Review of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) by Dana D — 28 Nov 2018

Great movie with so much false information and negative sensationalism out there it's a real shame!

The plot of this story is clearly about the reason that Dumbledore CAN NOT move against Grindelwald ( that's right, it is not about him not wanting too nor is his sexual orientation ever established in anyway! Rumors of homosexual Dumbledore are simply unfounded and invalid! It seems a vocal few want him to be gay so badly that they are trying to push the writers hand?!) however you are also given a clearer picture of the origins of some well known, lesser known and even previously unknown characters from the HP world. I found the plot easy to follow and the characters in this story understandable and entertaining despite my limited knowledge of the Harry Potter world!

I believe that anyone can easily enjoy the Fantastic Beasts story regardless of any knowledge of Harry Potter but would probably help to see the first Fantastic Beasts movie before watching this to understand the dynamics between the characters...

This was a very enjoyable experience!

While I casually enjoy the HP world ( read most of the books but many, many years ago and have seen the movies... ) I was not a huge J.K. Rowling's fan until Fantastic Beasts 1&2!

This new story has me and my family hooked! We can't wait to see the next one!

The cinematic effects are incredible, the acting is truly top notch, the scenes are simply delicious in every detail, stunning and magical!

The characters are deep, relatable and each has their own charm. The reason the bad guys are doing what they are doing is revealed in masterful story telling. While the magical characters and creatures are delectable and larger than life we are compelled to love them all, even if we do not personally agree with them.

The fantastic beasts themselves are not just pretty (or sometimes ugly) faces either! Many of these animals have their own important role to play. They are main characters in this story with integral stories and personalities all their own! Add to that the brilliant display of watching these amazing creatures on screen and you are compelled to bond with these beasts at an almost human level!

Unique, unmissable and thoroughly enjoyable.!

I found myself loving to hate Grindelwald and it even has a baby Phoenix that ( is so ugly it's adorable ) I almost hate to love! ALMOST being the operative word there!

If one can find no other reason to see this film go see it for these captivating creatures and unparalleled 3D effects. I have seen the reviews that say they are too much but don't see the basis for them. People love to play the part of the critic, that is truly the only motivation behind the many negative reviews. I almost let this nonsense persuade my decision to see this, I am so glad I went to see this movie. I would have regretted missing out on this experience personally!

As far as age appropriateness for this film it is high individual. These are simply tragic events that aren't often before told... however if it helps any, the violence in this movie is approximately on par with the HP films (less graphic than in the last few HPs) and if your child has seen superhero movies or the Harry Potter films they have most likely already seen more violence than this.

There is actual tragedy in this story, it is heartwrenching to see. There is both dark and light, inner battles fought (win or lose) as well as the more obvious epic showdowns... I hate to keep using Harry Potter as a reference here but it seems to me that the darkness of 'The Boy who Lived' is about equal in both type and tone.

There were a couple of instances where the action slowed down and we were given a bit of story telling. While not as exciting as the big action scenes they were eloquently presented, to the point, interesting enough and integral to the story.

Perhaps enjoyment of this film has more to do with ones expectations? My expectations were not low, we loved the first FB and were looking forward to more but having read some reviews in an effort to make age appropriate choices for the family we were also prepared for some disappointment. When the movie ended I shook my head at all the false information and the critics, the sheer amount of simply unfounded and foolish bunch of nonsense out there and the mob mentality bandwagon that many have gone so far as to actually make things up to have material to criticize! Still, I left with a sense of wonder and amazement and a longing to see more... isn't that the point?!

I would urge you to go experience this for yourself, leave the hype at the door, grab your favorite people and your favorite movie theater snacks and expect to be whisked away!

I have very little doubt anyone would honestly regret it!