Fantastic Beasts Crimes Of Grindelwald Better (2024)

What did you think? Was this film unfairly maligned, or did it deserve the critical howler? Let me know in the comments below. Header image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

It is the Attack of the Clones of the Wizarding World—a dark, talky, structurally messy bridge that prioritizes lore dumps over character arcs. However, it also contains some of the most ambitious themes Rowling has ever attempted: fascism rising in plain sight, the ethics of love versus duty, and the idea that choosing your family is more important than blood. fantastic beasts crimes of grindelwald

The cinematography, Jude Law’s Dumbledore, and the climactic blue fire. Skip it if: You require a coherent plot or want to see Fantastic Beasts (the creatures are barely in this one). What did you think

One thing is certain: The Secrets of Dumbledore (the third film) had a lot of cleaning up to do. And while it did a decent job, the shadow of Crimes still looms large. Header image credit: Warner Bros

Before the gay romance was explicitly stated in the third film, Law’s portrayal was a masterclass in repressed longing and strategic genius. His Dumbledore isn’t the wise grandfather we know yet; he’s a chess master with a broken heart.

Say what you will about the convoluted plot, but the sequence in the French Ministry of Magic’s archives—where we finally learn the truth about Credence’s lineage (sort of)—is pure Gothic horror. The visuals, the score, the tension? Chef’s kiss.