Rating of
2/4
What a time to be alive.
Matthew Brady - wrote on 12/20/18
“Magic blooms... only in rare souls. Still, we must skulk in shadows. But the old ways serve us no longer.”
‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ is a muddled sequel/prequel that lacks magic and wonder. The most tedious part is realizing there’s going to be four more of these; something I was comfortable with. This isn’t the type of story that inspired J.K. Rowling to start writing - no, this is a studio movie asking when the script is done.
The biggest crime this movie has ever committed is being boring.
Still, not everything is bad…
David Yates directing during the action sequences was entertaining and delivers some creative set pieces. I mean, the guy knows how to direct a big budget movie and make it look as good as it does. The production design and costumes are excellent as usual for these type of movies.
Eddie Redmayne and Dan Fogler are great once again. I really brought they chemistry a lot more than first one. However, the characters themselves don’t suit this type of story, especially Jacob whose brought back without a good reason. I guess that memory wipe spell didn’t work because it only took away bad memories, yet he remembers the first world war - so why did he forget in the first? I wonder if this affects the people of New York as well.
Katherine Waterston did the best with the material she was given, which isn’t much as her character is put on autopilot. Jude Law as a youngish Dumbledore is perfect casting. Law’s shape and classy approach to the character makes his presence enthralling; too bad he’s screen time is slim.
I’m aware this opinion may spark disagreement, but I thought Johnny Depp played Grindelwald with the right charm and dangerous presence for the character to work. While I still believe Colin Farrell would’ve been perfect as this series Voldemort, because I could imagine Farrell growing into that wicked and striking villain.
And that’s really it for positives.
I gave the first movie credit for avoiding nostalgia and managing to stand on its own two feet, but now it’s trying to build a franchise without telling a good story. The movie is all over the place in terms of storytelling and narrative.
I’m not sure about you, but I was struggling to follow what was going on. I thought it was just me at first as I don’t consider myself a fan of the series or know the Wizarding World that well. It was meant for the fans who can easily follow this narrative, right? Well, to my surprise and relief, I was wrong. It’s never a good sign when hardcore fans struggle to explain the entire “plot”. Is it about Newt Scamander? Grindelwald?
Some of the visual effects looked pretty bad and painfully noticeable when interacting with non-digital performers. I said this before and I’ll say it again, I kinda wish there was more practical work.
Overall rating: I don’t know the fate of these movie in the future, but judging on the box office results and the critical reviews from both critics and fans alike, it’s pretty bleak. I’m sure there will be a third movie and fans will see it no matter what while holding a grudge against Rowling.
