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Fantastic Beasts: The Original Screenplay #2
The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
J.K. Rowling’s five-film Fantastic Beasts adventure series continues with the original screenplay for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
At the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
This second original screenplay from J.K. Rowling, illustrated with stunning line art from MinaLima, expands on earlier events that helped shape the wizarding world, with some surprising nods to the Harry Potter stories that will delight fans of both the books and films.
At the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
This second original screenplay from J.K. Rowling, illustrated with stunning line art from MinaLima, expands on earlier events that helped shape the wizarding world, with some surprising nods to the Harry Potter stories that will delight fans of both the books and films.
287 pages, Hardcover
First published November 16, 2018
About the author
J.K. Rowling
704 books228k followersSee also: Robert Galbraith
Although she writes under the pen name J.K. Rowling, pronounced like rolling, her name when her first Harry Potter book was published was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers demanded that she use two initials, rather than her full name. As she had no middle name, she chose K as the second initial of her pen name, from her paternal grandmother Kathleen Ada Bulgen Rowling. She calls herself Jo and has said, "No one ever called me 'Joanne' when I was young, unless they were angry." Following her marriage, she has sometimes used the name Joanne Murray when conducting personal business. During the Leveson Inquiry she gave evidence under the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling. In a 2012 interview, Rowling noted that she no longer cared that people pronounced her name incorrectly.
Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, and Anne Rowling (née Volant), on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.
Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.
Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.
Although she writes under the pen name J.K. Rowling, pronounced like rolling, her name when her first Harry Potter book was published was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers demanded that she use two initials, rather than her full name. As she had no middle name, she chose K as the second initial of her pen name, from her paternal grandmother Kathleen Ada Bulgen Rowling. She calls herself Jo and has said, "No one ever called me 'Joanne' when I was young, unless they were angry." Following her marriage, she has sometimes used the name Joanne Murray when conducting personal business. During the Leveson Inquiry she gave evidence under the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling. In a 2012 interview, Rowling noted that she no longer cared that people pronounced her name incorrectly.
Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, and Anne Rowling (née Volant), on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.
Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.
Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.
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October 27, 2020
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Destroying Everything That Is Good about the Wizarding World - A Guide in 10 Steps
It is likely that you have already seen the Fantastic Beasts sequel this week. I mean, we have waited two years for this, right? No point in waiting any longer. If you have not seen it, you might hold off from reading this review. It contains ALL the spoilers and might ruin the film for you. After seeing it two days ago, I left the movie theatre, not sure what to think. I was angry and disappointed but I could not say for what reason. Now I know. Here are the 10 reasons why The Crimes of Grindelwald is the worst film in the entire Potterverse:
1. More Magic Is Not The Answer to a Succesful Film
Remember how realistic and true the Wizarding World always seemed to be? It was right there, just out of reach. Hogwarts was definitely real, I was just too much of a muggle to see it. FB2 destroyed that illusion once and for all. The fragility that existed between these two worlds proved too weak to hold. FB2 is so magical and big and fantastic that the coexistence of muggles and wizards ceases to play a role. In Paris, it seems, you do not have to think about casting a spell in public. Muggles just won't notice that bloody big Chinese cat that runs around the city either.
2. Nagini
I definitely loved that character. But why was she in that film in the first place? There was no point in her being there. Apart from making this film seem more exciting that it is.
3. Queenie
My favourite character does not deserve to be treated this way. What the heck? Queenie becomes one of Grindelwald's closest allies because she does not want to live in a world where she cannot love a muggle. Makes total sense to change sides and hold tea parties with a tyrant and murderer. Cause when you have a man that loves you and a sister you love more than anything in the world and an ability to BLOODY READ MINDS, of course, you throw your common sense out of the window to support anarchy and chaos.
4. Leta Lestrange
Another fantastic character. Beautifully played by Zoë Kravitz. What a shame that she is no more than a tool to be killed off for dramatic effect. As the only black "main character", if that is what you want to call it, it seems kind of a dick move to eliminate her right away. By the way, have you noticed a pattern yet? We are only at Nr. 4 out of 10 and we already have three female characters treated like crap. You want more? I will give you more.
5. Mrs Lestrange
Leta's mother is another pawn and she gets the worst treatment of them all. As if rape and abuse are not enough, of course, she also has to die as soon as Leta was born, because that is all black or female characters seem to excel at in this film.
What is extremely illogical though, is how a random wizard can put an Imperius Curse on a woman that then just walks out of her house never to return...with no consequences? No husband trying to get her back? No investigations into what could have made her leave her family in just a nightgown? No one thinking of trying to find out whether someone literally put a spell on her? Bullshit.
6. Trying to Put Every Minor Character's Backstory in One Film
One of the things I loved about the Potter books was the fact that every character had their own history that could be glimpsed at sometimes, and usually was never fully revealed. Elaborate subplots are what added so much to these books. Of course, it was annoying not to see these side stories make it into the films. There was not enough room for them, not enough time. The films would have been 8 hours long otherwise (which I wouldn't have minded, anyway, but I do know it would have been impossible to do that). JKR tries to cram so much backstory in this film that it ruins the pacing and the expert storytelling.
7. Unnecessary and Unwanted Potter References
While we are talking about cramming things into this film, let's talk about Credence and the entirely ridiculous revelation that he is Dumbledore's brother. Not only is it a cheap trick in the fashion of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, where Voldemort suddenly has a daughter with Bellatrix Lestrange, it also does injustice to Harry's relationship with Dumbledore. Of course, we do not know everything about Dumbledore's past. But we thought the lying and hiding was finally over when Harry and Dumbledore met in the in-between in book 7. There were also signs that Ariana Dumbledore, his sister, might have been an Obscurial. You could also argue that the nature of Dumbledore's and Grindelwald's relationship was obvious. But for him to have yet another brother? I feel cheated on Harry's behalf AND on my own's.
8. Animation So Bad It Hurts My Eyes
How can a production with so much money suck so bad at making those shadowcats look real? What was that even?
9. Do We Really Need To Talk About Depp's Involvement In This Film?
Nope. Still stinks. You could almost say this film's suckiness is karma for casting him in the first place.
10. This Film is a Disgrace and an Insult to Every Potterhead
One of the few good things I take away from this film is that I have no desire whatsoever to buy any merch. I do not want the screenplay. I do not want the screenplay-to-film books. I do not want any Funkos or posters or artefacts. I do not want this film to exist in the first place.
One last thing: I love Harry Potter more than anything. I am deeply in awe with J.K. Rowling for writing this outstanding series, for being outspoken, for opening so many doors for many YA authors and stories that would probably not exist otherwise. I have the deepest respect for her work. I have a freaking Deathly Hallows tattoo because I love this universe so much. It pains me to see something that I love so much go to ruins. I do not enjoy saying these things. I would rather write a positive review. I am holding on to the hope that this remains the worst of the films yet to be released and that they will return to being as good as the first Fantastic Beasts film. But at least I will not be surprised anymore when my hopes will fail to materialise.
I will respond to criticism and I do enjoy discussions. However, I will not accept hate or insults. Blocking people is fairly easy, so consider yourself warned.
Find more of my books on Instagram
It is likely that you have already seen the Fantastic Beasts sequel this week. I mean, we have waited two years for this, right? No point in waiting any longer. If you have not seen it, you might hold off from reading this review. It contains ALL the spoilers and might ruin the film for you. After seeing it two days ago, I left the movie theatre, not sure what to think. I was angry and disappointed but I could not say for what reason. Now I know. Here are the 10 reasons why The Crimes of Grindelwald is the worst film in the entire Potterverse:
1. More Magic Is Not The Answer to a Succesful Film
Remember how realistic and true the Wizarding World always seemed to be? It was right there, just out of reach. Hogwarts was definitely real, I was just too much of a muggle to see it. FB2 destroyed that illusion once and for all. The fragility that existed between these two worlds proved too weak to hold. FB2 is so magical and big and fantastic that the coexistence of muggles and wizards ceases to play a role. In Paris, it seems, you do not have to think about casting a spell in public. Muggles just won't notice that bloody big Chinese cat that runs around the city either.
2. Nagini
I definitely loved that character. But why was she in that film in the first place? There was no point in her being there. Apart from making this film seem more exciting that it is.
