A genuine car crash, what's surprising about Secrets of Dumbledore is that there's no point where it has any cohesion or direction. This isn't the case of a good story pulled off-track by studio interference or bad decisions - it's a flurry of half- (or quarter-) ideas that never lands a single blow. While the Wizarding World aesthetic is still there, SoD doesn't even capitalize on that.

I had high hopes for the Fantastic Beasts trilogy and it didn't live up to my expectations. The first movie was a strong start, but the franchise never reached the point of excellence some of the other Harry Potter movies have.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore ends the Harry Potter spin-off franchise in a dull whimper. It's alright but encapsulates how messy the trilogy was as a whole. The Wizarding World can be so compelling, it's unfortunate it that this wasn't able to capture that magic.

A confused movie, weighted down by JK Rowling - both by her extracurricular activities, and by her bloated scriptwriting. Maybe fun for a bad movie night, but I don't want to watch it anywhere that'll give her royalties, or communicate to anyone that I want them to keep giving her money.