Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Just the title sends shivers of excitement down the spines of fans of the Harry Potter universe. Fans are finally getting to see the story of Gellert Grindelwald, the most famous dark wizard of all time, unfolding right before their eyes, and like anything that J.K. Rowling puts out into the world, it is a masterpiece from start to end.
The Plot
The Crimes of Grindelwald picks up months after the events of the first Fantastic Beasts film. Newt has had his right to travel internationally suspended after indirectly destroying half of New York. Grindelwald is being transferred to Europe to be prosecuted for his crimes. During the transfer, Grindelwald escapes and heads towards Paris to begin a nefarious plot to hunt down Credence, who is also in Paris hunting for his family. After running into his old friends Jacob and Queenie, Newt learns that Tina is also in Paris, and after a slight nudge from Albus Dumbledore, Newt and Jacob set off for Paris.
New People
Among the new faces in The Crimes of Grindelwald are Newt’s estranged brother Theseus Scamander, an Auror whose department has been sent to track down Credence. He is joined in this hunt by Newt’s old friend and his fiance, Leta Lestrange, distant relative to the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange. While in Paris, Credence befriends a Maledictus named Nagini, who fans of the Harry Potter franchise are very familiar with. Newt and Tina end up meeting Yusuf Kama, Leta’s half-brother who is determined to kill Credence.
Also making their debuts are a young Albus Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel, who fans know as the producer of the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone for not America).
How are the returning folks?
Newt, Tina, and Jacob are all relatively the same. Newt is still an eccentric lover of animals who doesn’t have the capacity to do wrong. Tina still puts her job above everything and relentlessly tracks Grindelwald, and Jacob, although he is more willing to go along with the adventure this time around, is still just a hapless No-Maj with a love for baked goods and Queenie. The characters who really get to shine this time around are Grindelwald, Credence, and Queenie.
SPOILERS START NOW
Cool Cameos
What comes next?
As was seen in the trailers, and confirmed by fans who know when Dumbledore and Grindelwald have their famous duel, The Fantastic Beasts franchise is leading up to World War 2. Just where Fantastic Beasts 3 will take place remains to be seen, but one thing remains clear: A wizarding war unlike anything fans have ever seen is on its way.
Conclusion
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is an amazing film. It manages to expand Rowling’s world while also telling a unique story. The score is fantastic, the action sequences are tense, and all around it is a solid movie. There are a few minor plot holes, but nothing that takes away from the overall enjoyment of the movie.