(1.5 / 4)
In an attempt to deepen the Potter mythology, The Crimes of Grindelwald forgot what made the first so remarkable. This results in a series that has lost its focus and is the first major misstep in the otherwise enchanting Wizarding World series.
When it was first announced that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter would live on through a spinoff series, it was understandable for fans to have their apprehensions as to whether this series would be anything more than a ploy to unnecessarily elongate the initial 8 film story. 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was however a strong entry that capably demonstrated there was still magic to be found in other corners of this enchanted world, and the presence of an orphaned boy with a lightning shaped scar was not required.
With arguably the difficult endeavor of launching a new franchise in an enticing fashion behind it, general wisdom would indicate that continuing on this path should be the more manageable part. Which brings us to the 2018 sequel, The Crimes of Grindelwald which singlehandedly undoes all of this intrigue as we are treated to an endless slog of references to the Potter series rather than continuing on the original path of the first. This preoccupation with deepening the Potter mythology rather than present a fresh story all its own leads to a middling experience and an overall “Lestrange” direction for the franchise.
After being locked up by the Magical Congress of the United States of America for his attempted plot in the last film, we find dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) easily escape his confines in the film’s thrilling opening sequence. In only a few months’ time, it is revealed that Grindelwald has regained his swarm of followers and is plotting to find and recruit the powerful Obscurial, Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) in his plan for wizards and witches to rule over all non-magical beings.
During this time Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has returned to Europe and after refusing to work with the Ministry of Magic to stop Grindelwald, as he is reluctant to choose a side in this inevitable war, his old professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Laws) manages to persuade Newt to locate Credence and protect the boy from the forces approaching him. On his journey Newt eventually crosses paths with his companions from his past adventure in New York, Tina (Katherine Waterston), Jacob (Dan Fogler) and Queenie (Alison Sudol), as they along with the Ministry of Magic race across Europe to find Credence before Grindelwald does.
The brilliant mind behind this entire wondrous series, J.K. Rowling, is once again taking a stab at screenwriting after doing well with the last Fantastic Beasts film, however, it appears that she has bitten off more than she can chew with The Crimes of Grindelwald. The film is overly ambitious in the number of pieces it wishes to place on the chessboard, making it impossible to properly flesh out any of the new players. As a result, many new characters, such as Leta Lestrange (Zoë Kravitz) and Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner), disappear for long stretches of time only to reappear later in the film as they are suddenly revealed to be of key importance.
Coming off the news that the Fantastic Beasts series has been adjusted from a planned trilogy to a series composed of five films, one can’t help but wonder if that has hurt the narrative, as Crimes of Grindelwald feels more like a two-and-a-half-hour advertisement for the next film rather than a compelling story in its own right. Hardly anything of interest or consequence occurs in the film, as characters are merely put into place for the next installment in a dull and rushed fashion. We are instead presented with moments such as a return trip to Hogwarts, which are meant to placate audiences out of nostalgia, but the intention to keep this series going for as long as possible is transparent. What’s more the iconic wizarding school is lacking magic this time around for some inexplicable reason, which makes one wonder if the intrigue of this world was largely thanks to the likes of well-developed characters like Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Instead of the usual unexpectedly thrilling conclusions found in other Wizarding World stories, we are subjected to a climax consisting of a bizarre, almost laughable recounting of the Lestrange family tree. Instances such as this leave me confused as to what the focus of this saga is anymore. What was originally positioned as being centered on the light-hearted adventures of Newt and his unique creatures now feels as though it is being swallowed by another tale focused on the origins of Dumbledore and Grindelwald and the ensuing war. Both fine story ideas, but together they aren’t meshing into a coherent theme or idea.
Despite some bright spots in the form of strong performances from most of the cast with Jude Law’s interpretation of a younger Dumbledore being especially effective, as well as some impressive visual feats, such as the creatively stunning escape heist at the start, Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald is largely a mess and a deep disappointment considering the promise of its predecessor. The next entry would benefit from a fresh start of sorts, and much like the conclusion of the first film, cast an “oblivate” spell on itself so we can all forget about this misstep in the otherwise enchanting Wizarding World series.
