Title - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindlewald
Studio - Warner Bros. Pictures
Starring - Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Claudia Kim, Callum Turner
Writer - J.K. Rowling
Director - David Yates
Release - 16 November 2018
Two things need to change if this franchise can survive this installment and move forward. One, JK Rowling needs another more experienced screenplay writer to help with the finished product. And two, David Yates needs to go.
Yates has, to date, completed six movies in this magical world. While he was still able to bring in new imaginations, he is tired and it really shows. He couldn't even edit the film coherently to have proper flow and a streamline storytelling without getting lost in so many new characters that Rowling has created for this movie. Not to mention the back stories and the character arcs of the many interesting characters new and old.
Rowling needs to understand that writing novels and writing screenplays are completely different. Watching this sequel led to so much frustrations because, while the complexities of Ezra Miller and Zoe Kravitz's characters were appreciated, the way their arcs were presented were not easily followed.
And Yates was having trouble putting them together. One scene we had Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston and Kravitz inside what looked like a library, the next we jumped straight to everyone having found Miller and confronting him - especially when everyone else in this story was looking for him.
Newt's brother was supposed to be a powerful wizard, did not feel that.
Johnny Depp's Grindelwald breaking out of prison in the beginning, that whole sequence in the afterthought did not seem necessary. He was the one "breaking himself" out... but he was already out. And where did his followers come from, when did they join, and why was one of them hesitant?
And in the final battle, why did Kravitz's character attacked Grindelwald? What was the point of her action?
Claudia Kim's Nagini was the worst written character as she had nothing to do in this movie except to stand there and look troubled.
But as far as performances went, Dan Fogler once again was a light in all this dark hue. Redmayne and Law's chemistry was great to watch. And even the most skeptical casting I had of Depp moving forward in this universe, he convinced me otherwise.
Still, the world building this time was very much lacking. I couldn't distinguish between New York and Paris, between the muggle world and the wizarding world. Everything looked the same.
Checking Yates on IMBd will result in three more Fantastic Beasts movies. I don't think this franchise would survive that. He should just hang back as a producer and let someone else step in with a fresher mind and eyes.
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