Critics have been pretty disappointed with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
But don't be too sad, Potter fans, because the film still has some really good things
going for it too.
Here's a spoiler filled look at the best and worst things in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes
of Grindelwald.
One major new character introduced in The Crimes of Grindelwald is Newt Scamander's
brother Theseus.
An auror and war hero, when he's first introduced, Theseus seems like he's going to be a real
stick in the mud.
Instead, he proves to be a steadfast champion, even when temporarily at cross-purposes with
his brother.
We're looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops over the next several
films.
While the relationship between Newt and Theseus is a winner, the rest of the family drama
in The Crimes of Grindelwald is a letdown.
Not only do we have to muddle through Newt and Theseus both pining over Leta LeStrange,
we also have the matter of her long lost half-brother showing up, another long-lost half-brother
sinking down, the mystery of Credence's real parentage, and the romantic travails of Queenie
and Jacob.
Add in Queenie's search for her sister Tina, and Tina's mooning over Newt and you get a
disappointing mess.
On the other hand, Jude Law's portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in his prime is a complete
win, and arguably the best part of the film.
Every time he's on screen, the whole movie comes alive, and when he's offscreen, sadness
and woe fill the heart.
And there really should be more of him: despite the pretense that Newt is the main character,
make no mistake, this series is really about Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
It's disappointing that the film doesn't get into their relationship more, but hopefully
we'll get a whole lot more of Dumbledore in the next installment.
One of the biggest problems with the movie, in fact, is that instead of showing us more
Newt and Dumbledore, it insists on spending too much time with unimportant supporting
characters.
That's why we get diversions like Newt's assistant Bunty, who is so minor even Newt spends her
entire scene telling her to go away.
The film saves its worst treatment, though, for poor Nagini.
In the original Harry Potter series, Nagini was Voldemort's murderous pet snake.
In The Crimes of Grindelwald, though, it's revealed that Nagini was originally a human
woman cursed to eventually turn into a snake.
It could be a compelling story but it's a story The Crimes of Grindelwald isn't interested
in exploring.
Instead, Nagini is basically a living Easter egg, treated as little more than a prop to
add flavor to Credence's equally boring character arc.
Why even bother?
It might be all too brief, but those sweeping shots of Hogwarts in all its pre-Wizarding
War glory feel like a warm dip into the pensieve.
The return to the school's grounds creates an Easter egg extravaganza for Potter fans,
sure.
But more importantly, seeing the cozy familiarity of the Great Hall or the stone bridge just
feels like coming home.
It's too bad Hogwarts doesn't serve as the central backdrop for the film New York and
Paris are both lovely enough, but Hogwarts is simply spellbinding to return to.
"should things at some point go terribly wrong, it's good to have a place to go"
In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Queenie is quirky, but her charisma and unexpected
adulation of the ordinary no-maj Jacob only makes her more charming.
In The Crimes of Grindelwald, though, she's morphed into a clingy and petulant person
who abandons both her values and her sensibilities by throwing in with Grindelwald for reasons
that make absolutely no sense.
It's a major letdown from the cheerfully enigmatic person we were introduced to in the first
film.
One of the most fun things about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was the introduction
of some new mythical creatures.
The same is true in Crimes of Grindelwald, where Newt encounters a handful of new beasts,
including the awesome Zouwu , which he tames with a simple cat toy.
Best of all, though, is the return of the niffler, which stole the spotlight in Fantastic
Beasts and Where to Find Them.
The inclusion of the niffler isn't just a cute callback, though, it's a key plot point,
as the niffler helps Newt literally change the course of history thanks to some well
timed thievery.
There's some history that apparently even the niffler can't change, though, and unfortunately
we saw way too much of it in The Crimes of Grindelwald.
During a key sequence, Grindelwald presents a vision of the future to his rapt followers,
previewing the horrors that await them in World War II.
That's all fine, but director David Yates took things too far by showing footage of
Holocaust victims being marched into death camps.
Invoking the Holocaust was not only unnecessary, it went beyond the bounds of good taste.