Movies
The third film in the Potter spin-off series. I can't say I'm a big fan, but it's not the worst blockbuster fantasy out there either. There is some creativity in the creature design and settings, and the budget is there, but other than that it remains a pretty generic and somewhat childish endeavor Grindelwald has a plan to seize control over the world of wizardry. Dumbledore doesn't want to get involved, but he does bring together a team of skilled individuals with the potential to stop Grindelwald in his tracks. When they struggle to get the upper hand, Dumbledore may have to put in some effort after all. The effects are proper, there are some rather impressive action scenes and the fantasy world of Fantastic Beasts houses some fun ideas. The films are still very much bound to the Potter legacy though, meaning it can't be too dark or too far off the beaten path. And that's a real shame for a fantasy film.Read all
A predictable sequel. I can't say I remember an awful lot of the first film, except that like the Harry Potter films, it was all a bit too childish for me. They certainly didn't fix that in the second part (and why would they, these films make quite a bit of money), but somehow I did manage to enjoy the setting slightly more. Grindelwald escapes from his prison and sets out to rule the world. He tries to convince other wizards to join him, as he promises him a world where they will be elevated above all other creatures. Dumbledore and his former student Newt aren't going to just let this happen, and so they set out to stop Grindelwald. A simple plot that pits the same characters against each other once again. The characters are pretty silly, so is their feud, but the world they inhabit is quite interesting and Yates doesn't skimp on the fantasy. It's not a great film by all means, but it is a slight step up from its predecessor.Read all
Nice to see this spin-off that doesn't pay too much attention to its big bro, but apart from that it's still the same, somewhat childish, drivel. The world of Fantastic Beasts isn't very interesting, the beasts themselves lack charisma and the plot is too long-winded. Oh, and they should've just left it at one film.