3. Queenie
My favourite character does not deserve to be treated this way. What the heck? Queenie becomes one of Grindelwald's closest allies because she does not want to live in a world where she cannot love a muggle. Makes total sense to change sides and hold tea parties with a tyrant and murderer. Cause when you have a man that loves you and a sister you love more than anything in the world and an ability to BLOODY READ MINDS, of course, you throw your common sense out of the window to support anarchy and chaos.
4. Leta Lestrange
Another fantastic character. Beautifully played by Zoë Kravitz. What a shame that she is no more than a tool to be killed off for dramatic effect. As the only black "main character", if that is what you want to call it, it seems kind of a dick move to eliminate her right away. By the way, have you noticed a pattern yet? We are only at Nr. 4 out of 10 and we already have three female characters treated like crap. You want more? I will give you more.
5. Mrs Lestrange
Leta's mother is another pawn and she gets the worst treatment of them all. As if rape and abuse are not enough, of course, she also has to die as soon as Leta was born, because that is all black or female characters seem to excel at in this film.
What is extremely illogical though, is how a random wizard can put an Imperius Curse on a woman that then just walks out of her house never to return...with no consequences? No husband trying to get her back? No investigations into what could have made her leave her family in just a nightgown? No one thinking of trying to find out whether someone literally put a spell on her? Bullshit.
6. Trying to Put Every Minor Character's Backstory in One Film
One of the things I loved about the Potter books was the fact that every character had their own history that could be glimpsed at sometimes, and usually was never fully revealed. Elaborate subplots are what added so much to these books. Of course, it was annoying not to see these side stories make it into the films. There was not enough room for them, not enough time. The films would have been 8 hours long otherwise (which I wouldn't have minded, anyway, but I do know it would have been impossible to do that). JKR tries to cram so much backstory in this film that it ruins the pacing and the expert storytelling.
7. Unnecessary and Unwanted Potter References
While we are talking about cramming things into this film, let's talk about Credence and the entirely ridiculous revelation that he is Dumbledore's brother. Not only is it a cheap trick in the fashion of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, where Voldemort suddenly has a daughter with Bellatrix Lestrange, it also does injustice to Harry's relationship with Dumbledore. Of course, we do not know everything about Dumbledore's past. But we thought the lying and hiding was finally over when Harry and Dumbledore met in the in-between in book 7. There were also signs that Ariana Dumbledore, his sister, might have been an Obscurial. You could also argue that the nature of Dumbledore's and Grindelwald's relationship was obvious. But for him to have yet another brother? I feel cheated on Harry's behalf AND on my own's.
8. Animation So Bad It Hurts My Eyes
How can a production with so much money suck so bad at making those shadowcats look real? What was that even?
9. Do We Really Need To Talk About Depp's Involvement In This Film?
Nope. Still stinks. You could almost say this film's suckiness is karma for casting him in the first place.
10. This Film is a Disgrace and an Insult to Every Potterhead
One of the few good things I take away from this film is that I have no desire whatsoever to buy any merch. I do not want the screenplay. I do not want the screenplay-to-film books. I do not want any Funkos or posters or artefacts. I do not want this film to exist in the first place.
One last thing: I love Harry Potter more than anything. I am deeply in awe with J.K. Rowling for writing this outstanding series, for being outspoken, for opening so many doors for many YA authors and stories that would probably not exist otherwise. I have the deepest respect for her work. I have a freaking Deathly Hallows tattoo because I love this universe so much. It pains me to see something that I love so much go to ruins. I do not enjoy saying these things. I would rather write a positive review. I am holding on to the hope that this remains the worst of the films yet to be released and that they will return to being as good as the first Fantastic Beasts film. But at least I will not be surprised anymore when my hopes will fail to materialise.
I will respond to criticism and I do enjoy discussions. However, I will not accept hate or insults. Blocking people is fairly easy, so consider yourself warned.
Find more of my books on Instagram
March 15, 2019
3.4/5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Well well well. Yet another money grab unnecessary book is yet again upon us... one that I definitely bought because I'm a bitch for this useless-Harry-Potter-related-shit. This book literally took me 2 hours to finish, which is, approximately, the duration of the movie. This is one of those books you read to expand your Goodreads total books score, and it makes you so satisfied to have finished 2 books in one day, as I have today. This book is made to make us feel good about our reading life. Thx, book. Well, this is not technically a book, but a movie script, and reviewing it feels more like I'm reviewing the movie??? if that makes sense??? I'll just write some more general shit here.
At the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
This book showed me how weak the script of this movie is, and how right I was to not have liked it as much as the previous one. That's all I'm going to say when it comes to the plot of the movie. Moving on.
This movie-script-book was how it was supposed to be. Following the steps of the previous one, it really captures the essence of the movie and makes you feel everything as you did when you watched it. Which makes sense, cause the people who worked on the movie worked on this too. At some points, we see some extra feelings and thoughts of the characters we didn't see in the movie which was a nice lil' bonus. I truly wonder what would it be like to read this before having watched the movie. I might try it next time around.
Next up, THE ILLUSTRATIONS. As a graphic designer myself, I can't not comment on that. I feel this book was even more extraordinarily beautiful than the previous one. I commend those graphic designers and illustrators, their work is a piece of art. I couldn't stop looking at those marvelous images which enthralled me all the more into the spirit of the book. The Harry Potter industry knows where it's at.
Lastly, I gotta talk about what bothered me. Nothing relatable to the plot of the movie, of course. WHY WOULD THE NAMES OF THE CHARACTERS HAD TO BE IN CAPS EVERY DAMN TIME? I felt as though the names were being screaming at me every time I read them, and sometimes I would lose focus. Did this happen in the previous movie-script-book? I don't fucking remember. But I have to tell you, it fucking aggravated me this time around. If it did exist in the previous movie-script-book, that means I have changed as a reader and things annoy more easily, apparently. Well, fuck me.
Overall, these were 2 productive hours of my life. I love this story, these characters, no matter what the plot does, I will always want to watch them and read about them. I'm so happy my favorite franchise continues, no matter what. And... till the next Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them unneeded book K BYE!
“DUMBLEDORE: Do you know why I admire you, Newt? More, perhaps, than any man I know? (off NEWT’S surprise) You don’t seek power or popularity. You simply ask, is the thing right in itself? If it is, then I must do it, no matter the cost.”
Well well well. Yet another money grab unnecessary book is yet again upon us... one that I definitely bought because I'm a bitch for this useless-Harry-Potter-related-shit. This book literally took me 2 hours to finish, which is, approximately, the duration of the movie. This is one of those books you read to expand your Goodreads total books score, and it makes you so satisfied to have finished 2 books in one day, as I have today. This book is made to make us feel good about our reading life. Thx, book. Well, this is not technically a book, but a movie script, and reviewing it feels more like I'm reviewing the movie??? if that makes sense??? I'll just write some more general shit here.
At the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
This book showed me how weak the script of this movie is, and how right I was to not have liked it as much as the previous one. That's all I'm going to say when it comes to the plot of the movie. Moving on.
This movie-script-book was how it was supposed to be. Following the steps of the previous one, it really captures the essence of the movie and makes you feel everything as you did when you watched it. Which makes sense, cause the people who worked on the movie worked on this too. At some points, we see some extra feelings and thoughts of the characters we didn't see in the movie which was a nice lil' bonus. I truly wonder what would it be like to read this before having watched the movie. I might try it next time around.
Next up, THE ILLUSTRATIONS. As a graphic designer myself, I can't not comment on that. I feel this book was even more extraordinarily beautiful than the previous one. I commend those graphic designers and illustrators, their work is a piece of art. I couldn't stop looking at those marvelous images which enthralled me all the more into the spirit of the book. The Harry Potter industry knows where it's at.
Lastly, I gotta talk about what bothered me. Nothing relatable to the plot of the movie, of course. WHY WOULD THE NAMES OF THE CHARACTERS HAD TO BE IN CAPS EVERY DAMN TIME? I felt as though the names were being screaming at me every time I read them, and sometimes I would lose focus. Did this happen in the previous movie-script-book? I don't fucking remember. But I have to tell you, it fucking aggravated me this time around. If it did exist in the previous movie-script-book, that means I have changed as a reader and things annoy more easily, apparently. Well, fuck me.
Overall, these were 2 productive hours of my life. I love this story, these characters, no matter what the plot does, I will always want to watch them and read about them. I'm so happy my favorite franchise continues, no matter what. And... till the next Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them unneeded book K BYE!
April 11, 2020
I watched the movie last night, then read the screenplay this morning. I’m going back to watch it again tonight. I guess that means I like it, a lot.
