Susan Granger’s review of “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” (Warner Bros.)
As an avid Harry Potter fan, I’m disappointed that this is the weakest installment in the J.K. Rowling Wizarding World franchise. The characters are confusing and the plot is unnecessarily convoluted.
The story begins in 1927, New York, as shy, gentle Newt Scamader (Eddie Redmayne), the eccentric magizoologist who collects exotic critters in his briefcase, is recruited when diabolical Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes from captivity while being transported by the American Ministry of Magic.
Appearing in the previous film disguised as Percival Graves (Colin Farrell), Grindelwald is a fascistic shape-shifter who believes that only Pure-Bloods should have power, not Mixed-Bloods or Muggles.
Although he’s been forbidden to travel, Newt goes to London, where his ambitious brother. Theseus (Callum Turner) is now engaged to Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz), who was Newt’s crush when they were students at Hogwarts. Theseus wants Newt to become an Auror, a policeman in Muggle terms.
“I don’t do sides,” Newt declares.
After refusing Theseus, he’s further implored by Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) to go to Paris to find mysteriously orphaned Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), who is desperate to discover his lineage.
Complicating matters further are Newt’s estranged Auror girl-friend Tina (Katherine Waterston), along with his amiable Muggle pal Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), who is (illegally) engaged to Tina’s sister, telepathic Queenie (Alison Sudul).
Plus there’s the circus performer Nagani (Claudia Kim), who morphs into a gigantic snake; Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam), a French-African wizard who’s been tracking Credence for years; and alchemist Nicolas Flamel (Brontis Jodorowsky), who created the Sorcerer’s Stone.
The concept emanates from J.K. Rowling’s 2001 bestiary, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” supposedly a Hogwarts textbook; this is the second of five projected sequels directed by David Yates. Unfortunately, screenwriter-turned-producer Steve Kloves, who simplified much of Rowling’s work for the screen, was not involved in the writing; I suspect he could have abridged the jumbled storyline.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” conjures up an ominous, cumbersome 6, as chaos reigns.
