JK Rowling is in the process of developing something from the story about the wizard boy Harry Potter, which George Lucas recently succeeded in doing with the idea of ​​"Knights in Space": She creates her own universe that gets bigger, more colorful and more dazzling with every new film.

Maria Wiesner

Editor in the society department at FAZ.NET.

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The third part of the "Fantastic Animal Beings" series, which is currently being released in German cinemas, is the best proof of this.

It's no longer about young Harry Potter and his adventures at Hogwarts Magic School.

Rowling, who wrote the screenplay for all three parts of the series, spins the story further into the past and follows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), who is slightly overwhelmed by humans but extremely fascinated by any animal.

As the film title already suggests, all sorts of (magical) little animals crawl, roll and crawl through the plot.

But actually it's about Scamander, who is supposed to take on the powerful magician Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) on behalf of the later magic school director Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law).

Historical borrowings from the terrible

The British author Rowling is far removed from clumsy “good versus evil”, she prefers – as in the Potter series – to borrow historically from the complex and terrible: when Grindelwald's followers babble about pure bloodlines and the domination (or annihilation) of all non- magicians speak, it is reminiscent of fascist ideologies;

it is no coincidence that the action takes place largely in Berlin in the early 1930s (Oliver Masucci and Peter Simonischek embody German opportunism, which likes to help people take power).

Decor and costumes weave a final touch of the jazz era with austere neoclassical design.

Costume designer Colleen Atwood, who received her fourth Oscar for her work on the first part of the film series, composes colors and cuts for each character like Wagner composed his musical motifs: every coat fabric and every color of tie provides information about the inner life of the person wearing it.

In the opening scene, when Jude Law meets Mads Mikkelsen in a café, the gray tones of their suits – warm cashmere gray for Law and dark slate anthracite for Mikkelsen – make it clear that the two opponents once started from the same point but ended up at opposite ends of the (color) scale have developed.

The fact that Mikkelsen ends up setting the café on fire just as his character would like to see the world burn underscores this design idea.

In addition to the well thought-out equipment details, it is the actors that make this film worth seeing.

Eddie Redmayne plays his magical animal explorer with a shy look, always aiming slightly past the interlocutor just to bravely face the real dangers.

But he is also not above using slapstick physical exercises when he wants to dissuade monster scorpions from attacks with mimicry and hip attacks.

In his portrayal of Dumbledore, Jude Law emphasizes the inner conflict between love and reason.

Mads Mikkelsen pulls out his Hannibal character's arrogant villain grin again.

And Dan Fogler, as the only non-wizard on Dumbledore's team, responds with as much sincerity as heart.

Beyond the memorable characters and décor, Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore also offers a tale of abuse of power, mind manipulation and solidarity, showing that Harry Potter's universe has grown with its fans.