Here's three things that made the story REAL interesting:
1. Grindelwald’s leadership
This is the first time we are really seeing his character. And it’s a little more complex than I supposed. Unlike Voldemort, Grindelwald is not inherently evil and he doesn’t appear to desire power for himself (only the fruition of his vision for the world, a better world.) I wonder where he sees himself in the aftermath?
He’s also extremely manipulative and can persuade otherwise good characters to follow him (and not out of fear.) They follow him because there is an undercurrent of truth in his ideas. He wants peace for the world, but, of course, the kind of peace he wants could only be bought with blood and death. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes, to finding out whether he is a hypocrite in his leadership or a genuine visionary (though I think I already know the real answer.)
The point is, there's more to him than the typical one dimensional villain archetype he was said to be.
2. Young Dumbledore
Dumbledore has always been a bit of an enigma. He possesses knowledge and history that we know nothing about, so it’s great to see a bit of his backstory explored. Now we all know how these films will end (with whose victory and defeat.) But I am still genuinely interested in seeing it play out. It won’t be a clean victory for sure. There are quite a few characters in here that aren’t even mentioned in the Harry Potter series. No doubt, there will be a few deaths coming in the next one.
3. Nagini as a Maledictus
This for me was one of the most exciting things about the movie because it left me with me so many questions. At one-point Nagini, Voldemort’s pet snake and horcrux, was once a normal girl who felt love and pain and longed for acceptance. She was cursed to forever take the form of snake in later life, but how did she join the side of evil? I’m sure the next film will give us the answers we seek.
Final thoughts
There are some weak points in the movie such as it’s over fixation with Credence and his lineage, but the reveal of exactly who he is at the end kind of makes it all worth it. I must admit, I really did not see that coming!
Also, a note on the screenplay itself, like the previous one it is just an exact replicate of the movie. There's nothing new here, but I enjoyed reading it nevertheless.
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Here's three things that made the story REAL interesting:
1. Grindelwald’s leadership
This is the first time we are really seeing his character. And it’s a little more complex than I supposed. Unlike Voldemort, Grindelwald is not inherently evil and he doesn’t appear to desire power for himself (only the fruition of his vision for the world, a better world.) I wonder where he sees himself in the aftermath?
He’s also extremely manipulative and can persuade otherwise good characters to follow him (and not out of fear.) They follow him because there is an undercurrent of truth in his ideas. He wants peace for the world, but, of course, the kind of peace he wants could only be bought with blood and death. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes, to finding out whether he is a hypocrite in his leadership or a genuine visionary (though I think I already know the real answer.)
The point is, there's more to him than the typical one dimensional villain archetype he was said to be.
2. Young Dumbledore
Dumbledore has always been a bit of an enigma. He possesses knowledge and history that we know nothing about, so it’s great to see a bit of his backstory explored. Now we all know how these films will end (with whose victory and defeat.) But I am still genuinely interested in seeing it play out. It won’t be a clean victory for sure. There are quite a few characters in here that aren’t even mentioned in the Harry Potter series. No doubt, there will be a few deaths coming in the next one.
3. Nagini as a Maledictus
This for me was one of the most exciting things about the movie because it left me with me so many questions. At one-point Nagini, Voldemort’s pet snake and horcrux, was once a normal girl who felt love and pain and longed for acceptance. She was cursed to forever take the form of snake in later life, but how did she join the side of evil? I’m sure the next film will give us the answers we seek.
Final thoughts
There are some weak points in the movie such as it’s over fixation with Credence and his lineage, but the reveal of exactly who he is at the end kind of makes it all worth it. I must admit, I really did not see that coming!
Also, a note on the screenplay itself, like the previous one it is just an exact replicate of the movie. There's nothing new here, but I enjoyed reading it nevertheless.
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December 1, 2018
Me exited to be back to the Wizarding World :
Me after watching Crimes of Grindelwald :
This unsatisfyingly, incomplete plot that cast a Confundus Charm on every die hard Potterhead like me.
Fantastic Beasts: The Sequel - Part One
Back in 2016, it was intended a Trilogy..with a promising first movie..
But like the splitting of the 7th HP book, this sequel felt splitted just to make 5 Movies instead of 3
PLUS, the plot's wasted in a Red Herring chase. And if the ending twist's true, that'd be Burning the characters' history as we know it..
First Dumbledore's teaching DADA, Professor McGonagall mysteriously appears teaching before she even born..That's the true issue here...that what deserve a real backlash later.. unlike the irrational pre-release backlashes of;
Apparition in Hogwarts !
May be it was a law issued later years..
Not Gay Enough !
Well, the character of Dumbledore is really very well introduced ..was in-character and glad that he's not explicitly gay.. just decent portrait of the friendship "more than brothers actually" that happens in the past..
Villian Actor !
Well, Jonny Depp portrait a perfect villian... no matter how his peronal life, he did a perfect role here and can't wait to see more..
Asian Actress Acting as Human/Beast !
As for Nagini's... was it really that necessary character? ...well , so far this part didn't introduced a good story for her...
The blood curse is mysterious and based on old Indonesian folklore so I can't see harm in the casting here ..
Aside of all this, there's more important real problems here with the community with the Characters history and bios we learned from the author herself or established in the 7 Holy Books of Harry Potter.
Like what the hell Professor McGonagall does in this movie? or the mess with Dumbledore's history (Keep the secret though)
Actually this part was missing a better complete plot..
Well, will start read the script now...may things get better
And I still want to be a Wizard.
Full Review is coming
Mohammed Arabey
Watching 15 November 2018
Me after watching Crimes of Grindelwald :
This unsatisfyingly, incomplete plot that cast a Confundus Charm on every die hard Potterhead like me.
Fantastic Beasts: The Sequel - Part One
Back in 2016, it was intended a Trilogy..with a promising first movie..
But like the splitting of the 7th HP book, this sequel felt splitted just to make 5 Movies instead of 3
PLUS, the plot's wasted in a Red Herring chase. And if the ending twist's true, that'd be Burning the characters' history as we know it..
First Dumbledore's teaching DADA, Professor McGonagall mysteriously appears teaching before she even born..That's the true issue here...that what deserve a real backlash later.. unlike the irrational pre-release backlashes of;
Apparition in Hogwarts !
May be it was a law issued later years..
Not Gay Enough !
Well, the character of Dumbledore is really very well introduced ..was in-character and glad that he's not explicitly gay.. just decent portrait of the friendship "more than brothers actually" that happens in the past..
Villian Actor !
Well, Jonny Depp portrait a perfect villian... no matter how his peronal life, he did a perfect role here and can't wait to see more..
Asian Actress Acting as Human/Beast !
As for Nagini's... was it really that necessary character? ...well , so far this part didn't introduced a good story for her...
The blood curse is mysterious and based on old Indonesian folklore so I can't see harm in the casting here ..
Aside of all this, there's more important real problems here with the community with the Characters history and bios we learned from the author herself or established in the 7 Holy Books of Harry Potter.
Like what the hell Professor McGonagall does in this movie? or the mess with Dumbledore's history (Keep the secret though)
Actually this part was missing a better complete plot..
Well, will start read the script now...may things get better
And I still want to be a Wizard.
Full Review is coming
Mohammed Arabey
Watching 15 November 2018
September 29, 2019
I finished this book in under an hour because I just could not put it down.
I don't know how to review this without giving too much away because I genuinely want everyone to enjoy this book as it is.
Okay first off, I was never a fan of Dumbledore in HP and I didn't like him in this one as well. I just find him annoying. And don't get me started on Grindelwald! Such an ass ://
If you haven't already seen the movie or the trailer then I wouldn't spoil it for you but two of the characters from Harry Potter make an appearance in this one. One's got a big role in HP but the other person hasn't got like a big role but I did enjoy them in HP and in this one as well.
Ahhh I loved this so much!!
I can't wait to watch the movie!
I don't know how to review this without giving too much away because I genuinely want everyone to enjoy this book as it is.
Okay first off, I was never a fan of Dumbledore in HP and I didn't like him in this one as well. I just find him annoying. And don't get me started on Grindelwald! Such an ass ://
If you haven't already seen the movie or the trailer then I wouldn't spoil it for you but two of the characters from Harry Potter make an appearance in this one. One's got a big role in HP but the other person hasn't got like a big role but I did enjoy them in HP and in this one as well.
Ahhh I loved this so much!!
