Mads Mikkelsen

Replacing Johnny Depp as Grindelwald, Mads Mikkelsen fleshes out J.K. Rowling's anti-fascist message in this vastly improved sequel.

If the eight Harry Potter films left us wanting to enroll in that same school, the “Fantastic Beasts” series makes everything seem oppressive and unpleasant, teetering on the brink of a second Second World War — one that will presumably be narrowly avoided in the coming films, and which the non-magical sphere stands little chance of winning if Grindelwald ever got his way. Still, there’s something to be said for the way Rowling’s vision spans multiple movies, how each installment feels like binge-watching the latest season of a prestige HBO series (an adult-friendly, PG-13 alternative to “Game of Thrones”). No other film series works in such intricate, multiple-installment arcs, planting details that will almost certainly pay off in forthcoming chapters. That seems to be the key strategy of the “Fantastic Beasts” movies — which, incidentally, also serves what passes for magic in the real world: Distract the audience, so they don’t see the trick and are therefore fooled into believing things as they are presented. After doing so much to lend consistency and credibility to Rowling’s vision over the course of four Harry Potter movies and one overwrought spinoff, director David Yates hit an unexpected low with the second installment, “The Crimes of Grindelwald,” a busy, bewildering eyesore which seemed more interested in showcasing all kinds of CG trickery than in telling an elegant and engaging story. Gazing into the desire-reflecting Mirror of Erised in the last film, Dumbledore described his bond with Grindelwald as being “more than brothers,” and flashed back to a memory of them forming a blood pact years earlier. “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” is rooted deep in the mythology of Rowling’s Wizarding World, seldom slowing down long enough to explain the magic spells or strategies used by its characters.

But they don't have much to do with Albus Dumbledore — headmaster of Hogwarts, the most powerful magician in the Wizarding World and, as we have learned in this ...

It’s the Wizarding World. It’s fun to be there, along with the lovely beasts. A whole running subplot about Credence (Ezra Miller), the central character in the first Fantastic Beasts who has since been revealed to be a Dumbledore; a new prominence for Muggle Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) who is persuaded that he is essential to the fight against Grindelwald, although neither he nor we find out why. Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander, a “magizoologist” who can form a bond with the most unlikely crustacean but is barely able to look most humans in the eye, is a constant delight; his shy uncertainty chimes with audiences in a way that superheroes can’t. Law conveys Dumbledore’s melancholy — and his secrets — with both warmth and gravitas. It has to be a directorial decision from David Yates (or the ruling cabal of Yates, Rowling and producer David Heyman, who have steered Potter et al from the start), given that we know that with one flick of the whip, monstrous Mads would be out of the starting gate, champing at the bit. Which would be a telling point to make in other circumstances — and underlined here by the 1930s references in production design — but this is a story where people confront each other with wands and ride dragons. But they don’t have much to do with Albus Dumbledore — headmaster of Hogwarts, the most powerful magician in the Wizarding World and, as we have learned in this extended origin story, a good man with a troubled heart — or with the ongoing story of the struggle between good and evil in the wizarding world.

The latest in the "Harry Potter" prequel series, 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' gets a magical lift from a very evil Mads Mikkelsen.

“Secrets” does a decent job streamlining the busy storytelling in the third of a planned five-movie series that, to be honest, doesn’t have the clearest overarching narrative. “Secrets” puts him back at center stage, in his natural habitat of looking for cool animals and being an all-around likable sort. While Depp’s take – essentially playing Grindelwald as a wild-haired freaky cult leader – was fine, Mikkelsen’s feels more dangerous, as he wields a public charm as crowd-pleasing, manipulative man of the people while hiding his inherent ruthless cruelty. His former lover, Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) can’t move against Grindelwald because of a blood oath between them. There’s a daring rescue in which Redmayne does a wacky hip-swiveling dance with a bunch of baby scorpion things that’s so preposterous and silly it's endearing. He foments hatred among his followers and enacts a grand plan that will place him in control of the entire wizarding community through electoral means.

Fantastic Beasts The Secrets of Dumbledore: Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne, Mads Mikkelsen And Others Explore The Kingdom Of Bhutan In This New Promo (Watch Video).

The early reviews for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore praise some of the movie's stars, but deem the story itself underwhelming.

Grindelwald wants nothing less than a world war that pits the magical against the Muggles (gee, I wonder who will win), and the film’s reliance on Nazi-heavy imagery, like a series of marches in Berlin and the rise of a nefarious leader backed by frothing crowds, is far from entertaining." This installment revolves around Dumbledore, a more interesting character than the series’ purported hero, Newt. That shift focuses the film’s narrative, but it doesn’t do much for those of us trying to figure out the purpose of the series." Peter Debruge, Variety: "Well, here we are, three movies into Rowling’s convoluted big-screen prequel saga, and the series once again feels like work, only this time, the resulting pleasures will strike audiences quite differently, depending on your level of dedication to the franchise...

While losing Depp was certainly a huge loss, Warner Bros. expertly replaced the man with another fantastic actor. The perennial Mads Mikkelsen would now be ...

Again, hopefully, this means that Mads is going to be cemented into the world of Harry Potter much deeper. There seems to be a growing consensus that Mads Mikkelsen belongs in this franchise. While there are certainly the midnight showings tonight to think about, the movie will be available domestically starting tomorrow. Comparing Mads Mikkelsen to that of Ralph Fiennes Voldemort is even better. It’s safe to say that adding Jude Law and Mads Mikkelsen to a movie is going to go over well with audiences. The newest installment of the Fantastic Beasts films is here, and early reviews have begun to pour in.

The third and newest installment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise, The Secrets of Dumbledore, is rolling into Philippine cinemas on Black Saturday, ...

The third "Fantastic Beasts" installment enjoyably answers pivotal Dumbledore questions, but this saga appears to have no end in sight.

(As a reminder, in the last movie, he was shockingly revealed to be a long-lost Dumbledore.) This film will settle if that's true once and for all. The real tragedy isn't Dumbledore and Grindelwald's soured love story, it's that fans may never see (what's supposed to be) one of the greatest wizarding duels on screen. Instead, it feels like Newt and his creatures are simply there to fulfill the requirement of the "Fantastic Beasts" film title. That happens again in "Secrets of Dumbledore" when Newt is forced on a side quest to rescue a character. Perhaps Waterston's absence is partially why the non-magical muggle, Jacob, who appeared in the first two films, is brought back in such a large role. Here, Jacob's informed that he's the key to saving the wizarding world from Grindelwald. But why is a baker so important? One specific plot point involving multiple briefcases feels ripped straight from the pages of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Another endearing moment late in the film feels like a lesser replication of one of the franchise's most iconic scenes from the same book. If you're a newer fan of the wizarding world you'll likely enjoy much of what you watch in this sequel. (In other words, the film is focused on the one thing this franchise has supposedly been trying to do for the past two films with very little success.) Cutting such scenes could shorten the film, the longest of the trilogy, by about 15 minutes. Surprisingly, it's not difficult to accept the change, especially since a different actor has played Grindelwald in each film. (Not that they should've since the flame between Dumbledore and Grindelwald died out long ago.)

Depp played the character in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” but he was removed from the new film just one week into production. Warner Bros.

In contrast, Mikkelsen plays Grindelwald with a suave, charming charisma that convinces you of why anyone would be seduced by this alluring, handsome wizard and be suckered into fighting a war for him.” The actor told Entertainment Weekly that taking over from Depp was “tricky” because “there has to be a bridge between what Johnny did and what I’m going to do. Warner Bros. asked Depp to exit the movie following his libel case against The Sun. Mikkelsen was brought in to replace Depp.