In a Nutshell
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans of raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings, Albus Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead.
[imdb]https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4123430/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl[/imdb]
Review
It’s been two years of not so patient waiting since the perfect climax of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in November 2016 and so when Jim asked me to review this, I couldn’t have said yes quick enough.
I avoided early critic reviews, I re-watched Fantastic Beasts (and all of the Harry Potter films, just to be sure) and I was in the cinema screen 25 minutes early just so I wouldn’t miss anything. My excitement was barely containable. Yet, for the first time in the entire Wizarding World franchise, I left the cinema feeling… well, not sure what to feel. Be prepared, this review may ramble and contradict itself.
Let’s start at the beginning
Set six months after Grindlewald’s capture and high-security internment at the American Ministry of Magic (or MACUSA for the hardcore fans amongst us), we begin with a daring and dramatic escape. Cue a visually stunning and suspenseful opening sequence setting a delightfully dark tone for how this tale will develop as he searches for Credence and his obscurial power (Ezra Miller).
The casting of Jonny Depp as Grindlewald, the no-maj, pureblood loving dark wizard, has, of course, courted controversy, however, J.K Rowling’s defence has been warranted, with Depp playing a captivating yet equally disturbing villain. His performance here is arguably one of the finest of his career, ditching his usually quirky and comical persona for that of a deep and understated character has brought an air of danger and intrigue making him possibly more interesting than Voldemort for now.
Returning to London, we are reunited with the ever-adorable Magizoologist, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) who is being coerced into chasing down the wizarding world’s most major threat by the eagerly anticipated young Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law). Newt continues to capture the hearts of the audience with his passion for his Magical Creatures and adorable innocence as he faces danger.
Young Dumbledore
Young Dumbledore will definitely be a dividing character amongst fans with his possibly too youthful appearance alongside the frustratingly minimal development on his previous relationship with Grindlewald being major sticking points. However, his gentle demeanour will bring back memories of Richard Harris’ endearing portrayal of our beloved Hogwarts Headmaster and I feel we will gain a better insight of him as the series continues.
With the moral dilemma of Newt needing to pick a side to fight for, he returns to his home of magical creatures on which all I can say is this. Baby Nifflers. They are cute, fluffy and could potentially have their own spin off-franchise in my opinion. It’s here we are reunited with Jacob (Dan Fogler) and Queenie (Alison Sudol) who provide a lovely element of comic relief before revealing that Tina (Katherine Waterston) is also searching for Credence in Paris.
With his signature suitcase, Pickwicket (the most adorable Bowtruckle) and Niffler in tow, Newt and his friends rush to Paris to find Tina, rescue our favourite obscurus and defeat Grindlewald for Dumbledore. With all of the promising lead up within the first quarter of this marathon 134-minute movie, it’s here that the problems begin.
A rather confusing trip through Paris
As much as it pains me to say, this film lacks focus, which has been surprising considering the Harry Potter veteran director at the helm (David Yates) who directed four instalments of the Potter series. There are several quite important plots under development at once from Credence’s quest to determine his true family, to Dumbledore’s painful relationship with Grindelwald, to Newt’s will-they won’t-they interactions with Tina and finally Grindlewald’s quest to recruit Credence.
The movie develops quite slowly, jumping from plot to plot providing minimal developments making it quite difficult to fully understand how each aspect relates to each other. For the younger fans, this may provide a rather boring hour in the centre of this movie which could possibly have been solved by shaving 30 minutes from the running time.
Impacting this is the lack of character development or minimal time we spend with the new characters we meet (or even the characters we know). Starting with the highly anticipated Maledictus, Nagini (Claudia Kim) whose role feels superfluous throughout despite her essential role in the Potter series, especially in comparison to Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz) whose mysterious past we seem to fly on a Firebolt over.
We need to talk about Credence
An especially disappointing aspect is the development of Credence from his troubled and anguish filled portrayal in Fantastic Beasts to a rather subdued version for a majority of his screen time considering his central role in this sequel. Realistically, there is no central character in this film as we hop from scene to scene making the title of the film itself seem rather misleading.
While this film is full of nods to the Harry Potter series as we return to Hogwarts, meeting the early generations of the McClaggan’s and Carrow’s and seeing the iconic school itself, some inclusions will definitely feel wrong to fans. The inclusion of a young Minerva McGonagall (Fiona Glascott) will have the film’s fans beaming during her brief appearance however to those who frequent Pottermore, her appearance is unexpected considering she would have been a child at this point!
While this may be a minor criticism to some, it points to a level of fan-pleasing which is concerning considering JK Rowling’s usual stance on canon which appears to have been meddled with for this series (look at Dumbledore in this film, and then in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince when he visits Tom Riddle in the orphanage. Those 10 years of teaching must have been rough). Additionally, the rather comical portrayal of Nicolas Flamel (Brontis Jodorowsky) is heavily disappointing providing minimal impact to the story and detracting from the sinister atmosphere this film successfully creates.
A Magical Rescue
Despite what might appear to be quite the list of concerns and complaints, there is still enough in this film to grip and engage with an ending which could be considered the most unexpected and shocking of any of the Wizarding World series to date.
While the confusing plotline leads to lulls in the story, Newt’s Fantastic Beasts save the day. We meet the energetic seaweed-horse Kelpie, the adorably kitten-like Taowo dragons whose fascination with furry toys will induce a collective “aww” amongst viewers, to the menacing Matagots protecting the French Ministry of Magic. The return of the infamous shiny kleptomaniac Niffler will, of course, provide many giggles as well as some heart-warming moments.
Although some nods to the Harry Potter world we love were unnecessary, others were vital such as the appearance of the Elder Wand, The Mirror of Erised and of course, the symbol of the Deathly Hallows providing a fascinating glimpse into how these items were as interesting in the 1920s as they were in the 1990s.
Ultimately, it is the final hour of this movie which provides enough suspense, action and shocks to make up for the painfully slow beginnings. As for the finale? Well, that is an essay in itself where the Purebloods (Major Potterheads) will definitely be separated from the Muggles (Watched the first Fantastic Beasts after being dragged to the cinema by a Pureblood).
I’m still not sure how to feel
This is definitely a film which I think will benefit from a re-watch to help pick up the minor details lost in a rather confusing plot. It’s a series very much a victim of not being sure whether it is a story in itself or a pseudo-prequel to Harry Potter and it’s this lack of focus which makes for a lacklustre film.
Confusingly, I think this review may be too harsh as I feel the Crimes of Grindlewald is just setting the stage for the next three movies in the series where it’s relevance will shine but could this franchise be a victim of over-stretching a series (*cough* The Hobbit *cough*)? We’ve spent two movies covering roughly a year in the tale of Grindelwald, we still have three movies and 17 years to cover. Or is it potentially my level of “fan entitlement” over JK Rowling’s Wizarding World which is ruining my enjoyment as I nitpick on every detail? Only the next three movies will tell!
Despite my rather uncertain review, I will wholeheartedly recommend anyone should go view this movie whether they’re a Pureblood or a Muggle/No-Maj, as it is a visually stunning piece with enough funny, heart-warming and dark moments to keep everyone entertained.
Verdict
Despite the lack of focus, Crimes of Grindlewald is not a completely disappointing sequel, setting the stage for the larger story to come while delighting us with the very existence of baby Nifflers. It’s definitely magical and worth the watch, but just not as enchanting as hoped.