I can't wait to watch the movie!
June 23, 2022
Even though I dislike Snape as a character…his facial expression depicts my feelings about this film perfectly:
March 16, 2019
4.5 STARS! if you're wondering where that half a star went, ask Rowling—she probably threw it in the trash with the timeline 😂
There are reasons I absolutely appreciated this despite what many might say, and reasons I didn't—I'll be responding to some of the criticisms, too, while supporting others.
One thing's clear: while J.K. Rowling made some great choices, she also made some mistakes while trying to appeal to the fans; the McGonagall dilemma not even the worst one.
The thing the whole series seems to hang on to while dangling on the edge of the precipice is what could mess this up— Read the “Broken Timeline & Theories” section for how the timeline was cracked and how Rowling might fix it. Don't worry about major spoilers, I've hidden those.
The book is beautifully designed whatever it is, and I loved the illustrations!
Storyline & Criticisms
1927. New York.
Grindelwald, held by the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), plans to make good on his promise to escape. He has a manipulative tongue and you have no idea who he'd bewitch with his words.
Newt Scamander, now banned from international travel by the British Ministry of Magic after his misadventures the last year, finds himself confronted by none other than Albus Dumbledore, who knows much and reveals little, asking Newt to do what they both believe is right. Even at the expense of breaking the law.
A girl who turns into a snake ... a boy who seeks his family and heritage ... a man with revenge in his heart ... a society of pure-bloods bent on rulling the world—it's a mess that Newt finds himself in the midst of, even if he did everything he could to stay away because he doesn't do sides.
On criticisms: the strange thing is, some say this story had nothing really happening, some say there was too much and too little time. I say it was just right.
I don't care that we know how it's all gonna end as it's a prequel clarifying the the events of the Global Wizarding War.
But there is so much we don't know about that period and Grindelwald and Dumbledore, with so many characters whose involvements we hadn't learned about!
I believe this is the best way of exploring that piece of history—it's not like Dumbledore was so forthcoming with Harry or that Harry even had time to give us an explicitly detailed account of the history of the Wizarding World.
Characterization & Criticisms
Newt Scamander is the precious unexpected hero this world has needed; Tina Goldstein the auror I want to see have more of a character development; Jacob Kowalski the much needed No-Maj I can't get enough of; and Pickett the love of my life! Nope, I ain't kidding kiddos :) AND NICOLAS FLAMEL WAS SO ADORABLE.
Not to forget Albus Dumbledore, the usual anigmatic, secretive man who we get to learn so much more about! My heart breaks for him—I loved seeing this side of him we'd just read about in the last Harry Potter book, and I NEED THE NEXT 3 BOOKS AND FILMS RIGHT NOW.
Now the ones that demand a little more discussion:
Queenie Goldstein is free-spirited, brave, compassionate, desires peace. So I find it not at all illogical she makes the choice she does in Crimes of Grindelwald— You might find yourself doing the same thing if you're convinced it's the right choice and will bring freedom!
Gellert Grindelwald is one of the main reasons I appreciate this book—because he's not the Voldemort type of villain. Voldemort was brute force and ruled with terror; Grindelwald, though, is the type of villain I enjoy and admire, however weird that sounds. I'm usually obsessed with great villains, and do a lot of analysis on them :)
He's sneaky and subtle, someone who understands the power of words and wields it beautifully. He's more dangerous than Voldemort because you-know-who's followers were mostly there out of fear—and while fear is a notable motivator, it can turn on you just as easily.
Gellert knows that, and so he, with his smart and conniving mind, manipulates people into believing his cause theirs. He is a capable leader and sees right through people, finding what he can twist to make them think assisting him is exactly what they want!
He might seek power, yes (as we learned about his and Dumbledore's past in The Deathly Hallows), but he also believes in his cause with his own kind of logic; and that, my friend—that faith and belief and ill-used reason—is the most dangerous thing of all.
Leta Lestrange is the Sirius Black of the Lestrange family tree. In every sense! I definitely loved her and her backstory was a major strong point of this installment for me and the needy Harry Potter fans who wanna know more about all the great and small families!
Now, there's this problem being discussed around about Leta, and I really need to clarify something cause it seems people got it wrong:
Broken Timeline & Theories
1) First there's the McGonagall dilemma; so what is it?
The movie is set during 1927, and there's a Leta flashback to when she was 13 and at Hogwarts. Leta was born on September 1896, so she attended Hogwarts from 1908 to 1915 (not 1907, because she would turn 11 when school had already started) making her the same year and classmate of Newt (who was born in 1897).
So that means the flashback to 13-year-old Leta was somewhere from September 1909 to September 1910. The flashback was also the last days of winter terms. So of course it's the end of winter of 1909. Why is all this a problem?
Because while Rowling never announced a year for McGonagall's birthday, we know that she began teaching at Hogwarts 2 years after graduating. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, we discover that McGonagall has been working at Hogwarts for 39 years, meaning she should’ve graduated in 1954.
Since in Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies Rowling confirms her birthday as 4th October, McGonagall was almost 19 years old when she finished Hogwarts, and so her birth year can be inferred as 1935.
Now, do you get where I'm going? She was born in 1935, but appeared not only in a 1927 story, but TEACHING AS A PROFESSOR AT HOGWARTS IN 1909.
Um, did anyone bother to, like, google her at least before writing this screenplay? No? I thought so.
How can we explain that away? Some wanna think she's a descendant of our McGonagall, but that can't be.
Because in Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies we learn that McGonagall is the family name of her father, a Scottish Presbyterian minister, who was a Muggle and had had no relations to wizards before.
Also, we do know that it is our Minerva McGonagall—in the screenplay, she is specifically referred to as “young Minerva McGonagall”, and in a deleted scene in the film, Dumbledore calls her by her first name.
So the only possible way to explain it away is a time turner. But what is so important to risk the use of such fickle magic just to give Minerva the chance to teach years before she was born? I have no idea!
Mistakes like the days of the week not matching the calendar (with Harry's birthday, for example) are easy enough to ignore—but this? It almost seems impossible for all these people to really not notice such an obvious detail!!
That's not even the worst one.
2) Most important is the CREDENCE DILEMMA the whole series depends on, for which I've got a couple of theories. It's a major spoiler, though:
We'll just have to wait and see which of these strategies Rowling chooses to explain the Credence dilemma—or maybe she'll do something else entirely! I just hope she gives some sense to it.
Movie Adaptation
Casting & Acting: There's no doubt acting in a film with this many magical nonexistent creatures is very difficult and will run every actor dry; and I admire Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander) because he had it the hardest, having to take care of them and interact with them—I'm just impressed!!
Katherine Waterston (Tina Goldstein), thankfully did a better job than the she did in the previous film in my opinion, and I'm hopeful for the future!
Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski) was as awe-inspiring as always. Alison Sudol (Queenie Goldstein) managed the new depth of character that Queenie got in this sequel perfectly. And Zoë Kravitz (Leta Lestrange) was the best one for the role!
Jude Law (Albus Dumbledore) was one of my favourite things! He strangely fit it so well and pulled off Dumbledore's mysterious yet well intentions, his charisma and enigmatic character!
Johnny Depp (Gellert Grindelwald) I'm not completely against. Yes, he wouldn't have been my choice, but he was okay. So I can make my peace with it, I guess.
Directing, CGI, etc: I loved it once again, while maybe the special effects could've been better.
The magic was in some places breathtaking, and then sometimes lacking. But mostly it was great :)
Companions
Books in series:
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (Fantastic Beasts The Original Screenplay, #1) [ MY REVIEW ]
Book playlist:
(from the motion picture original soundtrack, all instrumental)
• “Leta’s Theme (Solo Piano)” by James Newton Howard
• “Leta’s Flashback” by James Newton Howard
• “Salamader Eyes” by James Newton Howard
• “Vision of War” by James Newton Howard
• “Leta’s Confession” by James Newton Howard
• “Newt and Jacob Pack for Paris” by James Newton Howard
• “Spread the Word” by James Newton Howard
• “Fantastic Beasts Theme (Solo Piano)” by James Newton Howard
• “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” by James Newton Howard
Related books:
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner ofi Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)
• Harry Potter: The Prequel (Harry Potter, #0.5)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two (Harry Potter, #8)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Hogwarts Library)
• Quidditch Through the Ages (Hogwarts Library)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Hogwarts Library)
• Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (Pottermore Presents, #1) [ MY REVIEW ]
• Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists (Pottermore Presents, #2) [ MY REVIEW ]
• Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide (Pottermore Presents, #3) [ MY REVIEW ]
“Regret is my constant companion. Do not let it become yours.”The second installment in the Fantastic Beasts 5-movie series and a screenplay (not a novel) full of magic!
