WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD
Um…what? What the hell just happened?
I love Harry Potter! The books captured my imagination when they first came out like nothing else before. Every tiny detail is engraved in my mind as if someone carved it there. I love the movies (sans Goblet of Fire), the expanded universe, Pottermore, everything. And I’m not the only one. This epidemic has inspired an entire generation to believe that there is such thing as magic. When the original set of films ended, we were ready. Sad, but ready.
Then, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was announced. While not on the same level as the Potter films, it was a lot of fun and well-represented the universe, characters and creatures we all knew and loved. A sequel was inevitable and, of course, had to expand on the mythology of Grindelwald, the dark wizard who was best friends/possible lovers with Albus Dumbledore, and, most importantly, the precursor to Lord Voldemort (for more information, read J.K. Rowling’s published works). This had to be awesome, right?
If you LOVE Harry Potter, this film is going to be a hard pill to swallow, much like the play and unofficial eighth book, The Cursed Child. Some people are going to be right there with it, loving the changes to the mythology, while others, I fear most, are going to downright hate it. However, I cannot fully knock that. As a proponent for separating film from the source material, I get why Rowling, director David Yates, and Warner Bros. went in this direction, yet it must be stressed at how shocking some of the twists, turns and out-of-nowhere changes are. I have to let this settle in; I’m fully shook and may change my mind further down the road on this one aspect.
However, what I cannot get over is how FULL this movie is. Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is back, tasked by Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), to bring Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) to justice. Along the way, he somehow runs back into his best friend and No-Maj, Jacob (Dan Folger), giggly Queenie (Alison Sudol) and possible love-to-be and Auror for the Ministry, Tina (Katherine Waterson).
Sadly, most of these meetings are inconsequential. Jacob and Queenie are pretty much lost in the shuffle, doing their own thing (until the last moments); really factoring into the plot. Jacob, who had his memory cleared at the end of the first film, remembers Newt and magic because the spell didn’t work. What? Yes, yes it did. We saw it work. There is no explanation as to why it didn’t work, it just didn’t. K. As for Tina, she’s there, but mostly pointless as well. A touch of romance between her and Newt is briefly brought up, but then dropped because we needed to focus on more pressing matters. That’s not to say these actors don’t kill it. They do, especially Redmayne, who is euphoric as Newt, a perfect mix of quirky, dorky and insecure.
Yet, everything feels so aimless. We cut from character to character, set piece to set piece, with exposition spewed as if we’re too stupid to understand. The plot is confusing, as Grindelwald is building followers to help him with…what exactly? Yes, I’m well aware of what he was fighting for in the novels, but here, it is so unclear, any member of the general audience will be more than confused. As for Grindelwald, he doesn’t have much to do, outside of a fun opening scene and a brilliant speech near the end. Depp does his best, but a vast majority of the material is dull and, honestly, not very evil. He’s just there.
Most disappointing is Dumbledore. Now, don’t get me wrong, Jude Law kills it as everyone’s favorite Headmaster. He brings a mix of Michael Gambon and his own traits to craft a very authentic and intriguing young Dumbledore. However, his screen time is minimal. Instead, we focus on Newt’s Auror brother, Theseus (Callum Turner) and his fiancé, Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz), on their, and the Ministry’s hunt for Grindelwald.
Neither of these characters are very interesting, no matter how hard the movie tries to make them. Leta, herself, is part of the most frustrating and convoluted plot point near the end of the film that will leave you with more questions than an episode of Lost. Nagini is also there, portrayed by Claudia Kim, this time as a human. It is said she will one day forever be a snake. Okay, cool. She has zero-character traits.
Now, let’s get to those huge twists. DON’T WORRY. I won’t spoil. The major twists involve Creedence (Ezra Miller), which everyone probably guessed because he is shown to be returning to his role as a lost boy/Obscurus in the trailers. It’s just…so strange. He, like many others, is barely utilized until he needs to be, then we get it. The last two minutes. I know, it’s vague, but it needs to be addressed. Oh and Nicolas Flamel, the creator of the Sorcerer’s Stone is also in this movie. Yeah…
The Crimes of Grindelwald is an incredibly frustrating experience as a film critic and a massive Harry Potter fan. The acting is great, as is everything you look for in a critical checklist: cinematography, sets, score, effects, etc. When the fantastic beasts themselves are actually shown (hey look, another backseat in a movie called FANTASTIC BEASTS), they are awesome and a lot of fun.
Sadly, these positives are not enough to outweigh the abundance of negatives. This film is too unfocused, too jam-packed and a whole lot of confusing. As I mentioned earlier, some fans are going to like the changes, but I fear a lot more will be incredibly pissed, and that has to factor in here. I know fandoms, especially one’s I am a giant member of, and I see this film being talked about the way fans talk about The Last Jedi. Oh, and there will be a sequel, because it ends so abruptly, it shakes you.
Rating: 4/10
