Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

I had mildly low expectations for this movie. I've kind of been over the Harry Potter franchise since Deathly Hallows Part 2 came out, and Fantastic Beasts ended up being a delightful surprise, but I doubted they could make this one as good. They did. Ultimately I was worried that Johnny Depp would ruin the movie because at this point he's almost playing a parody of himself, but for once, Depp does not play Jack Sparrow in a different outfit. The character of Grindelwald is fiercely acted by Depp, and even gives Lord Voldemort himself a run for his money.  This franchise got dark really fast. The "Potter" movies didn't got dark until the 4th outing, but this one did not hold back. It earns the PG-13 rating, which was surprising since the first one was more of a fun fantasy romp. It was refreshing to see a film in this franchise where I did not know the general plot going in, since this is not an adaptation of a book, so there were some great surprises. There were some moments where I thought "Ok, that's really stupid" but overall, the story made sense. I really wish these films would stop ending on cliffhangers. I understand about wanting to make another franchise, but unless it has been set in stone that the story will conclude like "Lord of the Rings", don't do that. Each film should feel more-or-less self contained. Let's say this movie doesn't do well enough at the box office to warrant a 3rd one. It ends up being a waste of time.  I do hope we get a 3rd one, because I'm excited to see where the story goes, and if my theories from this film are right. 

Grade: B    8/10    4/5 stars