Rating: ****

I’m a potter head and so when Fantastic Beasts released in 2016, I knew I had to watch it before it’s nation wide release and I loved it. Watching a part of JK Rowling’s wizarding world is a treat any day. Read more of my experience of watching Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them here. And after that movie I had to wait for 2 years till last evening to watch Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. And I must say the wait was difficult but oh so worth it.

JK Rowling does it again. The movie opens with the amazing escape of Gellert Grindelwald from the American ministry prison. Johnny Depp as the diabolical Grindelwald is one of the best things about this movie. The large part of the movie consists of everyone from Grindelwald to Dumbledore to Scamander to unknown assasins scrambling to get to Credence Barebone, the Obscurus from the first installment. The movie also focuses on Eddie Redmayne and the choice that he needs to make between not choosing any sides between good or evil or actually taking a stand and choosing one.

I don’t want to give any more spoilers, but know this, there’s a big twist in the end. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is a set up for the remaining 3 parts of the franchise. The movie in parts is slow and does render few characters redundant but the reveal in the climax makes up for that and ensures that you wait for another 2 years to know more. Whatever we have seen so far in JK Rowling’s wizarding world including the Harry Potter era, will have new meaning.

Coming to the characters, Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore is a treat to sore eyes and even with less frame time and few lines, he makes a large presence and I would like to see more of him in the next installment. If you didn’t love Newt Scamander in the first movie, then you’ll surely do so in this one. He brilliantly essays the role of Newt who is shy with humans and amazingly talented with monsters. The rest of the important characters from the first installment make an appearance however their role doesn’t seem any meatier in this part of the franchise. Jacob Kowalski, Queenie and Tina Goldstein, don’t get a lot of frame time and sadly don’t contribute much to the story-line as well. For most part, they’re all separated and doesn’t bring the same charming connection this time around.

Keeping up with the name, there are more fantastic beasts to be discovered in this movie. The movie is filled with those Awww moments especially uttered whenever the Nifflers made an appearance and pay close attention one of them is crucial to the plot.

The movie is filled with great CGI work and the new beast entrant in the movie is just too good. David Yates has done a phenomenal job of directing the movie, especially those intense action sequences as well as the final cemetery sequence. Fantastic Beasts 2 is a great watch and you must prepare yourself for the ensuing wait of 2 years to watch the next installment, because you just wouldn’t want to miss that after the reveal.