsch of the Herald Sun (Australia) writes, “For at least the first 100 of its near-150-minute running time, The Secrets of Dumbledore plods along in a state of amiable dullness.” Ouch. Alistair Harkness of the Scotsman echoed those views, writing “For all the diverting spectacle on offer, this plays like a franchise that knows it’s running out of steam.”

One element of pre-production controversy seems to have proved a win for the franchise. Replacing Johnny Depp, Mads Mikkelsen seems to excel in the role of Grindelwald. “Mikkelsen’s simmering intensity adds new layers of menace to the character,” wrote Kevin Maher of Times (UK). The praise begins and ends there though as Mikkelsen can only do so much with what Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter calls “a slog”.

Screen International’s Tim Grierson offers a similarly searing review labelling Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore as a “footnote in comparison to Harry Potter’s coming-of-age drama”. In other words, if you’ve ever owned a wand, you might find an ounce of entertainment in the latest Wizarding World outing. If not, you may find yourself attempting to apparate out of the cinema.