Certificate: 12A
Running time: 133 minutes
Directed by: David Yates.
The verdict: As a disclaimer, before I start this review, I feel that I should point out that I am a massive Potterhead. Thus I will primarily be reviewing this film as a fan. However I will try to consider the film from a non fan’s perspective as well. So with that being said, did I enjoy Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald? I can tell you that the answer is an resounding YES!
Interestingly, just before I went into the cinema, I read some less than complimentary headlines about the film. With that in mind, and my massive expectations, I have to admit that my hopes weren’t overly high. But from the opening scene to the closing credits, I was utterly enthralled and engaged. This is mostly due to the incredible world building of J.K Rowling and how brilliantly this has been translated to the screen. The sets are stunning, the costumes are beautiful and there is so much to capture your imagination. For a fan of the wizarding world, seeing more of it brought to life on an enormous screen - well it’s just mind blowing.
The cast were great. I loved the new additions and Eddie Redmayne is again perfect as Newt. I have to mention Jude Law’s casting as Dumbledore, which is possibly one of my favourite castings of all time. He was fantastic, and really encapsulated all of Dumbledore’s characteristics. I think I may even be a little bit in love with him now. Before the film was released, there was a little bit of controversy surrounding Dumbledore’s sexuality and how that might play out. I won’t go into my thoughts about the ridiculousness of that being an issue for anyone, but I will say that I think they got it right in the film.
I think that the story leads on well from the first film, and you can really start to see the connections to the Harry Potter series coming through. This is awesome for fans and I can guarantee you that if you’re a fan, you will gasp aloud at certain moments. There is also a wonderful moment where the two worlds collide. I could feel a collective love emanating around the cinema at that point, which was wonderful. It’s made me really excited for the next film. I don’t want to wait!
From a technical perspective, the film definitely scores high. The effects are great and the score is beautiful. I think they’ve tried to be a bit more experimental with some of the shot choices, which was interesting to see.
However as much as I loved Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald, it wasn’t completely flawless. I do think that they lost a bit of the great character dynamic from the first film. Some of the characters who worked so well together previously had less screen time together and there was definitely not enough of Dumbledore. There were also some aspects of the film that made it feel like it was building up to later instalments rather than shining as a stand-alone film. I do think that if you’re not familiar with the wizarding world, or you’re not a fan of it, then there may not be much for you in this film. The joy and amazement of this film is definitely in the familiarity of the previous films and the books. The film works as a fantasy film but there are so many references that you won’t get the most out of if you’re a newcomer.
Overall though, I throughly enjoyed this film. I smiled, I laughed, I had goosebumps and it made me excited for the next instalment - which is always a good sign. I would still very much call myself a Potterhead!
Should you watch this film? Yes. An absolute must for wizarding world fans, and definitely a film to enjoy on the big screen.
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