“Fantastic Beast: Crimes of Grindelwald” dives deep into the Harry Potter mythology to add some super-intriguing layers to familiar characters like Dumbledore while also showcasing some interesting growth in characters like Credence, Queenie, and Newt. The movie has an action-packed climax that concludes with a mind-bending, potentially canon-altering plot twist -- if you can make it through the sometimes confusing and rather circuitous route the movie takes to get there.
Overview
The vast majority of the movie’s plot centers around learning the true identity of Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller). Credence survived his apparent death at the end of the first movie and has disappeared while searching to find out the true identity of parents. He still hosts an extremely powerful obscurus (a dark manifestation of repressed magical energy) that makes him one of the most feared magical beings on the planet. As such, he is sought by both
Grindelwald himself (who hopes to control him) and the various Ministries of Magic that seek to neutralize him. Newt Scamander is sucked into this high stakes manhunt by a young-ish Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), and is faced with choosing sides in a brewing conflict he has desperately tried to remain out of. As Grindelwald builds a network of loyal followers, the lines are drawn for an all-out war between those want to maintain the status quo between the magical and non-magical worlds and those who believe in Grindelwald’s seductive vision of a world where wizards can freely live & practice magic -- at the expense of the freedom of non-magical persons.
What You’re Going to Like
THE MOVIE HAS GREAT VISUALS. The film boasts top-notch special effects and, of course, some fascinating new creatures. It LOOKS fantastic and captures a lot of the visual wonder fans of the Harry Potter universe have become accustomed to.
THE MOVIE TELLS AN INTERESTING STORY. Although the film doesn’t follow the most linear narrative, I, personally, felt captivated waiting to see how the journey was going to end. I found the conclusion to be satisfying, a little bit emotional, and definitely interesting enough to make me want to see the next installment.
THE CHARACTERS ARE WELL DONE. Jacob, Queenie, and Tina return, although Tina’s role is significantly reduced. Jacob returns with his innocent charm, Queenie with her sweetness and naivety, and Newt with his strong morals and endearing social awkwardness. Grindelwald is built up to be a fascinating antagonist whose silver tongue and powerful magic make him seem incredibly sinister and yet completely rational. His character is comparable to a Saruman or similar villain whose goals are misguided, but not just pure evil. He makes a great foal to Jude Law, who does a great job capturing the wry wit, understated wisdom, and subtle charm of Dumbledore. Even Credence is given some more dimension in his desperate search to find an identity and experience true love. His journey causes conflict in the relationship with the only person that truly seems to care for him, his love interest Nagini (Yes, THAT Nagini). I found Leta Lestrange to be the most interesting and complex of the new characters and someone I wanted to see more of whenever she was on screen.
THE MOVIE HAS EMOTIONAL WEIGHT. This film doesn’t bring you to the point of tears, but it does give you some level of feels as you see some of our beloved characters make difficult choices with rather dire repercussions.
THE MOVIE DIVES DEEP INTO HP MYTHOLOGY. If you’re a Harry Potter nerd there are plenty of deep cuts that only true fans will be able to fully appreciate.
THE FINAL REVEAL IS SHOCKING. The movie closes with a revelation that’s a game-changer for those familiar with the bloodlines and history of the Harry Potter universe. It sets up an incredibly intriguing story arc for the next Fantastic Beasts movie.
WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE
THE PLOT IS CONVOLUTED. In an attempt tthe keep the story from becoming predictable “Fantastic Beasts 2” takes a number of detours (and one or two dead ends) to add layers to the story and keep the audience guessing. It sorta works. About ⅔ of the way through the movie you’re ready for them to stop running around Paris chasing bread crumbs and just tell you the entire backstory of Leta, Yusuf, and Credence so you can finally understand how the three of them are connected and why it’s such a big deal.
TOO MANY CHARACTERS. In an attempt to flesh out interesting backstories for some of the new characters, the movie ends up shortening the screen time and narrative importance of core characters like Tina. Newcomer Leta Lestrange was legitimately interesting but her story felt rushed, Nicholas Flamel shows up but doesn’t really do anything, and Yusuf Kama is important to the plot but not given enough time for the viewer to really care about what he does.
LESS HUMOR. Neither film is particularly chipper but the first film works a little harder to insert some occasional comedy and light moments with Jacob, Queenie, Newt and his creatures to balance the grim, brooding storyline centered around Credence.
NOT AS MANY BEASTS. Some of the adventure of the first movie is gone as this film spends much less time on Newt and his critters and much more time on the struggle against Grindelwald.
THE MOVIE DIVES DEEP INTO HP MYTHOLOGY. There’s a ton of fan service in this film, so if you’re not familiar with the minutia of Dumbledore’s family tree, Grindelwald’s possession of the Elder wand, or significance of Nagini then the movie just isn’t going to be as enjoyable for you.
THE MOVIE PLAYS LIKE A 2ND ACT. “Fantastic Beasts 2” raises more questions than it answers, and it doesn’t leave our heroes in the best of circumstances. If you dislike movies that seem like merely a set-up for the next act the cliffhanger nature of the finale might frustrate you.
Movie Rating
Plot/Story - 7/10 - It tells a good story but in a rather circuitous, occasionally confusing manner. The movie ends with the status of our heroes in flux, a typical second act.
Dialogue - 8.5/10 - Dumbledore and Grindelwald have some absolutely fantastic dialogue that makes their screen time both interesting and captivating.
Characters - 9/10 - I couldn’t get enough of Grindelwald, Dumbledore, or Leta Lestrange anytime they were on the screen. That’s three great additions to characters like Jacob and Newt that I already loved. That said, there were TOO many characters and some of them had arcs that felt forced/rushed.
Music/Score - 6.25/7.5 - Not as memorable as the scores for movies like “Half-Blood Prince” but very good at matching the emotion of big moments in the film.
Emotion - 6.25/7.5 -- See “Things You’re Gonna Like” section.
Visuals - 7.5/7.5 - See “Things You’re Gonna Like” section.
Originality - 5/5 - Nothing rehashed or warmed over here. This movie is nothing if not original.
"It” Factor - 6/10 - Despite having good parts, this movie just didn't have "it." It was interesting and enjoyable, but it was too disjointed and scattershot to be a masterpiece.
Final Score: 55.5/67.5 = 82% (B-)
The Verdict
The movie is flawed, but tells a good story. Diehard Potterheads will find plenty to enjoy while casual viewers are likely to find it a bit jumbled and confusing. Either way, it sets up a fascinating third act and adds some rich layers to the "Wizarding World" universe as a whole.
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