Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, directed by David Yates, is the second installment of the Fantastic Beasts series, and tenth overall of the Wizarding World franchise. With Eddie Redmayne’s return as the awkward, beast loving wizard, Newt Scamander, the film is also headlined by Ezra Miller, Johnny Depp’s Gellert Grindelwald and Jude Law’s Albus Dumbledore, all struggling to leave a lasting impression. The film fails to bring a truly exciting experience for Potter fans, lacking in both engaging storytelling and effective cinematography. Instead of staying true to its core, it feels like a misguided attempt to expand the universe. The Crimes of Grindelwald introduces a bloated range of new characters while failing to make the return of familiar fan favorites feel meaningful.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald attempts to follow up the previous adventure with added stakes and darker themes, but the plot ends up muddled and overly complicated. While the first film successfully reintroduced the Wizarding World without leaning too heavily on Harry Potter’s iconic characters, the second film lazily leans on nostalgia. Hogwarts’ return feels forced, and Albus Dumbledore—positioned as a younger, less experienced version of his future self—barely makes an impact. His role is too small, and while some layers are added to his character, they feel like setup with no real payoff. The plot, while aiming for complexity, is weaker than the first and struggles to capture even a fraction of the magic of the Harry Potter franchise. The film’s pacing is a significant issue, with subplots dragging the story down rather than enriching it. While it builds to a supposed “incredible cliffhanger,” it feels more like a cheap ploy to set up future films than a satisfying conclusion to this chapter. The dark moments are poorly balanced with humor, making the tone uneven and disjointed. The movie overall does the title no justice, as we see it stringing away from being a Grindelwald, rendering it a disappointment for those expecting a compelling exploration of his character.

Visually, the film is adequate, but the score’s attempts at nostalgia feel hollow and unearned. David Yates, returning for his sixth straight installment in the Potterverse, seems to have run out of inspiration. While he was instrumental in shaping the earlier films, his direction here feels stale as it clashes with the poor writing. Yates’ efforts merely move the franchise sideways rather than forward

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald falls short as a new entry into the Wizarding World. Rather than elevating the Fantastic Beasts sub-franchise, it drags it down with darker storytelling that lacks emotional resonance, unconvincing risks, and a plot that feels like an obligatory setup for future films rather than a story worth telling. Unlike the Harry Potter films, which left each instalment feeling complete and meaningful, this film comes across as part of a broader corporate strategy rather than a genuine artistic endeavour. In conclusion, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is a weak film. The cast, despite their strong resumes, fail to elevate the material, and the darker themes and higher stakes come off as shallow. As a step forward for the Wizarding World franchise, this entry stumbles instead of soaring

2/5