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Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is a 2018 fantasy film directed by David Yates and written by J.K. Rowling. It is the second installment in the Fantastic Beasts series, and the tenth overall in the Wizarding World franchise and is the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016). It stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz, Callum Tuner, Claudia Kim, Kevin Guthrie, Jude Law and Johnny Depp. Set in 1927, it follows Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore as they try to take down the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald while facing new threats in an even more divided wizarding world. 

In 1927, the Magical Congress of the United States (MACUSA) moves the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald to Europe to stand trial, but he escapes. Three months later, London, Newt Scamander, visits the Ministry of Magic to appeal his international travel ban, and runs into Leta Lestrange, his Hogwarts classmate and the fiance of his older brother Theseus. The Ministry agrees to accept Newt’s request if he helps Theseus find Credence Barebone, who is still alive in Paris, but Newt declines after learning he must work with the cruel bounty hunter Gunnar Grimmson. Albus Dumbledore asks Newt to track down Credence, believing that he is Leta’s long-lost half-brother, Corvus Lestrange V. 

Newt is visited by American friends Queenie Goldstein and Jacob Kowalkski, a Muggle, who has regained his memories that were erased the previous year. Newt is disappointed to learn that Queenie’s sister Tina Goldstein is seeing someone after mistakenly believing Newt and Leta were engaged. After Newts lifts the spell, Jacob refuses to marry Queenie, fearing the consequences she would face. Queenie leaves to find Tina, who is looking for Tina in Paris, followed by Newt and Jacob. 

In Paris Credence escapes the Circus Arcanus with captive entertainer Nagini, a Maledictus cursed to turn into a snake permanently. Searching for Credence’s birth mother, the find half-elf servant Irma Dugard, who brought him to America for adoption. Grimmson revealed to be a follower of Grindelwald, kills Irma before she can tell who sent her. Tina meets Yusuf Kama, who is also looking for Credence. Newt and Jacob follow Yusuf to Tina, only to find her being held hostage. Yusuf imprisons them, telling them that he made an Unbreakable Vow to kill his half-brother, whom he believes is Credence. Unable to find Tina, an upset Queenie is brought to Grindelwald; knowing her abilities, he lets her leave while brainwashing her into joining him through her desire to marry Jacob. 

Newt and Tina invade the Ministry of Magic for documents to confirm Credence’s identity, but are found by Leta and Theseus. Tina and Newt make up after he explains that he was never engaged to Leta. Their search leads them to the Lestrange family tomb, where they find Yusuf confronting Credence and Nagini. Yusuf reveals that he is carrying out his father Mustafa’s wish to seek revenge towards his mother Laurena, who was kidnapped by Corvus Lestrange IV, using the Imperial Curse and died after giving birth to Leta. 

The group follow a crowd to a rally for Grindelwald’s followers, where Queenie is attending and Jacob is looking for her. Grindelwald shows a vision of a future global war, and rallies against laws that prohibit them preventing such a tragedy.

This film has the magic that Potter fans enjoy, but the story isn’t nearly as strong as the other ones. The movie has plenty of plot twists, action and fantasy, but feels a lot like one character chasing after another. It is entertaining, but it seems like there is more time spent battling between good and evil than telling the actual story. The special effects, costumes, scenery and music are great. The acting is superb, but the story goes from one thing to the next far too fast, and there isn’t much about the background of the characters. It seems there is more rescuing of other characters than just slowing down and telling of the story. 

At times the film seems rushed and some scenes are rather slow, but it is not boring by any means. It is still action packed, filled with thrills, fantasy, superb acting and a fantastic storyline. There are humorous, romantic, shocking and heartwarming scenes as well. Is it as good as the first Fantastic Beasts film or any in the Harry Potter series? No, but it’s not terrible. Perhaps if this movie relied less on its bizarre and wonderful creatures and more on giving audiences the feeling of being transported, it would have been a nearly perfect motion picture like its predecessors. 

You have many of the same beloved and hated characters from the first Fantastic Beasts film, but they don’t really change much it seems in this one. Newt is still a smart, quirky magizoologist, Jacob is still in love with Queenie and Grindelwald is still the second of the  “Most Dangerous Wizards of All Time.” 

All the special effects, action and period costuming and scenery, doesn’t make this film outstanding, but wildly entertaining it still is. 13+ 3.5/5 

Posted on by chloetalksfilm

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2016 fantasy film directed by David Yates and written by J.K. Rowling. It is the first installment in the Fantastic Beasts film series and the ninth overall in the Wizarding World franchise, being a spin-off and prequel to the Harry Potter film series, inspired by the 2001 book of the same name by Rowling. The film stars Eddie Redmanyne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Ron Perlman, Colin Ferrell and Jude Law. 

