Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (6.0/10)

The final entry in the Fantastic Beasts series, set around 70 years before the events of the Harry Potter films, brings the prequel story to a close. While it has its moments, the series as a whole never quite reached the same level of magic as its predecessor. Newt Scamander remains a great lead character, and it's surprising he isn't referenced more throughout the Harry Potter films. This installment also gives Professor Albus Dumbledore a much larger role, which was a welcome addition. More screen time for Dumbledore helps strengthen the connection between this series and the later films, making the story feel more tied to the wider Wizarding World. As expected, the magical creatures are once again one of the highlights, bringing charm and creativity to the adventure. The ending wraps things up well enough, but it doesn't leave a lasting impression, and the overall series feels fairly average. There was definitely potential for more films, especially if they leaned further into the nostalgia that fans of the Wizarding World were hoping for. "Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful, dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards and witches. They soon encounter an array of old and new beasts as they clash with Grindelwald's growing legion of followers."