It is amazing that the Harry Potter universe is continuing on after the success of the movies and also with children still continuing to read books. When I was there in a set of Diagon Alley at Universal Studios at Orlando, people were gathering in different areas like it was a hangout near a university. And, I was impressed by the details going into the set of Diagon Alley that I felt like I was a wizard for a moment in that fantastical universe. The franchise is certainly a phenomenon. But, studios are hungry for squeezing some more money out of the franchise as the first Fantastic Beasts was fine. The sequel is visually magical but not narratively as there is so much exposition and plot underneath the characters and its story that the whole film becomes disjointed and a bit confusing. It is like going into a magical SAT exam after a teacher just gave you the book with solely the material and no practice exams with it.
Notorious dark wizard Gilbert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) has escaped from being put into prison in London. He is on a mission to find his followers. Meanwhile, back in London, Newt Scamander is given another chance to get his travel rights after the events of his beasts being loose in New York and Creedence Barebone (Ezra Miller) wreaked havoc. However, the Ministry gives a condition that he will work under Theseus (Callum Turner), Newt's brother, with whom Newt has a strained relationship with. Although Newt refuses to work with him, an Auror named Grimmson (Ingvar Edgar Sigurosson) volunteers but he is up to sinister deeds.
Later on, Newt apparates to meet with his former professor, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law). Dumbledores appoints Newt to seek out Creedence as Grindelwald is also seeking him out, since he is in danger or a danger to others. Dumbledore leaves Newt with an address to a safe house since Dumbledore cannot move against Grindelwald. Newt re-teams with Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), who now has a relationship with Queenie (Alison Sudol) to find Creedence. But, also, later on, Newt finds Tina (Katherine Waterston) who is also on a mission to find Creedence.
This movie is more underwhelming and more uneventful than Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which was my former least favorite film of the franchise. Here, this movie is like Rocky Balboa or later, trying to catch a chicken and would not catch it after two hours. I never got to the point as to the whole story feeling as completed in its contained movie before it is left off with a cliffhanger. The movie should have clipped off 30 minutes of the film as the middle portion felt dragged with Grindlewald's scenes and also flashbacks that felt unnecessary. It bounces all over the place.
I never seem to grasp Eddie Redmayne being Newt Scamander here than I did in the first one as he is a solid introductory character. Here, he annoyed a bit with him not looking at characters in the eye nor being as charismatic or memorable compared to other characters like Jacob played Dan Fogler, who is still great as the amicable sidekick. I liked Jude Law very much as he fit the role of a young Albus Dumbledore quite well, he is brilliant yet also fashionable compared to what his persona will become in future books and movies. Zoe Kravitz is ok as Leta and Katherine Waterston is still solid while working alongside Redmayne. Now, Johnny Depp felt like a scary Halloween distraction than a menacing villain because he feels like an icy guy that seems to spew out spells and dialogue that feels monotone. But, besides Jacob and Dumbledore, I could not connect to many of its characters.
David Yates returns to the director's chair as he made this film and I feel like his time has run out in the series and let someone else to take over because I felt that this latest installment was slow, filled with heavy exposition and plot that does not seem to intertwine and anticlimactic character decisions that felt contrived. The action is solid, the visual effects are fine (a few cheesy SFX moments) and some good performances but I think this is the first Harry Potter movie where I felt like that this was boring. I need to Obliviate myself to move on and to forget this experience.
**
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