Review by John M. Delia, Jr.
Another chapter in the World of Wizards starts to unfold the continuous evil that surrounds them all. The fear the world they all know will break apart and endanger both the Magical as well as the Non-Magical will come to pass. Action needs to be taken to attempt to stop what their possible future entails.
With Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) safely behind bars the Wizardry World seems to be safe from evil, but Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) is still alive and his powerful threat still exists. The British Ministry of Magic and the Magical Congress of the United States are sending Auror’s (Law enforcers) to try and locate Credence in fear that he can endanger their realm.
Even though Grindelwald is behind bars he is still a threat to escape. This fear is so great with the Ministry they decide to transfer him to France. Gellert’s followers are getting stronger and his group of believers are getting larger, so a breakout seems inevitable. When his escape occurs everyone is now frightened that he will seek to control all of the Wizards as well as the No-Maj (Muggle). The search for Credence is now more of a must than ever, especially since he could be a pure bread and have the power to destroy them all.
Porpentina “Tina†Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) now an Auror is sent to Paris, France to search for Credence. During her search she happens upon Arnold Guzman (Cornell John) who is also looking for Credence but for a different purpose. Since the threat is coming close the need to find him is becoming a serious danger.
Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is forbidden to leave England due to his mishaps in America. His brother Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner) and his brother’s finance Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitiz), get him another hearing in front of the British Ministry in hopes of reversing his punishment. Newt refuses their offer to help locate Credence, until Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) asks him to go against the ministry and complete this task.
Wizards are forbidden to marry a No-Maj and this is a problem with Queenie Goldstein (Allison Sudol) who is so much in love with Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler). With Queenie not able to stop visiting Jacob after he was given the amnesia spell, Jacob eventually regained his memory. Their love for each other is very strong, but Jacob will not risk marriage if it would endanger Queenie.
Director David Yates does a fantastic job bringing this storyline to life. He develops each character’s story very well and displays the imagery needed to bring us into this domain. He uses the special effects to bring each character to life including the beasts that support Newt throughout the tale. The adventure continues and plot thickens as each person’s role becomes very intriguing to the eventual end.
This second installment to this new series is a sure hit and will keep the Harry Potter fans looking for more. The story includes everything and builds up to spectacular conclusion that is sure to entertain.
Final Comment: I based my grade on the spectacular storyline that includes outstanding special effects. (4 out of 5 Stars)
Additional Film Information
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Allison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Cornell John, Zoe Kravitz, Callum Turner, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp.
Directed by: David Yates
Genre: Adventure, Family, and Fantasy.
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for some sequences of fantasy action.
Running Time: 2 hours and 14 minutes.
Release Date:Â November 16, 2018
Distributed By: Warner Bros.
Released In: IMAX, Dolby Sound, and Standard.