Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Review

134min

Genre:     Family, Adventure, Fantasy

Director:  David Yates

Cast:       Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp, Katherine Waterston…more

Writer:    J.K. Rowling

-Synopsis-

When ‘Gellert Grindelwald’ escapes the clutches of the ministry of magic and heads to Europe, Magizoologist ‘Newt Scamander’ must unite with figures from his past, friends from across the pond and a legendary mentor to stop the dark wizard and his converts from starting a war between wizards and muggles for control of the world—in the second instalment of the second series in J. K. Rowling’s ‘wizarding world’.

After reigniting the cinematic arm of a hugely lucrative media franchise with a new wizarding saga and ‘Harry Potter’ prequel series in 2016’s ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’, Rowling returns as screenwriter and David Yates as director, as Warner Bros. bring us the second film in a planned series of five—expanding on the ‘dark conjurer seeking power’ theme and setting up a wizard civil war, while bridging Rowling’s two cinematic franchises and paying nostalgic homage to the series which kicked everything off.

Eddie Redmayne returns as the creature-loving Scamander, reunited with his Big Apple buddies ‘Tina’ (Katherine Waterston), ‘Jacob’ (Dan Fogler) and ‘Queenie’ (Alison Sudol), while crossing paths with childhood friend ‘Leta Lestrange’ (Zoë Kravitz) and his brother ‘Theseus Scamander’ (Callum Turner). Sent on a mission to Paris by his former headmaster ‘Albus Dumbledore’ (Jude Law) to track down powerful Obscurial wizard ‘Credence’ (Ezra Miller) before Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) can secure him for his dastardly plans, setting in motion a series of events which unveil confronting truths for all . . . and plunge the wizarding world into chaos.

While 2016’s ‘Fantastic Beasts’ set the expectation for this new Rowling series—large scale globe-trotting adult wizarding adventures set in the 1920s, featuring both the practical and fantastical magic of the Potter series but throwing in oodles of creatures great and small—‘The Crimes of Grindelwald’ continues in the same vein but adds more of a mystery element and takes the action from the new world back to the old, presenting a narrative which harks heavily back to the past (or chronologically the future) of the ‘Potterverse’.

Yet some of the novelty of this new series has already worn off, proving a more impersonal tale than the Potter series without the beloved boy wizard to grow up with, or the ‘chosen one’ angle to see to fruition. But there is plenty here for audiences to chew on, with enough to connect it to existing lore and some common tropes to build on—and there’s certainly something for non-devotees of Rowling’s creation, or those who didn’t grow up with Harry Potter and don’t have much invested in all this.

‘The Crimes of Grindelwald’ certainly isn’t short on action and spectacle, showcasing everything from wizard battles to fantastical creatures wreaking havoc, including the notorious Nifflers up to their adorable tricks again, all taking place in the wonderfully recreated streets of 1920s Paris, while the top notch CGI and production designs also take us back to a certain beloved British wizarding school—all expertly shot by returning cinematographer Philippe Rousselot, and rousingly scored by maestro James Newton Howard.

From the large and growing selection of characters there are a few standout performances, with Johnny Depp proving solid if unspectacular as the titular villain—although nowhere near as enigmatic or impactful as “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”—while Eddie Redmayne with his irresistible quirks establishes himself as the star of the show by once again making Scamander his own, although Dan Fogler and Alison Sudol as unlikely New York couple ‘Jacob’ and ‘Queenie’ are wont to steal every scene they’re in.

But without the cavalcade of legendary British actors or young kids to capture our hearts, the rest of the cast and their characters fail to leave a mark or even much of an impression, including the major addition to this film, young Dumbledore. Despite Jude Law’s best efforts to make the character his own and depict him at a different point his life, this just isn’t the master wizard we all know and love, with few of the qualities previously brought to the screen by messrs Harris and Gambon on show here, and with Rowling’s revision of his sexuality coming off like a gimmick.

When it comes to the drama end emotional arcs, ‘The Crimes of Grindelwald’ falls rather flat, while the story and plot aren’t exactly intricate or inspired either. The instinct to return to successful themes and characters is understandable, and a la mode in current blockbuster cinema, but in this case it does more harm than good—often manifesting itself in underwhelming flashbacks used to flesh out character, but the result just breaks up the film’s momentum without adding much of real substance.

Ultimately what you’re left with is an unbalanced sequel; an expertly crafted, visually impressive and certainly entertaining blockbuster which lacks in narrative, charm and emotional impact, wrapping up with a major final character reveal which threatens to turn the entire series into a wizard family squabble, leaving us wondering if the franchise’s supply of mystery and intrigue has been exhausted . . . and hoping we’re spared three further films of copious flashbacks.

The Bottom Line…

Rowling and Yates conjure up an extravagant sequel to a new wizarding series which is haunted and seduced by the ghost of the old one, delighting us with spectacle but underwhelming with drama and narrative, while proving that even wizards fall prey to the curse of the sequel—luckily they still have three more movies to re-energise this wizarding saga, and win back Potterphiles and Potternewbs alike.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Inspired by her 2001 book of the same name, J.K. Rowling turns screenwriter in this spinoff/prequel to the iconic ‘Harry Potter’ books & films; following the fortunes of “magizoologist” and former Hogwarts student ‘Newt Scamander’ and his adventures in 1920s New York city, with its magical inhabitants and unsuspecting “muggles”, where his quest to save his fantastical creatures puts him on a collision course with emerging dark forces in the Big Apple.

Directed by David Yates and Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston and Colin Farrell among others.

Comments

comments

Comments are closed.