Wondering if Fantastic Beasts 3 is ok for kids? Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a vast improvement over Fantastic Beasts 2 but still starts off slow. The Secrets of Dumbledore is relatively family friendly for a PG-13 movie with only a few caveats. Here’s what parents need to know in this Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Parents Guide.
The Secrets of Dumbledore Parents Guide
The Secrets of Dumbledore opens with Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) discussing Grindelwald’s plans to seize control of the wizarding world and muggles. Grindelwald believes Muggles to be inferior. Since long ago they made an unbreakable bond to never harm each other, they must find other people to stop the other.
Dumbledore gathers the team of Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), Ilvermorny Professor “Lally” Hicks (Jessica Williams), Newt’s brother and head of the British Ministry of Magic, Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner), muggle baker Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), and Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam) to defeat Grindelwald and stop him from destroying the muggle world.
Why is Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore rated PG-13?
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is rated PG-13 for fantasy action and violence which means some material may not be suitable for kids under 13.
Parents need to know that Fantastic Beasts 3 is more kid friendly than Fantastic Beasts 2.
Language
I did not notice any words of profanity in The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Mature Content
There are some sequences of fantasy violence with wizards using their magic to harm or defend themselves.
A creature’s throat is slit which is probably the toughest scene to watch in the movie.
Dumbledore and Grindelwald talk about once loving each other and being in love.
Is Secrets of Dumbledore Appropriate for Kids Under 13?
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the most family-friendly film of the franchise with a few caveats listed above. The Crimes of Grindelwald was extremely dark and chaotic. However, the transition between Fantastic Beasts 2 and 3 is rocky.
It does try to answer some of the questions from Crimes of Grindelwald, but the obvious elephant in the room – Johnny Depp to Mads Mikkelsen – wasn’t ever really addressed. Not only did the actor change, but Grindelwald’s look and demeanor changed. I actually liked the more subtle Mikkelsen, but the script left little for him to do with the role. Depp was a more scary, yet unhinged Grindelwald while Mikkelsen was believable as a villain who Dumbledore could have loved. There’s still an element of evil, but not so over-the-top, which for some fans may not be enough.
The story starts slow and tries to pack in a lot of information, and if you’re not familiar with the Fantastic Beasts fandom, then you may be confused. But The Secrets of Dumbledore does pay fan service to Harry Potter fans with some scenes at Hogwarts. I may have gotten a little misty-eyed to see one of my favorite castles again, as well as loved characters in their younger years.
Eddie Redmayne is charming and the quirky and kind Newt Scamander does not disappoint leading the pack with his good heart. He and Law are the standouts and keep the franchise surviving. Some of the other newer characters are underutilized, feeling like an afterthought, but perhaps it’s setting the stage for more character development in the future.
The Fantastic Beasts franchise still has not quite found its rhythm, but The Secrets of Dumbledore did keep me engaged enough in waiting for the kinks to be worked out. With the right tone of darkness and humor for families, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a lot of fun and is headed in the right direction.
Fantastic Beasts 3 is a delight and the best film in the franchise! It’s a fun, family-friendly adventure that brings the magic back to muggles and wizards alike.