There are reasons I absolutely appreciated this despite what many might say, and reasons I didn't—I'll be responding to some of the criticisms, too, while supporting others.
One thing's clear: while J.K. Rowling made some great choices, she also made some mistakes while trying to appeal to the fans; the McGonagall dilemma not even the worst one.
The thing the whole series seems to hang on to while dangling on the edge of the precipice is what could mess this up— Read the “Broken Timeline & Theories” section for how the timeline was cracked and how Rowling might fix it. Don't worry about major spoilers, I've hidden those.
“Oh, Newt. You never met a monster you couldn’t love.”Anyways, I'm so glad I read the screenplay before watching the movie—because I both got to first imagine it all in my head and also I noticed details and read about characters' thoughts in the book that later helped notice and understand more things from the film! I suggest you try doing the same.
The book is beautifully designed whatever it is, and I loved the illustrations!
Storyline & Criticisms
1927. New York.
Grindelwald, held by the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), plans to make good on his promise to escape. He has a manipulative tongue and you have no idea who he'd bewitch with his words.
Newt: It was a field trip. I was collecting material for my book on magical beasts—London.
Travers: You destroyed half of New York.
Newt Scamander, now banned from international travel by the British Ministry of Magic after his misadventures the last year, finds himself confronted by none other than Albus Dumbledore, who knows much and reveals little, asking Newt to do what they both believe is right. Even at the expense of breaking the law.
“I do not fight out of hatred. I say the Muggles are not lesser, but other. Not worthless, but of other value. Not disposable, but of a different disposition.”Paris.
A girl who turns into a snake ... a boy who seeks his family and heritage ... a man with revenge in his heart ... a society of pure-bloods bent on rulling the world—it's a mess that Newt finds himself in the midst of, even if he did everything he could to stay away because he doesn't do sides.
On criticisms: the strange thing is, some say this story had nothing really happening, some say there was too much and too little time. I say it was just right.
I don't care that we know how it's all gonna end as it's a prequel clarifying the the events of the Global Wizarding War.
But there is so much we don't know about that period and Grindelwald and Dumbledore, with so many characters whose involvements we hadn't learned about!
I believe this is the best way of exploring that piece of history—it's not like Dumbledore was so forthcoming with Harry or that Harry even had time to give us an explicitly detailed account of the history of the Wizarding World.
Characterization & Criticisms
Newt Scamander is the precious unexpected hero this world has needed; Tina Goldstein the auror I want to see have more of a character development; Jacob Kowalski the much needed No-Maj I can't get enough of; and Pickett the love of my life! Nope, I ain't kidding kiddos :) AND NICOLAS FLAMEL WAS SO ADORABLE.
Not to forget Albus Dumbledore, the usual anigmatic, secretive man who we get to learn so much more about! My heart breaks for him—I loved seeing this side of him we'd just read about in the last Harry Potter book, and I NEED THE NEXT 3 BOOKS AND FILMS RIGHT NOW.
Now the ones that demand a little more discussion:
Queenie Goldstein is free-spirited, brave, compassionate, desires peace. So I find it not at all illogical she makes the choice she does in Crimes of Grindelwald— You might find yourself doing the same thing if you're convinced it's the right choice and will bring freedom!
Gellert Grindelwald is one of the main reasons I appreciate this book—because he's not the Voldemort type of villain. Voldemort was brute force and ruled with terror; Grindelwald, though, is the type of villain I enjoy and admire, however weird that sounds. I'm usually obsessed with great villains, and do a lot of analysis on them :)
He's sneaky and subtle, someone who understands the power of words and wields it beautifully. He's more dangerous than Voldemort because you-know-who's followers were mostly there out of fear—and while fear is a notable motivator, it can turn on you just as easily.
Gellert knows that, and so he, with his smart and conniving mind, manipulates people into believing his cause theirs. He is a capable leader and sees right through people, finding what he can twist to make them think assisting him is exactly what they want!
He might seek power, yes (as we learned about his and Dumbledore's past in The Deathly Hallows), but he also believes in his cause with his own kind of logic; and that, my friend—that faith and belief and ill-used reason—is the most dangerous thing of all.
Leta Lestrange is the Sirius Black of the Lestrange family tree. In every sense! I definitely loved her and her backstory was a major strong point of this installment for me and the needy Harry Potter fans who wanna know more about all the great and small families!
Now, there's this problem being discussed around about Leta, and I really need to clarify something cause it seems people got it wrong:
Broken Timeline & Theories
1) First there's the McGonagall dilemma; so what is it?
The movie is set during 1927, and there's a Leta flashback to when she was 13 and at Hogwarts. Leta was born on September 1896, so she attended Hogwarts from 1908 to 1915 (not 1907, because she would turn 11 when school had already started) making her the same year and classmate of Newt (who was born in 1897).
So that means the flashback to 13-year-old Leta was somewhere from September 1909 to September 1910. The flashback was also the last days of winter terms. So of course it's the end of winter of 1909. Why is all this a problem?
Because while Rowling never announced a year for McGonagall's birthday, we know that she began teaching at Hogwarts 2 years after graduating. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, we discover that McGonagall has been working at Hogwarts for 39 years, meaning she should’ve graduated in 1954.
Since in Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies Rowling confirms her birthday as 4th October, McGonagall was almost 19 years old when she finished Hogwarts, and so her birth year can be inferred as 1935.
Now, do you get where I'm going? She was born in 1935, but appeared not only in a 1927 story, but TEACHING AS A PROFESSOR AT HOGWARTS IN 1909.
Um, did anyone bother to, like, google her at least before writing this screenplay? No? I thought so.
How can we explain that away? Some wanna think she's a descendant of our McGonagall, but that can't be.
Because in Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies we learn that McGonagall is the family name of her father, a Scottish Presbyterian minister, who was a Muggle and had had no relations to wizards before.
Also, we do know that it is our Minerva McGonagall—in the screenplay, she is specifically referred to as “young Minerva McGonagall”, and in a deleted scene in the film, Dumbledore calls her by her first name.
So the only possible way to explain it away is a time turner. But what is so important to risk the use of such fickle magic just to give Minerva the chance to teach years before she was born? I have no idea!
Mistakes like the days of the week not matching the calendar (with Harry's birthday, for example) are easy enough to ignore—but this? It almost seems impossible for all these people to really not notice such an obvious detail!!
That's not even the worst one.
2) Most important is the CREDENCE DILEMMA the whole series depends on, for which I've got a couple of theories. It's a major spoiler, though:
We'll just have to wait and see which of these strategies Rowling chooses to explain the Credence dilemma—or maybe she'll do something else entirely! I just hope she gives some sense to it.
Movie Adaptation
Casting & Acting: There's no doubt acting in a film with this many magical nonexistent creatures is very difficult and will run every actor dry; and I admire Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander) because he had it the hardest, having to take care of them and interact with them—I'm just impressed!!
Katherine Waterston (Tina Goldstein), thankfully did a better job than the she did in the previous film in my opinion, and I'm hopeful for the future!
Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski) was as awe-inspiring as always. Alison Sudol (Queenie Goldstein) managed the new depth of character that Queenie got in this sequel perfectly. And Zoë Kravitz (Leta Lestrange) was the best one for the role!
Jude Law (Albus Dumbledore) was one of my favourite things! He strangely fit it so well and pulled off Dumbledore's mysterious yet well intentions, his charisma and enigmatic character!
Johnny Depp (Gellert Grindelwald) I'm not completely against. Yes, he wouldn't have been my choice, but he was okay. So I can make my peace with it, I guess.
Directing, CGI, etc: I loved it once again, while maybe the special effects could've been better.
