In 2016 the Harry Potter franchise was brought back to the big screen with Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (2016, David Yates) which built on the franchise, gave audiences a new look at the Wizarding World and introduced everyone to Newt Scamander, played by the talented Eddie Redmayne (Theory Of Everything, The Danish Girl). And now its sequel hopes to continue that story. Now focusing on the war between the Ministry and Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) a dark wizard who is crucial to the character development of everyone's favourite future headmaster, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law). Boasting a stellar cast and incredible Visuals, how well does it live up to previous Wizarding World movies?
First Thoughts
Overall, I liked this film. It’s really good to step back into the Wizarding World and the film does a good job of building on it. And not just the world, but the characters as well are developed more in this film. However, the film does feel a little empty. The film doesn’t really have a lot going for it in terms of plot and feels a little more like a set up for a bigger sequel.
Eddie Redmayne/Newt Scamander
Eddie Redmayne does a really good job as Newt Scamander. I enjoyed him a lot in the first Fantastic Beasts and I enjoyed him in this film. He has a charm and wit about him that makes audiences love him. Although, whilst he is an enjoyable character to watch, I keep questioning why he’s necessary to the story. The first film was a fitting narrative for Newt’s character, but this story isn’t. This story is about the Ministry’s struggle with Grindelwald, so why is Newt there? Why does Dumbledore insist that Newt take part? He’s not a fighter. And the excuse given for why Dumbledore chooses him is non-sensical. If the writers wanted Newt to be the main character than the narrative should be more suited to his character.
Katherine Waterston/Tina Goldstein
I enjoyed Tina Goldstein in the first film and I like her even more in this film. Especially her new look with the black trench coat. She looks so cool! Also, she seems to be the most practical one out of the new group of main characters. Out of the new characters, she’s the one who is best suited to this narrative. She’s strong, intelligent and can handle herself in a situation, but still has this sweet and innocent side to her. And I did really enjoy her scenes with Newt, although that relationship is given some unnecessary friction that doesn’t benefit anyone except drag out a will-they/won’t-they dynamic. But Overall Tina is arguably my favourite character in this film.
Jude Law/Albus Dumbledore
Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes, King Arthur) is now the third actor to play Albus Dumbledore in Live-Action. And he definitely lives up to previous incarnations. Jude Law so good as Dumbledore! He’s quite charismatic and lovable. So much so that it’s a wonder why some of the characters in this film don’t like him! He’s just so charming. However, like most characters in this film, Albus is given little screen time, which is kind of disappointing. Hopefully, in the sequel, he’ll be given more to do.
Johnny Depp/Gellert Grindelwald
I really enjoyed Grindelwald in this film. And Depp delivers a really engaging performance, even if his screen time is limited. But anytime he’s on screen he steals the show. He’s a very different villain from Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) from the original Harry Potter films. He’s not as menacing as Voldemort was, but he was quite sinister. Especially in the opening scene where his power and menace are completely on display in all its glory. The only problem is that the film doesn’t really focus that much on Grindelwald, which is due to the abundance of characters that the film tries to serve. But the man’s name is in the title! He should have had more screen time or more character development. But we don’t know that much about him.
Dan Fogler & Alison Sudol/Queenie and Jacob
These two had a pretty good storyline in this film. With the issue of their romance being frowned upon. And both are brilliant in their own rights. Jacob is the lovable, down-to-earth guy and Queenie being the adorkable weirdo. But their relationship is really interesting to watch and it’s good to see the different ways in which both try to handle their forbidden love. I’m really interested to see where the sequel takes these two as they’re left on such an emotional cliff-hanger in the end.
Too many supporting characters
The main problem with this film is that there are so many characters that the story keeps trying to shift between. And because of this, no character gets to have any development or arc and the narrative feels splintered and empty. I believe if several characters were taken out and left for future films or just had their sub-plots toned down then the plot would have been much more coherent.
World-Building
What this film does an exceptional job at building on the Wizarding World. Visiting the magical community in Paris, which was beautiful and unique compared to London and New York. and introducing all-new magical creatures that look incredible. So if you just love the world of Harry Potter then you will really like this film in that regard.
The Franchise-Trap
This is something that happens to most films that are part of a franchise. The writers are so concerned with setting up a sequel, or spin-off movies, that the film in question feels half-baked at best. We’ve seen it happen with The Mummy (2017, Alex Kurtzman), Assassin’s Creed (2017, Justin Kurzel) and several others. Which is annoying. Audiences paid to see a movie. Not a set-up for a bigger movie! Which is what The Crimes Of Grindelwald is. It’s still an enjoyable movie. But it just feels like filler until the next instalment.
Conclusion
Overall, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald is an enjoyable, fun film that will service any Harry Potter fan looking for their Potter fix. But as a film its story is a mess, the characters are under-developed and it's more focused on setting up a better sequel rather than just being a good movie.
So that's my review of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald. What did you think of the film? Do you agree or disagree with anything I've said? Leave a comment down below. And, if you like what you've read then please follow this blog for more content. Thank you for reading!
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