Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
3 stars
Director: David Yates
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler
Duration: 134 mins
Class: 12
KRS Releasing Ltd
Above the soundtrack of the end credits of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011 could be heard the sound of millions of fans’ hearts breaking across the world as one of the most beloved film franchises in history came to a triumphant and poignant end.
That heartache was soothed somewhat with the release of Fantastic Beasts, and Where to Find Them in 2016, with virtuoso author J. K. Rowling once more weaving a spell of cinematic magic to bring to life the story of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne).
News is the bashful but brilliant Magizoologist whose career is dedicated to finding fantastic beasts, yet who soon finds himself drawn into magical adventures beyond his wildest dreams.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald picks up mere months after the end of the first instalment, where the powerful Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), following Newt’s intervention.
The opening scene finds Grindelwald escaping magical custody to put his nefarious plans into action – i.e., to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
Newt in the meantime, has left New York to go back to London, his future with putative girlfriend Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) in doubt.
He is still regarded by the London Ministry of Magic with suspicion when he is ordered to help in the search for Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), an Obscurial (a wizard whose powers were suppressed) who is also being sought by Grindelwald.
Gives a new definition to the term ‘action-packed’
He refuses, but when tasked to do the same by his former teacher at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), Newt reluctantly goes to Paris. He is accompanied by Muggle Jacob (Dan Fogler), desperately trying to save his relationship with Tina’s sister Queenie (Alison Sudol).
Starting off with a big bang, with a scene that could come straight out of a Bond movie – and pretty much continuing in that vein for two hours – Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald gives a new definition to the term ‘action-packed’ with scene after scene after scene of breathless magic carrying the story on its back like a Zouwu (the latest rather large beast to join Newt’s menagerie) on a rampage. It is a wonderment of visual effects as the filmmaking team goes to extraordinary lengths to bring Rowling’s matchless imagination to life.
Every frame is a feast for the eyes, with almost otherworldly versions of London, New York and Paris. These are dreamlike even when shrouded in dark grey mists, including the majestic buildings that house the respective Ministries of Magic and the exquisite costume design.
Of note, of course, are the titular beasts of all shapes and sizes with returning favourites the ‘bowtruckle’ and the ‘niffler’ joining new ones, such as the afore-mentioned Zouwu.
The action takes us to many dark places – The Zouwu belongs to the Circus Arcanus, where the owner and Ringmaster cruelly exploits magical Underbeings for profit. One particularly powerful scene has Grindelwald prophesying World War II.
The magical action runs the gamut from the cute – Newt conjuring up a very sudden powerful gust of wind to thwart a pursuer – to the familiar and to the breath-taking orange and blue fiery and deadly battles at the climax.
And yet, there is so much going on that the few moments the action lets up a little are spent trying to figure out who and what and why and how. There are too many characters to keep up with – new and old, familiar and beloved (take a bow Nagini the snake and Nicholas Flamel) and the intricate plot tries to keep up with them all.
But, in doing so, it gives us little time to truly engage on an emotional level – it is telling that nostalgia and heart-cockle warming takes place when the action flashes back to Hogwarts. Furthermore, the myriad plot strands do start to come together, but it’s hardly surprising that some of them do not make sense given certain details were easily missed.
This is a shame, for it’s a world that has much to offer. And hopefully, when Part 3 comes along, it gives these characters that we love so much and their fascinating stories time to breathe.