Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald Review

Newt Scamander is back with even more friends, both creature and human, in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald.

Whether to harm or help, Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), Gellert Grindewald (Johnny Depp), and the members of the Ministry of Magic race to find Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), and discover his origins. 

Audience members who grew up reading Harry Potter were able to find themselves in the four new protagonists introduced in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. However, The Crimes of Grindewald introduces even more characters, building backstory from them in a rushed manner, which is not only a disappointment regarding them, but also for the screen time that could have been devoted to delving deeper into the already established characters.

The editing between each of those characters is choppy as well. Scenes ended abruptly or after awkward and unnecessary moments, serving as a distraction from the dialogue and the scene’s significance. Consequently, the use of extreme close-ups on characters’ eyes, to imply a significant connection between them, is used a tad too long in certain scenes. 

The CGI and special effects, however, are phenomenal. The universe’s magic comes to life in creative and logical ways unseen in the Harry Potter movies. The creatures too, while not used to their fullest potential story-wise, are visually amazing.

With an eerie appearance and panther-like movement, Grindewald is a stoic terror. His impressive magic repertoire and strategic manipulation live up to expectations set up in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The wizarding world and audiences have a right to fear him – that is — when you can understand what he’s saying. While extremely soothing, Depp’s deep, melodious voice is sometimes difficult to understand.

What’s not difficult to understand is how this trilogy feeds into the Harry Potter timeline. Foreshadowing is everywhere, both pertaining to events in this movie, the final sequel, and events that take place around Harry Potter. Objects, a certain alchemist, and familial ties blend in seamlessly to the story, but for avid fans, they feel like uncovered secrets.

It’s no secret that anything J.K. Rowling writes is met with anticipation and excitement, but this movie does not live up to expectations as much as it should have. 7/10 for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald.

— Review by Olivia M.

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