Currently in theaters everywhere is Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the second of the new ‘Fantastic Beasts’ film series in the Extended Potterverse from JK Rowling Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Dan Fogler, Johnny Depp, and Jude Law. Nerd Nation Magazine was in attendance for the early press screening, courtesy of Warner Bros, Allied Marketing, and Regal Cinemas.
I’m going to start this review off by saying, if you were expecting any sort of end or resolution from this movie, you’ll be sorely disappointed. This is only the second movie in a rumored seven-movie series.
Now, there’s a limited amount that I can actually put into this review to keep it spoiler free. What I will say is, “Wow.” This movie delivers while making you crave more.
Pulling this up on IMDb, you’ll see quite a few new names added to the cast, including Jude Law as a “young” Albus Dumbledore. He’s only in it here and there, but they are important moments, so pay attention! It shouldn’t be at all surprising that Law turns in yet another magnificent performance, and now has his very own important place in the Potterverse to boot! Johnny Depp is also phenomenal as Grindlewald, which quite honestly shouldn’t be surprising, either, given that Depp‘s work in deep-character roles (i.e. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Black Mass) always deliver.
If you’ve seen the first movie, you should already be familiar with the returning members of the cast, including Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, and Dan Fogler as the muggle, Jacob Kowalski. The most important to this movie returning cast members are Ezra Miller, who plays Credence Barebone, and Johnny Depp as Grindlewald. As the movie centers around Newt’s and Grindlewald’s quest to find Credence for opposing purposes, they get a lot of run time.
Of course, there are new monsters! Adorable fluffy ones, seaweedy ones, weird looking ones, and a return of the nefarious nifflers, who are so darned adorable it makes even the most loyal Harry Potter fan say Dobby who?
The Bottom Line:
Overall, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is an absolutely fantastic movie, and yet another excellent offering in the Potterverse for fans of all ages to enjoy. This is the “Empire Strikes Back” of the Fantastic Beasts series, and as such should definitely be approached expecting plenty of those famous “down endings” one always finds in the hero’s journey archetype. Is this movie worth seeing in theaters? Yes, absolutely. Are the effects spectacular? Definitely. Is Mr. Law a good fit for a “young” Albus? I think so.
And that’s all I’m saying. Go see it for yourself. – 9.0/10
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-Hannah Collins
Staff Writer: Nerd Nation Magazine
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