It’s a Kind of Magic

Silencio! Okay, now listen up, the wizards and witches of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them are back and this time they are bringing along old friends.

Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald takes us back to the WIzarding World with new characters and strange creatures. The second instalment of the Harry Potter-spinoff franchise picks up after the first film and comments on the first films final twists.

The new movie revolves around Gellert Grindelwald (perfectly played by Johnny Depp) after he managed to escape custody. Albus Dumbledore, played by Jude Law recruits Newt Scamander to track down Grindelwald and bring him to justice.

I stepped into the theatre expecting one of the best Wizarding World films, but I was disappointed. The stakes were supposed to be huge, buy they are not. The story had to be a standalone telling of Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s story, but it is not.

It seems as if the director, writers and producers were more focused on setting up sequels rather than focus on the movie at hand. Fortunately it is not all bad, the film offers some surprising twists and beautifully constructed action scenes.

It once again made me feel as if I was part of the Wizarding World. As I said before, Depp and Law perfectly brings their characters to life. The humour of the film is once again spot on and some plotlines from the previous movie are solved.

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. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

 

My Verdict

The movie might be the weakest in the franchise, but it is still fun to watch. If you are just looking for some good cinematic fun then you might just enjoy the movie. I definitely cannot wait to watch it again.

My Rating: 6.6/10 – Good