The second of the popular three-movie franchise came out this weekend, and many people including myself were eagerly waiting to see where Newt’s adventures would take him next. Here is a NO SPOILER review of the movie, however difficult that may be.
I reviewed this movie from two angles: first, I judged it purely as a stand-alone movie. If you can remember the first Fantastic Beasts movie, we left off with the capture of the wizard Grindelwald. Johnny Depp does a fantastic job in this role, although the writing for his character didn’t quite make him out to be the evil wizard everyone said he was. The beginning of the movie starts off slow, as it takes the time to check in with all of the characters from the first movie. The special effects are fantastic, and especially with all of the creatures (including some new ones!) you feel like you’re really there. Newt (Eddie Redmayne) is just as lovable as he always is. Because it’s set in the past, the outfits and locations are perfect for the time period (1930s) and are fun to watch. I was a little caught off-guard by the ending. Although I knew that there is another movie yet to come, the ending felt sudden and a little awkward. Be prepared for some more serious and darker twists than the first Fantastic Beasts.
Second, I reviewed it as a fan of Harry Potter. As someone who’s read all of the Harry Potter books and seen all of the movies several times, I was super excited to see this Fantastic Beasts. It made my heart fill with joy to see many familiar characters and places of the wizarding world in another movie (this is a no-spoilers review so you’ll have to see it for yourself to see who makes an appearance!). There are a few details that go against what’s in the Harry Potter books, which has made many fans angry and confused about what will happen next. The cliffhanger of the last scene will have you wondering if you read the books right.
Overall this movie was darker than the first one, but with doses of fun mixed in. It’s a must-see for any Harry Potter fan out there, complete with baby-nifflers!