Critics Call ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ A ‘Dumble-Snore’

It seems that “Fantastic Beasts” may not be able to live up to the appeal of its predecessors.

As The Blast previously reported, the latest film in the “Harry Potter” spin-off franchise, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” only brought in $43 million at the domestic box office during its opening weekend. In 2016, the first movie, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” debuted at $74 million dollars. The second film, 2018's “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” was able to pull in $62 million dollars.

According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the latest “Fantastic Beasts” film, which is 2 hours and 22 minutes long, failed to stun critics with its magic. The movie currently has a critic rating of 49%, which stands in stark contrast to the audience score of 85%.

Take a look at some of the reviews below!

Many critics of the film were impressed by the CGI but weren't a fan of its bloating runtime or its bumbling plot. Many critics also questioned the purpose of the latest installment and its cast of characters.

Brian Lowry of CNN wrote, “Like The Crimes of Grindelwald, Secrets of Dumbledore is handsomely done but ultimately too much of a dumble-snore. And somehow, its appealing pieces, old and new, again add up to a less-than-magical movie.”

Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal wrote, “We’re supposed to be witnessing an epic battle between good and evil, but it’s a contest between energy and entropy, and entropy carries the dreary day.”

Alison Willmore of Vulture wrote, “No one involved in these movies seems to have any idea what their appeal is supposed to be.”

Kristian M. Lin for Fort Worth Weekly wrote, “As a screenwriter, Rowling is still trying to squeeze the plot and detail of one of her novels into a movie, and she’s showing no signs of improvement.”

Katherine Monk of Ex-Press.com called the movie, “This movie is a trophy case of shiny, but empty, vessels. We get big performance value, but very little feeling from this ensemble of confused, selfish, and frequently arrogant wand-wavers. As a result, it feels busy but not all that suspenseful.” Monk gave the film 3 out of 5 stars.

James Verniere of the Boston Herald wrote, “Why does this film exist? Dull, drab, characters stare at each other. Poor, Newt, you're such a bore.” He gave the film a score of C+.

Although the film received a plethora of negative reviews, there were some who enjoyed it.

Chris Hewitt of the Minneapolis Star Tribute wrote, “Third time's a charm for the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ series, which took three tries to — finally — produce something that feels like a complete movie.” Hewitt gave the film 3 out of 4 stars.

Jim Schembri of JimSchembri.com wrote, “Far more contained and coherent than the previous films, it's also a ravishing visual treat to behold, from the period décor to the A+ VFX, accounting for vivid detailing on the many fabulous beasts that populate the film.” He gave the film 3 out of 5 stars.

Steven Prokopy of Third Coast Review wrote, “There’s nothing inherently wrong with The Secrets of Dumbledore. In fact, there are moments when it gets a lot right.” Prokopy gave the film 3 out of 4 stars.

John Urbancich of JMuvies wrote, “As for the story, rate it somewhere between Rowling's superior and original 'Beasts' of 2016 and her disappointing 'Grindelwald' sequel of 2018. The daunting presence of Mads Mikkelsen, though, as the villain of the piece, just about really does move mountains.”

Leslie Combemale of AWFJ Women on Film wrote, “Despite a muddled plot and violence towards more than one fantastic beast, there's more than enough magic to suit Harry Potter fans who are now old enough to want a night out, away from their own mugglebabies.” She gave the film 3 out of 5 stars.

Lisa Johnson Mandell of AtHomeInHollyood.com wrote, “The wizarding world is a surprisingly dark and naiveignorant place, despite the fireworks that constantly erupt. But the good-natured intelligence and crafty capability of team Scamander, plus the irresistible, suitcase encased beasties, carry the day.”

Although the movie failed to impress critics, audiences can decide for themselves whether or not “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” lives up to its predecessors. The latest “Harry Potter” spin-off film is currently available in theaters.