The magic was in some places breathtaking, and then sometimes lacking. But mostly it was great :)
Companions
Books in series:
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (Fantastic Beasts The Original Screenplay, #1) [ MY REVIEW ]
Book playlist:
(from the motion picture original soundtrack, all instrumental)
• “Leta’s Theme (Solo Piano)” by James Newton Howard
• “Leta’s Flashback” by James Newton Howard
• “Salamader Eyes” by James Newton Howard
• “Vision of War” by James Newton Howard
• “Leta’s Confession” by James Newton Howard
• “Newt and Jacob Pack for Paris” by James Newton Howard
• “Spread the Word” by James Newton Howard
• “Fantastic Beasts Theme (Solo Piano)” by James Newton Howard
• “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” by James Newton Howard
Related books:
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner ofi Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)
• Harry Potter: The Prequel (Harry Potter, #0.5)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two (Harry Potter, #8)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Hogwarts Library)
• Quidditch Through the Ages (Hogwarts Library)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Hogwarts Library)
• Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (Pottermore Presents, #1) [ MY REVIEW ]
• Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists (Pottermore Presents, #2) [ MY REVIEW ]
• Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide (Pottermore Presents, #3) [ MY REVIEW ]
November 18, 2018
What the fuck even was that.
I haven't watched the movie yet so this is solely a review of the book, but wow, I'm certainly not rushing to the theatres anytime soon.
The story is seriously a big hot mess though and while I loved the first installment, the follow-up really threw everything I liked about it into a blender. The characters changed in ludicrous fashion, the motivations behind the characters themselves were murky at best, and there was little to no plot development. This feels like the middle book of a trilogy but apparently, we have three more books to "look forward to."
The biggest issue I had was the very clear attempt to merge these "prequel" stories with the original Harry Potter series. I felt if the writers simply focused on telling these stories and letting them stand on their own merits they might not have felt the need to remind us every so often that hey! This is set in the Harry Potter world! It just felt messy. The biggest flaw was McGonagall's cameo. She was in her 70s in the original stories, which began in 1997, yet in The Crimes of Grindewald she's a Hogwarts professor in a story set in the mid-20s. I can imagine the cameos are far more exciting in film, but the timeline super doesn't match, at least in accordance with what Rowling has stated previously about her characters. Seriously, so unnecessary.
There are also additions to the story that simply don't end up making a whole lot of sense. Like that bit about Nagini having been an actual human at one point in her life? It's revealed that she's a Maledictus, able to transform into a snake but due to a blood curse passed down in her family, she'll transform into a snake one day and never be able to transform back. Sure, it was interesting tidbits and expands on Nagini's story, and sure, maybe this all becomes more vital later on in this series, but the small bit we're given seemed pretty inconsequential.
But the icing on the cake was the "twist" at the end. Serious spoiler, beware.
The original stories are already so fascinatingly complex and these attempts to expand on what has already been drilled into our brains from many a re-reads just comes across as lazy and is really destroying the magic of Harry Potter for me.
I haven't watched the movie yet so this is solely a review of the book, but wow, I'm certainly not rushing to the theatres anytime soon.
The story is seriously a big hot mess though and while I loved the first installment, the follow-up really threw everything I liked about it into a blender. The characters changed in ludicrous fashion, the motivations behind the characters themselves were murky at best, and there was little to no plot development. This feels like the middle book of a trilogy but apparently, we have three more books to "look forward to."
The biggest issue I had was the very clear attempt to merge these "prequel" stories with the original Harry Potter series. I felt if the writers simply focused on telling these stories and letting them stand on their own merits they might not have felt the need to remind us every so often that hey! This is set in the Harry Potter world! It just felt messy. The biggest flaw was McGonagall's cameo. She was in her 70s in the original stories, which began in 1997, yet in The Crimes of Grindewald she's a Hogwarts professor in a story set in the mid-20s. I can imagine the cameos are far more exciting in film, but the timeline super doesn't match, at least in accordance with what Rowling has stated previously about her characters. Seriously, so unnecessary.
There are also additions to the story that simply don't end up making a whole lot of sense. Like that bit about Nagini having been an actual human at one point in her life? It's revealed that she's a Maledictus, able to transform into a snake but due to a blood curse passed down in her family, she'll transform into a snake one day and never be able to transform back. Sure, it was interesting tidbits and expands on Nagini's story, and sure, maybe this all becomes more vital later on in this series, but the small bit we're given seemed pretty inconsequential.
But the icing on the cake was the "twist" at the end. Serious spoiler, beware.
The original stories are already so fascinatingly complex and these attempts to expand on what has already been drilled into our brains from many a re-reads just comes across as lazy and is really destroying the magic of Harry Potter for me.
July 25, 2019
i'm starting to think that jkr has the too much gene
1.5 stars
____
✨book #6 for the READING RUSH: read and watch a book to movie adaptation ✔️
idk when this turned into harry potter week but i guess i'm.......rowling with it.............................. gotta go
1.5 stars
____
✨book #6 for the READING RUSH: read and watch a book to movie adaptation ✔️
idk when this turned into harry potter week but i guess i'm.......rowling with it.............................. gotta go
January 16, 2019
Unexpected developments!
This is the original screenplay used for the film "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald". Which is the second movie in the saga, a prequel saga for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
RETURN TO EUROPE
Oh, Newt. You never met a monster you couldn't love.
The previous adventure takes the audience to America, to boldly go where no wizard or muggle had gone before, but in this second story, the action takes us back to the old continent, Europe, to visit England first and later remains on France for the rest of the narrative.
Reading the book, after watching the movie was a rewarding experience since it solved three small doubts that left me the film (for not going into the big doubts!), but at least the book can explain who was the Chupacabra that exists on Funko Pop, and I didn't notice on the movie, but more precisely, I did notice it, but I didn't know that that creature was the Chupacabra, it was the magical animal with Grindelwald at the beginning; later, I understood why Newt and Grimsson were so uneasy with each other, since Grimmson is a hunter of magical creatures (most likely a furtive one); and finally, it wasn't clear if Non-Magical Parisians were watching the large display of Grindelwald to tell about his reunion, and the book indicated that it was invisible to normal humans (I guessed that it was so, but nothing in the movie was telling me about it).
Mr. Scamander. Do you think Dumbledore will mourn for you?
Certainly, there are some (big) incongruencies to previous historical facts in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and I am not forgiving them, but I guess that like in Star Wars, now this pop culture franchise, got into the area of contradict itself from a movie to another.
There are characters that they played major roles in the first adventure, while here it looked like J.K. Rowling didn't know what to do with them, now that the saga is taking its long-game path, but I trust that in the following movies (five in total will be), each character will prove his/her worth to the enrichment and impact of the prequel saga. Because, after all, I consider that some characters took paths in this second story that some character in the previous saga never took, since maybe J.K. Rowling got too attached to them, and maybe in this prequel she is taking harsher choices, but indeed brave ones that they will make the whole saga, more interesting and unpredictable.
And after all, always is a delightful experience to enjoy a new journey by J.K. Rowling through the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
This is the original screenplay used for the film "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald". Which is the second movie in the saga, a prequel saga for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
RETURN TO EUROPE
Oh, Newt. You never met a monster you couldn't love.
The previous adventure takes the audience to America, to boldly go where no wizard or muggle had gone before, but in this second story, the action takes us back to the old continent, Europe, to visit England first and later remains on France for the rest of the narrative.
Reading the book, after watching the movie was a rewarding experience since it solved three small doubts that left me the film (for not going into the big doubts!), but at least the book can explain who was the Chupacabra that exists on Funko Pop, and I didn't notice on the movie, but more precisely, I did notice it, but I didn't know that that creature was the Chupacabra, it was the magical animal with Grindelwald at the beginning; later, I understood why Newt and Grimsson were so uneasy with each other, since Grimmson is a hunter of magical creatures (most likely a furtive one); and finally, it wasn't clear if Non-Magical Parisians were watching the large display of Grindelwald to tell about his reunion, and the book indicated that it was invisible to normal humans (I guessed that it was so, but nothing in the movie was telling me about it).
Mr. Scamander. Do you think Dumbledore will mourn for you?
Certainly, there are some (big) incongruencies to previous historical facts in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and I am not forgiving them, but I guess that like in Star Wars, now this pop culture franchise, got into the area of contradict itself from a movie to another.
There are characters that they played major roles in the first adventure, while here it looked like J.K. Rowling didn't know what to do with them, now that the saga is taking its long-game path, but I trust that in the following movies (five in total will be), each character will prove his/her worth to the enrichment and impact of the prequel saga. Because, after all, I consider that some characters took paths in this second story that some character in the previous saga never took, since maybe J.K. Rowling got too attached to them, and maybe in this prequel she is taking harsher choices, but indeed brave ones that they will make the whole saga, more interesting and unpredictable.
