The main story of this sequel concerned a search for a disturbed individual named Credence Barebone, who had once caused massive damage to New York City with his inner Obscurus. Despite his travel restrictions, Newt Scamander had been requested both the Ministry of Magic and no less than Albus Dumbledore himself to go look for Credence. Also hot on the search was notorious dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, who believed that Credence possessed the ability to kill his most powerful nemesis.
The huge ensemble cast can really be quite a formidable task to familiarize with, especially those who are not exactly Potterheads. Eddie Redmayne was consistently likable as the shy and earnest fantastic beast trainer Newt Salamander. Katherine Waterston played the brave but mousy Tina Goldstein who was now an Auror based in Paris. Alison Sudol and Dan Folger played Tina's flighty sister Queenie and her No-Maj partner Jacob Kowalski, who were in love despite this being forbidden by wizarding laws.
Zoe Kravitz (as the exotic mysterious Leta Lestrange), Ezra Miller (as the devastatingly powerful Credence Barebone) and Johnny Depp (as the heterocrhomic evil warlock Gellert Grindelwald) were all likewise introduced in the first film. In this sequel, they play much bigger roles, roles even more critical than Newt was to the whole story being built up. In this installment, Newt practically became a side character in his own franchise, for now at least.
Jude Law was a fantastic choice to be the young Albus Dumbledore . His scenes were the best parts of the film, especially those which brought us back inside the hallowed walls of Hogwarts when Dumbledore was still a Professor of the Dark Arts. It was nostalgic to watch another lesson about the Ridikulus spell or see that Quidditch ptich in the background. It was also delightful to see a young Minerva McGonagall (Fiona Glascott). We all certainly missed the beloved musical score in the cinema and it was great to hear again.
As the title promised, there were computer-generated visual spectacles of action involving fantastic beasts. The most memorable ones should be Grindelwald's escape from his prison coach drawn by Thestrals (winged skeletal horses) and the freaky transformations of Nagini (Claudia Kim). There were comic sequences featuring adorable baby Nifflers and Newt's pet Bowtruckle (that cute green stick creature). Later, we see a Kelpie (a seaweed water horse-like creature), Matagots (scary black cat-like creatures with huge blue eyes) and a Zouwu (a bright-colored Chinese dragon-like creature). Of course, our favorite Niffler will make itself significant at the end when it pilfers a vital artifact.
I was not able to immediately get into the story for the first hour, especially with the numerous new characters being introduced. (We even met the immortal alchemist Nicolas Framel, the inventor of the Sorcerer's Stone!) It was only during those revelations in the French Ministry of Magic that the whole story began to come together and make sense for me. That even more surprising revelation in the final scene in Castle Nurmengard in Austria was the clincher that makes the next episode a must-not-miss.
Don't forget that this is only the second episode of a planned five-part series, so it was very busy. Director David Yates was mainly concerned in setting up more layers in the complex franchise foundation from which the future episodes will arise. 7/10.
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