Secrets Of Dumbledore Finally Fixes Fantastic Beasts’ Title Problem
Warning: This piece contains spoilers for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore does the franchise a tremendous service by actually bringing magical creatures back into the story. After Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald almost completely forgot that element of the wizarding world, audiences were pleased to find various wonderful creatures at the forefront of the third installment. Adding allure and upping the fantasy aspect of the film, the roster of beasts helps return to the franchise a bit of what made it so appealing in the first place.
One of the central figures in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), focuses much of his efforts on the protection and study of magical creatures. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a truly epic depiction of all sorts of these types of beasts, which was a big part of why the Fantastic Beasts franchise started out so strong. But the sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was a bit of a letdown in that department, leading some to wonder why “Fantastic Beasts” was even needed in the title. This became a bit problematic, as in order for a franchise to continue, its title needs to make sense.
Before the opening title even appears, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore delivers a spectacular scene where magical beasts of various sizes and abilities are depicted in glorious effect. Audiences watch as Newt finds a mother qilin giving birth in a truly wondrous moment. Shortly afterwards, various other creatures, both familiar and new, appear in order to help Newt and the newborn qilin. The scene is both sweet and breathtaking as moviegoers witness extraordinary beasts working together to assist their caretaker and bring him to safety. The moment this happens, the opening title appears on screen, and the words “Fantastic Beasts” actually mean something again.
During one humorous yet terrifying scene in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Newt saves his brother Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner) from a cave-like cell where countless blast-ended skrewts reside. Most of them are quite small and resemble the size and appearance of a crab. While the scene provides a bit of humor as Newt and Theseus move comically among the creatures, a giant blast-ended skrewt residing much deeper in the cave appears and attempts to impale and set ablaze the two brothers. This scene adds thrills and laughs to the film while incorporating imaginative - albeit slightly horrifying - beasts to the story.
One of the most emotional and endearing aspects of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the inclusion of the qilin in the final act of the film. Audiences witness the birth of a newborn qilin at the start of the film and learn more about the animal’s traits and abilities throughout. All the while, both Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindelwald go to great lengths to keep the qilin in their possession. Dumbledore’s goal is to stop Grindelwald from assuming leadership over the entire wizarding world; and towards the end of the movie it is revealed that the qilin, having the ability to see a person’s soul and decipher between pure hearts and wretched ones, is the key to deciding who will lead. Having a qilin provide a pivotal element to the climax of the story shows tremendous respect for the franchise’s initial direction.
A few other beasts provide essential details and plot points to the story. Newt’s pet bowtruckle Pickett and niffler Teddy are quite crucial in helping Newt and Theseus escape the blast-ended skrewts, and the phoenix belonging to Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) is a fundamental part of his identity as a Dumbledore. Similarly, the inclusion of magical creatures is a fundamental part of the identity of the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Fortunately, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore returns this element to the film series, and hopefully, if more movies are to be made in the future, this practice continues.