And after all, always is a delightful experience to enjoy a new journey by J.K. Rowling through the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
November 24, 2018
I saw the movie last week and knew I had to read the screenplay.
My thoughts are basically the same of the movie. I love Newt Scamander, he's a very interesting and unique character and every time he has a scene I'm happy. I really enjoyed the new characters that were introduced in the story, like for example Leta, Theseus and Nagini. I just think that the Nagini storyline is unnecessary but we'll see how it's developed in the future.
I'm really interested in Grindelwald and Dumbledore's past and I wish they would have shown us more of that, hopefully we'll get more in the next movies/books.
Something I truly did not like was the big reveal at the end. It does not make any sense and I really don't know what they're trying to do.
My thoughts are basically the same of the movie. I love Newt Scamander, he's a very interesting and unique character and every time he has a scene I'm happy. I really enjoyed the new characters that were introduced in the story, like for example Leta, Theseus and Nagini. I just think that the Nagini storyline is unnecessary but we'll see how it's developed in the future.
I'm really interested in Grindelwald and Dumbledore's past and I wish they would have shown us more of that, hopefully we'll get more in the next movies/books.
Something I truly did not like was the big reveal at the end. It does not make any sense and I really don't know what they're trying to do.
July 6, 2022
This helped me a lot to better understand the movie and pick up on things I didn’t hear while watching it. Wonderful story and movie, and can’t wait for the next!
September 12, 2021
3.5 stars
This is a sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay, and picks up where that story ends - with the arrest of Gellert Grindelwald in New York City. Grindelwald is a dark wizard who wants magic folk to rule the world.....and is actively trying to foment a war to make that happen.
*****
As Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay opens, the dark wizard is about to be extradited to London to stand trial, escorted by an array of powerful aurors.
Grindelwald is being sent to London
Grindelwald is a wily fellow though, and engineers a clever escape.
Skip ahead a few months and Grindelwald is in Paris, searching for Credence Barebone, a young, uniquely gifted dark wizard. Grindelwald plans to use Credence to usurp power for wizard-kind, after which muggles will be eliminated or enslaved.
Grindelwald in Paris
Credence Barebone
England's Ministry of Magic wants to kill Credence before he joins forces with Grindelwald, and asks Newt Scamander to help his brother Theseus (an auror) do the job. Newt - who abhors violence - declines, so the Ministry sends other aurors, including Tina Goldstein. Once she's in Paris, Tina learns that a man named Yusuf Kama is also after Credence, and the two hunters join forces.....for different reasons.
Newt Scamander
Theseus Scamander
Tina Goldstein
Yusuf Kama
Meanwhile Albus Dumbledore sends Newt to Paris (against Ministry orders) to try to 'turn' Credence to the light. Newt is joined by his compadre from the first screenplay, Jacob Kowalski (the muggle baker)….who's in a relationship with Queenie Goldstein (Tina Goldstein's sister). To add to the fun Newt and Tina might be on the cusp of romance, but they're now on opposite sides of the Credence dilemma.
Young Albus Dumbledore
Jacob Kowalski
Queenie Goldstein
Newt with Tina Goldstein
Dumbledore is repeatedly asked to kill Grindelwald himself, but always says he can't do it. (Potter fans know Grindelwald and Dumbledore were close friends as teens, so this isn't a complete shock.)
All manner of shenanigans follow, including: a huge wild beast running around Paris; romantic misunderstandings; use of the Avada Kedavra curse; flashbacks to Hogwarts decades ago; visits to the French Ministry of Magic; secrets being exposed; etc.
Additional characters that make an appearance include Leta Lestrange - who's engaged to Theseus Scamander; (OMG!! Marrying a Lestrange); Nagini - who happens to be a circus freak at this time; and various dark wizards who are enthralled with Grindelwald.
Leta Lestrange
Nagini
This is a rather slight story with a cliffhanger ending, clearly meant to set the stage for future screenplays (and movies) in the series. This book is not as good as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay.....but it takes place in the Potterverse, so it's worth reading if you're a fan.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
February 11, 2020
4.5*
This book has been out for the longest time, but it was just last week that I decided to pick it up. The plot wasn’t the best and at times I was a bit confused about what was going on. However, I did enjoy the story.
When I say that I enjoy the story, I feel as if my opinion has been blurred since I have watched the movie. Therefore, I was visualizing the movie throughout reading the book.
I think that if I hadn’t watched the movie, I wouldn’t have liked this book as much as I did. Since it is a screenplay, there are a lot of events happening within a scene. It’s hard to decipher, and if this was written how the Harry Potter series was written, I definitely would’ve enjoyed it more.
This book has been out for the longest time, but it was just last week that I decided to pick it up. The plot wasn’t the best and at times I was a bit confused about what was going on. However, I did enjoy the story.
When I say that I enjoy the story, I feel as if my opinion has been blurred since I have watched the movie. Therefore, I was visualizing the movie throughout reading the book.
I think that if I hadn’t watched the movie, I wouldn’t have liked this book as much as I did. Since it is a screenplay, there are a lot of events happening within a scene. It’s hard to decipher, and if this was written how the Harry Potter series was written, I definitely would’ve enjoyed it more.
August 20, 2020
Things i love
Jude Law.
Things that are amazing
Jude Law as Dumbledore.
Things i don't love
Inconsistencies
Things that make r/AreTheStraightsOK look like a piece of literature
That ending.
Jude Law.
Things that are amazing
Jude Law as Dumbledore.
Things i don't love
Inconsistencies
Things that make r/AreTheStraightsOK look like a piece of literature
That ending.
February 20, 2019
A few thoughts...
-A filler of the highest order.
-Never rated anything Harry Potter related less than 5 stars but here we are.
-Film kind of made up for 0.01% of the let down experienced because JUDE LAW
----------
FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER
-A filler of the highest order.
-Never rated anything Harry Potter related less than 5 stars but here we are.
-Film kind of made up for 0.01% of the let down experienced because JUDE LAW
----------
FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER
May 10, 2021
This series officially goes downhill.
I despise The Crimes of Grindelwald and good thing I just won this on a giveaway or else I wasted my money. I watched the movie as well and it's boring. Yeah there's a lot of magic but the plot is weak and messy. There are parts that I wasn't sure and this script novel helps.
Here are more reasons why I hate this sequel: :
Messy Plot
- Primarily, we get an in depth insight of Grindelwald's agenda. It's more political than magical action and as a villain, Gellert Grindelwald is weaker than I thought. All he does is talk and witches and wizards are plain stupid and gullible. He's just so unconvincing. Between Grindelwald and Voldemort -- Voldemort is more powerful and villainous. Actually, Credence stood out more as an anti-hero than he does.
Wasted Potential Characters
- This is what drives me mad the MOST. We have Nagini, who just appeared as EXTRA and there's really back story here about her being a Maledictus. Then there's Leta Lestrange, whom I am so curious about her and she just got WASTED. She appeared strong and clever. There's so much potential in her that could help Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore bring Grindelwald his downfall and she didn't deserve the fate she got in the end. Her secret seems like a foul play / racist to me. That's a strike two for ruining POC characters ok? I'm just not ok with this. Lastly, Queenie Goldstein. That was a DIRTY PLAY. I am so MAD I want to haul the book across the room and scream! NAH.
There'll be a last film / screenplay and I honestly don't care what's gonna happen next. This series needs to be over.
-----------------------------------
The revelation about Nagini blew my mind. 🐍😱 BLOODY HELL WHAT?! It never crossed my mind. To me Nagini is just a snake.
I despise The Crimes of Grindelwald and good thing I just won this on a giveaway or else I wasted my money. I watched the movie as well and it's boring. Yeah there's a lot of magic but the plot is weak and messy. There are parts that I wasn't sure and this script novel helps.
Here are more reasons why I hate this sequel: :
Messy Plot
- Primarily, we get an in depth insight of Grindelwald's agenda. It's more political than magical action and as a villain, Gellert Grindelwald is weaker than I thought. All he does is talk and witches and wizards are plain stupid and gullible. He's just so unconvincing. Between Grindelwald and Voldemort -- Voldemort is more powerful and villainous. Actually, Credence stood out more as an anti-hero than he does.
