Review of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) by Felix C — 23 Nov 2018

Over the years I have learned to take reviews from Critics with a grain of salt usually a critics review should be on the line critiquing to giving their own personal experience. However over the years it seems to me that many critics have let their personal views about a director, actor and even a studio interfere with what should be an inside, in depth view on pieces of entertainment.

Which bring me too Fantastic Beast. The critics and some viewers have panned this film for either being boring and having the actors stand around doing nothing, to having too much going on that made no sense, to even the narrative being a mess.

Having heard all this and not being a huge fan of the first film I went to see this film very reluctantly thinking that they were right and that the issues that bothered me with the first film will still be there but much worse.

However that was not my experience with this film. Many of the questions and looss ends in the first finally made sense in this film and gave reason why certain characters did what they did and why they were in the film in the first place and why they mattered.

The story felt like it had more of a driving force and why this story mattered and why it's a great addition to the wizarding worlds lore. The film had a lot more heart and made the world much bigger than the first film as well as seeing many of the creatures that are in many folklore from around the world.

I found myself smiling with glee seeing Rowlings version of a Kelpie and a Kappa and even her own original creatures. Now onto the controversies surrounding this film. First Johnny Deep, look I'm not a supporter of men who hit women and vice versa, however I am able to put that aside and take in the performance and the film.

Second the casting of Nagini, I think Rowling's has already addressed that issue on twitter and I am on her side and not because she is right about the mythology of the Naga but the film never identifies her as a Naga per say.

Also you can clearly see Rowling's love for mythology and folklore from around the world. Now the final one Dumbledore's sexuality, many have complained about it not being played up enough and that it was too subtle.

I however found it absolutely appropriate and did not rely of the typical gay troupes we have seen many many many times throughout the history of entertainment. So with all of this in mind it's hard to believe that the critics didn't have all this in mind when they were viewing this film especially since to me the first film has all of the problems that they are now pointing out.