Movie review by Jovana Vuković

THE (UNDEVELOPED) SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is an adventure fantasy directed by David Yates in 2022. The screenplay for the movie is written by J. K. Rowling and Steve Kloves. It is the third instalment in the Fantastic Beasts spinoff movie franchise. The film involves some star actors and actresses, including Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston, and Mads Mikkelsen.[1] According to BoxOfficeMojo[2], Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has grossed $86 million domestic, $287 thousand in Croatia, for a worldwide total of $363.7 million against a budget of $200 million, becoming the 6th highest-grossing film in 2022 so far[3].


The story takes place several years after the events of its predecessor, continuing the everlasting altercation between Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen), the dark wizard wanting to seize control over the wizarding world and eradicate the non-wizarding one. Due to a blood troth, Dumbledore is unable to counteract Grindelwald, which causes him to entrust the Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead a courageous team of wizards, witches and the intrepid Muggle baker on a treacherous mission of confronting Grindelwald’s proponents, as well as encountering some fantastic beasts.[4]   

In comparison to the previous two instalments, this movie is superior to the Crimes of Grindelwald, but inferior to the Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them. The movie abounds with characters who, unfortunately, remain undeveloped. It also lacks magical creatures and magic itself. However, we do see the ever-resourceful Pickett, as well as the hilarious Teddy who always contributes to the comedic elements of the movie. The scorpion-like creatures’ and Newt’s dance sequence is one of the funniest scenes in the movie. When it comes to the visuals, they are well done, but aren’t as breath-taking as in the Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them where we are astonished by the beauty of Scamander’s suitcase world and the spectacular beasts. However, I really like the setting where the battle plan is elaborated, i.e. the train, as well as Bhutan, the place where the election is held. The sound effects mainly contribute to the overall suspense. I especially like the piece of Hedwig’s Theme as the game of Quidditch is played.

In conclusion, this movie is good! I might have had big expectations, but it is not a disappointment at all and is certainly worth watching. The film manages to answer some of the questions, such as Credence’s origin, Dumbledore’s and Grindelwald’s connection, but also has potential for further plot and character development. Grindelwald’s character has been played by three different actors – Colin Farrell (disguised as Graves), Johnny Depp and finally Mads Mikkelsen, which all have shown great success and talent. Although Depp is a brilliant artist, Mikkelsen is rather convincing in his performance. All in all, I am looking forward to new releases, Mikkelsen’s performances, and, of course, some new fantastic beasts!


[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4123432/?ref_=tt_urv

[2] https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl842826497/weekend/?sort=date&ref_=bo_rl__resort#table

[3] https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/2022/

[4] https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/fantastic-beasts-the-secrets-of-dumbledore

A Beautiful Journey

WRITTEN BY: JOVANA VUKOVIĆ

Four years ago, G. and I were having a bitter-sweet coffee at a local café. It was unimaginable this would be the last time we would see each other. Losing a loved one is perceived as a tragic happening, but it does not necessarily have to be so devastating and painful. At first, one might feel distraught and saddened, might ponder the question why it occurred, but ultimately, not all people are meant to stay until the end of the journey – our life.

At that point, our friendship had lasted for 15 years straight. Our sisters were close friends and had us introduced. From the first day, G. and I got along splendidly – a special bond was immediately created between us. As a child, I was very sensitive, shy, introverted and was thrilled to have a friend like her – extroverted, outspoken, and dare I say, a little rude. During our childhood, she was the one in charge, while I would solely play along. What could a pure, naive child possibly know?

As we grew older, we learned to balance each other well. Our friendship became full of sincerity and regard. Over time, we became equal characters in our friendship. Living in different towns, and attending different schools was not an obstacle in seeing pretty often. We shared fears, secrets, problems, crushes, and dreams. All of our leisure time was spent together, idling, and having fun. The idyllic friendship ended when I found a boyfriend.

We were madly in love and wanted to spend plenty of time together, which eventually contributed to G. and I spending less time together. At first, she acted oddly – ignoring my calls with the ridiculous excuse of being pretty occupied. Three weeks of not seeing each other made everything crystal clear – something transpired. I called and proposed our regular appointment. I hoped the issues would be addressed, but she acted like everything was fine. Such cognition made me both happy and concerned. That night might have been one of our best ever – we laughed like we knew it was the last one together. A few days later, I received a very detailed text – G. said that she was unhappy and dissatisfied with our friendship and it should be ended. This stunned me and made me think about what had gone wrong. After some time of contemplating, I resolved to write to her no more.

When I reflect on our friendship, she made an enormous impact on my life – she helped me increase my sense of belonging, helped me cope with problems, improved my self-confidence and self-worth, but most importantly, she taught me how to be a truly good friend. We have both grown up and changed, but unfortunately not in the same direction. We had to accept that we grew apart, that one path became two different ones, and that our journey came to an end. I believe that we should all be thankful for the people who were, are, and will be a part of our lives. They are present to enrich our lives, teach us valuable lessons, and change us and our perspective!