Fantastic Crimes

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) is an entertaining movie that we saw. Not sure how much else there is to say.

It starts with Johnny Depp as Grindlewald being transferred from USA back to London in a flying enchanted hearse-coach. Of course, he breaks out.

Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is asked by the USA Magic Council to go with his brother to look for Credence Clearbone (Ezra Miller) as a strong untrained magician. He may be related to the Lestranges, like Lita (Zoe Kravitz), who is engaged to Newt's brother.

So they all get to London and meet up with Dan Fogle and Alice Sudol. Fogel was supposed to be MiB mindwiped in the last movie, but it didn't take. Which is great because him and Queenie are my favorite parts. He is so period - a chubby man with a little mustache who sometimes a bit Oliver Hardy, sometimes Jackie Gleason. Sudol does a lovely Judy Holliday take for Queenie, making her just needy enough for it to be convincing that she could love a guy like Fogel.

Meanwhile, the love of Newt's life, Kathryn Watson, thinks he's marrying Kravitz, and doesn't want to see him. And we all go to Paris.

Paris, and the art direction in general, is probably my favorite part of this movie. Lovely Art Noveau ironwork, tiled hallways, and the depths of the tombs at Pere Lachaise. My favorite part should have been the fantastic beasts, but I never felt like they got as much attention as they should have. Maybe too many romantic subplots.

The direction, by Harry Potter specialist David Yates, is mostly fine, but clunky in parts. For ex, we get a long expository chunk with one person talking and shots of everyone listening (with furrowed brow). Then another character gives her version of the story, but this time we get a long flashback under her narration. Why?

Anyway, since Johnny Depp is icky now, it's just as well they made him the villain. Since he can shapeshift, I suppose they could have recast, but oh well. The ending shows that they are doing a Star Wars prequel plot: strong, innocent character turned to the darkside. That's fine, I guess. I'll watch the next one, but not especially for the plot.