Confusing. This is the word that sums up the latest addition to the Harry Potter movie franchise. The magic of the original movies is lost in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. If you are looking for a quality continuation of the Harry Potter series you love, this film is not for you. The number of plot holes alone would make this film inadequate, but when you add in the fact the directors just added in stuff that does not fit in the wizarding world, you get the nonsense that is The Secrets of Dumbledore.

The acting could not save this film either. Jessica Williams who played Eulalie Hicks, could not read a script for her life. She read every line with the exact same vocal pattern. After her fifth line repeating the vocal tone in the same way, I wanted to scream knowing I would hear her delivery like that for the whole two hours and twenty-three minutes. Since Johnny Depp was replaced with a new actor, Mads Mikkelsen, the Grindewald character was lacking in its original quality. Mads Mikkelsen does not look or act like Johnny Depp, so if the audience had not known of the replacement, they would just assume this is a whole new character. In fact, the actor who played the head of the International Confederation of Wizards, looked more like Grindewald than Grindewald. The exception to the horror show was Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander. Eddie Redmayne’s back must hurt from carrying this film. He never disappoints, but even his incredible acting skills could not save this movie.

If you are looking for a movie to go and watch this spring, I do not recommend this one. Even the CGI was bad. The actor’s hand was nowhere near the creature they were supposed to be holding and there were times when their wand waving was off from the spell. It is sad when eleven-year-old new actors could figure out how to make it look like you are using a wand better than an experienced fifty-year-old. When you take bad acting, plot holes, and a bad story line you get Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. I give this film a 3.5/10, because I did not enjoy any part of the film except for the occasional jokes by Jacob Kowalski and the acting of Eddie Redmayne.