Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Movie Review

It’s been weeks since I saw Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, but I couldn’t write the review until today. I have to confess that I felt exactly like The Empire Strikes Back. I know, I’m comparing it to Stars Wars, and that’s a long shot. But, the feeling is that you’re going into darker times and that our heroes are failing incredibly. We all know that it’ll be a false defeat since we already know the future: Dumbledore will be the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and Nagini will team up with You Know Who. But this doesn’t mean that the film won’t surprise you at all: just the contrary. I was as delighted with it as shocked with what happened.

SPOILERS: if you haven’t seen Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald yet, go to the cinema right now. You won’t regret it. Go with some tissues, just in case. If you have, or if you don’t mind some spoilers, keep reading.

One of the cool things of this movie is that we get to enjoy the machinations of young Dumbledore. He’s already at Hogwarts, and he’s been there for a long while since he was Newt’s Professor (of the Dark Arts no less!) before young Newt found himself expelled. Dumbledore is strong enough to fight against Grindelwald, but he cannot do it. During the film, we’re in darkness about Dumbledore reasons until we discover that he and Grindelwald made a blood pact. Neither can’t go against the other unless the magic of it disappears. That’s why Grindelwald needs someone to murder Dumbledore!

We also get to enjoy some backstory about Nagini. It turns out that she’s cursed and the beautiful girl that accompanies Credence will end up becoming a snake. For the time being, she turns each night and becomes human again during the day. But soon she’ll be unable to do so. She doesn’t seem bad at all; instead, she cares about Credence. They are both outcasts and working for a magical circus until they need to flee.

Grindelwald finds support while he’s in jail, and he escapes from the grasp of the MACUSA. Then, he flees to Paris. While he searches for more help, he’s trying to convince Credence to join his cause. But how? They parted in terrible terms in the first movie. In fact, we all thought he was dead. Throughout the film, we won’t know about Credence at all. He wants to know who were his parents, what’s his true identity.

We all think or led to believe, that he’s Leta Lestrange’s little brother. This Slytherin is to marry Newt’s older brother. She’s sexy and melancholic, and she has many secrets. However, the shock comes when Credence and the group of heroes discover that she made a mistake and his brother ended up dead. She changed the boy for another one while in a voyage to the US. The little kid who drowned was her brother. The one who survived was Credence, but who is he really? By the end of the film, we’re set to believe that he’s Dumbledore’s little brother. But, will that be it?

During the film you’ll be set to believe one thing, just to be a lie or not true based on fantastic facts. The same can happen here. From the Harry Potter films, we know that Dumbledore has a brother and a sister who died young. But, nothing is pointing at another member family. Perhaps, Credence is a stranded member of it.

Grindelwald is brilliant: he’s attracting to him all types of people. He promises a world of freedom where magic rules, where wizards rule the nomags. But the problem is that he’s enlisting people who are having a hard time. Queenie wants to be with Jacob because she loves him. However, their love is illegal in the US. Queenie goes as far as to use magic on Jacob to convince him to go to Paris, a thing that she doesn’t need. Jacob adores her, and he’ll go to the ends of the world for her. But not if she joins the devil. A thing that happens and shatters our hearts.

Grindelwald creates a meeting to get more support. The Ministry of Magic agents are also there, but when the general public goes, they’re left in a fight for their lives. They can either join Grindelwald or perish in the magical flames. Shockingly, Queenie leaves Jacob’s side and joins Grindelwald!

To make matters worse, Leta sacrifices herself to save Newt and his brother. It’s unclear to whom she says “I love you.” I think it was directed to Newt (if you see the film, you’ll notice why I say so.) This is shocking and devastating. At the same time, Nagini and Credence’s team also breaks. Credence wants to know who he is, so he ends up joining Grindelwald. Nagini stays behind.

So, how does this feel? Bad. The only light shining brightly is Tina and Newt. Because of a misunderstanding, Tina was shying away from him, but now they’re together again. But Tina is currently away from her sister because of the decision she made.

This is a shattering film, that’s why I say that it made me feel like the Empire Strikes Back. After a brilliant first movie, the second feels so dark and helpless. Besides, Credence is a force to be reckoned with. He’s incredibly powerful. Despite all these losses, one of Newt’s nifflers ends up recovering the magic container of the promise between Grindelwald and Dumbledore. Now they can work in shattering the magic an have Dumbledore join the battle.

Dumbledore seems to be a key figure for the next film. At least, I hope so. However, if Credence ends up being connected to Dumbledore, things are going to be as awkward as dangerously shocking.

Don’t miss this movie! I can’t wait for the third one. Next time I’ll go to the cinema more prepared since I ended up sobbing for so many broken hearts. War is about to happen, and the evil side seems to have all the trumps.

—
Copyright: Images on this post (C) Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (C) Wizarding World / Memes & Gifs (C) by their owners.