Film Review | The Crimes Of Grindelwald

The Crimes Of Grindelwald is directed by David Yates and stars Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp and Jude Law.

Fantasy, Adventure. Released 2018.

In the second chapter to J.K. Rowling's expansion to the Wizarding World beyond Harry Potter, Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) is on the rise and Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists the help of his ex-Hogwarts Student Newt Scammander (Eddie Redmayne).

I enjoyed the first entry into this franchise and was hugely looking forward to seeing Johnny Depp's portrayal of Grindelwald; a name very recognisable to long-term fans of Harry Potter, but someone who we have never met apart from seeing him in flashbacks. Because of the emphasis on this character, it seemed like a much darker entry.

And yes, it is. The Crimes Of Grindelwald is a much darker story, not just because of the intensity and bigger scale, but the themes explored. There are moments in the film that really resonated with me in the way that the character of Gellert Grindelwald reflects certain aspects of the world we live in today; something which is skilfully incorporated into the script, in addition to being something that you wouldn't expect to be addressed in a fantasy adventure film.

The film is very dark, which I enjoyed. Grindelwald's scenes make for the best in the film, not only because of Johnny Depp's spine-chilling performance, but the visual aesthetic associated with him. The blue fire motif was something I appreciated from an artistic perspective throughout the film, and I found that across the board, all of the visual effects were done incredibly well, especially that fiery finale.

I enjoyed the main story as well, however, the script is simply too crowded and I feel is a detriment to the film. The sheer number of characters are very hard to balance, with far less emphasis put on the core four whom we were familiar with from the first film. Personally, however, I would have liked to have seen more Dumbledore and more Grindelwald. The film tries to balance too many characters and it slows in pace as a result - something which I personally didn't have an issue with because I did thoroughly enjoy the film and am a large fan of the Wizarding World, so it was fun to lose myself in all of the lore and mythology. As a whole film, however, it isn't concisely structured and there is simply too much going on... yet it feels like nothing has progressed.

All of the performances here are solid, but again, there just isn't enough time for any of the actors to flesh out their characters and make an impression on the story. Standout performers include Johnny Depp (obviously), Zoe Kravitz and Dan Fogler.

This is still a must-see if you have any interest in the Wizarding World. I am very, very excited to see how things progress in future entries.

B