![]() If its sequels had focused on Newt Scamander's (Redmayne) misadventures, they might have been more fun. Many modern Harry Potter fans enjoy its simple concept: A shy wizard must collect wayward beasts as if they are Pokémon, which provides a convenient narrative excuse to travel to new locations (America, for example) and meet new people. Ironically, though, the rest of the Fantastic Beasts franchise would likely have been more successful if it followed in this movie's footsteps. As EW's critic remarks, the movie feels "oddly lifeless" in part due to everyone besides Eddie Redmayne giving "surprisingly flat" performances, and partly because the director (returning veteran David Yates) had to deal with "the thinness of the source material." ![]() The good news is that it's easily the best of the Fantastic Beasts films - but the bad news is that the bar is astoundingly low. Discovery threw their hands in the air and decided to simply reboot the Harry Potter films as a television series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was the first real effort to expand the franchise. Where to watch Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore: Maxīack before Warner Bros. Simply put, the script and direction don't match the talent of the actors, and though we wish it weren't so, there is no magic spell to fix bad storytelling. Unfortunately, these two are brought down by the same problem that star Eddie Redmayne keeps facing. Then there's the creepy energy of Grindelwald courtesy of newbie Mads Mikkelsen (who replaced Johnny Depp from the previous films following Depp's libel lawsuit). The costuming and set design is on point, and returning actor Jude Law is redeemable here as Dumbledore. If you appreciate the series for the sumptuous scenery and actors who know how to chew it, there is certainly some enjoyment to be had here. The film seemingly exists to answer an unfortunate question: What if a movie had all the seriousness of The Prisoner of Azkaban but none of the intrigue? As EW's critic points out in her review, director David Yates ended up giving us a "disconcertingly adult" movie that improves upon its predecessor while greatly suffering from that problem that has plagued this spinoff franchise from the beginning: It's "born from a fantastic universe, but still searching for a magic of its own." Where to watch Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: Maxįantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the most recent (and probably final) entry in the spinoff franchise. Worst of all, we never see Grindelwald face justice for the worst crime of all: that ugly haircut that Depp rocks throughout the entire film. But the true magic of the original Harry Potter movies is the dynamic between Harry ( Daniel Radcliffe), Ron ( Rupert Grint), and Hermione ( Emma Watson) - and the Fantastic Beasts films have nothing similar to offer. It genuinely seems as if Rowling thought fans would be more interested in confusing world-building and magical trivia than… you know… interesting characters and engaging stories. You could basically sum this movie up in one sentence: "Grindelwald ( Johnny Depp) has escaped, and we need to stop him." But that simple concept plays out across 134 minutes that feel like a lifetime, as every other scene is crammed with things that add some lore but do absolutely nothing to move the narrative forward. This film reveals Rowling's present limitations as a storyteller in several distinct and frustrating ways. Rowling should have worked some magic to conjure a "fantastic plot and where to find it." Sadly, that doesn't change the fact that instead of focusing on Grindelwald (as the title promises), co-writer J.K. Though in terms of visuals, "there might not be a more gorgeous-looking movie" released in 2022, writes EW's critic. And not for innovating any new ways to disappoint us, but rather by phoning in the weakest plot of the bunch. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to Harry Potter movies.
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