In 1926, British wizard and “magizoologist” Newton “Newt” Scamander lands in New York City. He notices Mary Lou Barebone, the non-magical (“No-Maj” or “Muggle”) head of the New Salem Philanthropic Society, preaching that witches and wizards are real and dangerous. Striving to retrieve a Niffler that escaped from his suitcase of magical creatures, Newt meets No-Maj Jacob Kowalski, an aspirant baker, and they unknowingly swap suitcases. Porpetina “Tina” Goldstein, a demoted Auror of the Magical Congress of the United States (MACUSA), arrests Newt for breaking magical law. Since the suitcase he has only has Jacob’s baked goods, Newt is released. At home, Jacob opens Newt’s suitcase, freeing several creatures into the city. 

After Tina and Newt find Jacob and the suitcase, Tina takes them to her apartment and introduces them to Queenie, her Legillmens sister. Jacob and Queenie are both attracted to each other, though American wizards are forbidden to have any contact with No-Majs. Newt takes Jacob inside his suitcase, magically enlarged to keep various creatures. 

After they retrieve two of the three escaped beasts, Tina returns the suitcase to the MACUSA, but they are arrested, as officials believe one of Newt’s creatures is responsible for killing Senator Henry Shaw Jr., who actually attacked by a different Obscurus. The Director of Magical Security, Percival Graves, accuses Newt of conspiring with the infamous dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, and decides to to demolish Newt’s suicase and obliviate Jacob’s recent memories. Newt and Tina are sentenced to death. Queenie senses this, rescues Jacob before his memory is taken and, then helps Newt and Tina escape and retrieve Newt’s suitcase. Advice from Tina’s goblin informant Gnarlack leads the four to getting the last of the escaped creatures. 

Graves comes to Credence, Mary Lou’s adult adopted son, and offers to free him from his abusive mother in exchange for helping find the Obscurus causing destruction to the city. Credence finds a wand under his adopted sister Modesty’s bed, which Mary Lou assumes is his; when Credence is about to be punished, the Obscurus kills Mary Lou and her oldest daughter Chasity. 

Newt finds Credence hiding in a subway tunnel, but is attacked by Graves. Tina who had tried to protect Credence from Mary Lou, tried to calm him, while Graves tried to convince Credence to listen to him. As Credence returns to human form, MACUSA President Seraphina Picquery and the Aurors counterattack, killing the Obscurus. However, not seen by anyone but Newt, a single piece of the creature flees the scene. Graves admits he planned to unleash the Obscurus to expose the magical community to the No-Majs and to frame Newt for the incident. 

This movie is filled with superb special effects, fantastic costumes, makeup and scenery, perfect music and outstanding acting. It has the feel of a Potter film, though it is a sequel or prequel to the HP series. Some of the characters like Newt, Jacob, Queenie and Dumbledore are very likeable and others, of course, or not. Jacob is the funny, naive, No-Maj, Queenie is the sweet Auror, Newt is the awkward creature lover with a big heart and Dumbledore is the Hogwarts headmaster who is always willing to help others. Other characters like the abusive mother Mary Lou Barebone and Gellert Grindelwald are evil are meant of course, to be unliked. 

This film has drama, thrills, romance, fantasy and heart. It goes from dark to light throughout the movie, so you find yourself going from “aww…” to “Oh no!” Not once is the film predictable or boring. It is pretty intense for a PG-13 rating. The film not only has darkness but also funny little parts here and there that make it much more entertaining than if it were just all sinister. 

Rowling knows how to capture light, dark, humor and heart in all her stories, making her the best fantasy writer since J.R.R. Tolkien. Her stories are so captivating, you don’t want them to end and you keep going back to them time after time. 

This film is the perfect distraction from the negativities of today’s real world. It takes you on journeys to other worlds, scary ones, fun ones, but equally fascinating. The film may not be quite as good as any in the Harry Potter series, but it is still wildly entertaining and deserving every award it wins. 

The main character Newt Scamander is an odd one. His mannerisms, or quirks, make him weird, unique, special and overall, lovable. Newt seems to have characteristics of high functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome, though Rowling has yet to comment on that, Redmayne who plays Newt seems to think that Newt has Asperger’s, but being that the films take place in the 1920’s and 1930’s, there was no diagnosis, but the resemblance of the character to a person with ASD is pretty uncanny and it is nice to see characters that those kind of people can relate to. 

Overall, a thrilling and heartwarming film that both fantasy and Potter fans will enjoy. It has every element of a great fantasy film. 13+ 4.5/5