Wasted Potential Characters
- This is what drives me mad the MOST. We have Nagini, who just appeared as EXTRA and there's really back story here about her being a Maledictus. Then there's Leta Lestrange, whom I am so curious about her and she just got WASTED. She appeared strong and clever. There's so much potential in her that could help Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore bring Grindelwald his downfall and she didn't deserve the fate she got in the end. Her secret seems like a foul play / racist to me. That's a strike two for ruining POC characters ok? I'm just not ok with this. Lastly, Queenie Goldstein. That was a DIRTY PLAY. I am so MAD I want to haul the book across the room and scream! NAH.
There'll be a last film / screenplay and I honestly don't care what's gonna happen next. This series needs to be over.
-----------------------------------
The revelation about Nagini blew my mind. 🐍😱 BLOODY HELL WHAT?! It never crossed my mind. To me Nagini is just a snake.
April 23, 2022
Of course I'm going to eventually buy this book and go to the cinema to watch the adaptation, of course I'm finding it hard to divorce from JK Rowling after all these years and all the amazing things the Wizarding World has done for me. But as many new books, adaptations and plays come out, Harry Potter started for me in book 1 and ended in book 7. There was no reason to add more, neither before Harry's timeline or after. For some reason I don't welcome all these new additions with the same enthusiasm other Potterheads do. And it's not because I've grown up for one is never too old to read Harry Potter, but I'm finding it hard to accept that now things have a more 'commercial' sort of purpose, which perhaps my younger self was blind to see..
EDIT:
After watching the movie I maintain what I've said. The only purpose of this whole Fantastic Beasts 'expansion' is for a commercial purpose. The movie made no sense at all. JKR is messing with the original timeline and ruining the beloved wizarding world I grew up with. I don't buy her "I had this planned all along" statement because by stating facts on Pottermore and then deleting them so they are convenient for the new world proves it. I am disappointed and as sad as this makes me it's time to bid farewell to all these new additions and stick to my seven dearest books.
EDIT:
After watching the movie I maintain what I've said. The only purpose of this whole Fantastic Beasts 'expansion' is for a commercial purpose. The movie made no sense at all. JKR is messing with the original timeline and ruining the beloved wizarding world I grew up with. I don't buy her "I had this planned all along" statement because by stating facts on Pottermore and then deleting them so they are convenient for the new world proves it. I am disappointed and as sad as this makes me it's time to bid farewell to all these new additions and stick to my seven dearest books.
December 25, 2018
3.25~3.5 stars maybe?
Sooo apparently this book will be my last book finished in 2018, since I doubt that I'll have time to finish another book before this year end *sighing*
To put in short, the book doesn't not reduce any disappointments that I got from the movie, but I think it's a okay read cause there are still a few things I like about it.
Rtc
Sooo apparently this book will be my last book finished in 2018, since I doubt that I'll have time to finish another book before this year end *sighing*
To put in short, the book doesn't not reduce any disappointments that I got from the movie, but I think it's a okay read cause there are still a few things I like about it.
Rtc
November 16, 2018
⭐⭐⭐ ACCEPTABLE
J.K. Rowling's imagination is beyond words. She uses her talent in storytelling and creates vivid imageries both as a novelist and a scriptwriter, which in my opinion one the best writers in the world.
The Good:
1. The second installment of the Fantastic Beasts was completely different from the first one.
2. More passive, in terms of the movement of the plot arc.
3. Slower than the first one, but much darker and juicier.
4. Newt and Tina obviously an OTP
5. HOGWARTS! DUMBLEDORE! DADA!
6. Especially the boggart scene (not a spoiler)
7. Paris!
8. Nicholas Flamel
9. I think this movie more esthetic than the first movie.
10. French Ministry of Magic
11. New beasts!
12. The special effects in this movie were marvelous!
13. Leta Lestrange. She was an interesting character.
14. Credence wasn’t what you think he was!
15. PLOT TWIST! PLOT TWISTS PLOT TWISTS!
16. BETRAY! BETRAY! BETRAY!
17. DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!
The Bad:
1. Too crowded.
2. Too many subplots. Hence, the slowness
3. Jacob and Queenie's relationship. *Shake my head*
4. Breaking the canon. How on earth a character that wasn't supposed to born yet physically appeared as a woman in her 30's and taught at Hogwarts?
5. Nagini was only a prop. The hype was pointless.
Conclusion:
I like this movie. Despite this film is a beautiful mess, it doesn't steer me away from loving the Wizarding World more and more.
J.K. Rowling's imagination is beyond words. She uses her talent in storytelling and creates vivid imageries both as a novelist and a scriptwriter, which in my opinion one the best writers in the world.
The Good:
1. The second installment of the Fantastic Beasts was completely different from the first one.
2. More passive, in terms of the movement of the plot arc.
3. Slower than the first one, but much darker and juicier.
4. Newt and Tina obviously an OTP
5. HOGWARTS! DUMBLEDORE! DADA!
6. Especially the boggart scene (not a spoiler)
7. Paris!
8. Nicholas Flamel
9. I think this movie more esthetic than the first movie.
10. French Ministry of Magic
11. New beasts!
12. The special effects in this movie were marvelous!
13. Leta Lestrange. She was an interesting character.
14. Credence wasn’t what you think he was!
15. PLOT TWIST! PLOT TWISTS PLOT TWISTS!
16. BETRAY! BETRAY! BETRAY!
17. DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!
The Bad:
1. Too crowded.
2. Too many subplots. Hence, the slowness
3. Jacob and Queenie's relationship. *Shake my head*
4. Breaking the canon. How on earth a character that wasn't supposed to born yet physically appeared as a woman in her 30's and taught at Hogwarts?
5. Nagini was only a prop. The hype was pointless.
Conclusion:
I like this movie. Despite this film is a beautiful mess, it doesn't steer me away from loving the Wizarding World more and more.
December 14, 2018
I’m puzzled. There were things that made no sense to me, whether it was character actions or plot points. I cannot see how Queenie would fall for Grindelwald’s words, almost nothing Leta Lestrange did made sense, and why was Nagani in the story at all if she had nothing to do but remind us she’s killed by Neville years later. And Nagini even says here that Purebloods hate people like her so why does she end up with Voldemort, considering his hatred for all non-Purebloods? And suddenly there’s another Dumbledore?
The plot didn’t feel cohesive to me. That said, I thought Newt was less irritating than he was in Beasts 1. And I miss the way Tina, Queenie, Jacob and Newt interacted together, as there were some good moments in Beasts 1 when they were all together.
The images throughout the screenplay by the MinaLima design team are gorgeous.
The plot didn’t feel cohesive to me. That said, I thought Newt was less irritating than he was in Beasts 1. And I miss the way Tina, Queenie, Jacob and Newt interacted together, as there were some good moments in Beasts 1 when they were all together.
The images throughout the screenplay by the MinaLima design team are gorgeous.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
June 17, 2018This better not win best fantasy novel again like last year... am just sayin
August 21, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 STARS FOR:
Fantastic Back Stories: The Crimes of Plot Holes✨
Unlike the riveting plot and adventure that captivated me from start to finish that we had in book/movie one, this one felt like a whole lot of traveling with not much else happening other than that (felt a lot like a filler). That’s not to say it was all entirely boring, I did like it, just not as much as the first one 🤷🏻♀️
It’s like.. there was traveling, and then there were a lot of mini plot lines with each character, but not many of them really went that far anywhere, you know? And all the backstories of all the characters. Like all of them. There IS such a thing as TOO MUCH back story, yeah? Could be just me, but🤷🏻♀️
Also, READ THE REST AT YOUR OWN RISK because I might unintentionally reveal something🙈
So yeah,
You’ve been warned 🤷🏻♀️
SO, time for some points that made this not receive 5 stars:
•Why was Nagini there? I mean, she was great but... not really necessary at the moment...
•Queenie, hunny, Rowling did you dirty in this one. That’s all I’m sayin ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
•Leta Lestrange, that whole plot line involving her was weird to me. Idk why really, I personally just felt it was all delivered in a weird way?? (Is it just me??) and I can’t even really remember it. (I should go back and read it😅) also I HATE when a new character is introduced and I start to genuinely like them then they die. Like we JUST met you😑 (Okay, so Rowling did YOU dirty too, Leta ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
Side note: I’m not a diehard Tina + Newt fan sooo... Theseus stole Leta from Newt (now where was THAT back story, HMM???🤨) change my mind 🤷🏻♀️
•Does it actually make sense that Professor McGonagall (I’m sure I butchered the spelling of her name) was there?? Like is she even supposed to be alive yet? Because if I recall correctly she’s not supposed to be... Do I spy a *plot hole* or nah??? 👀
•(So this one is more of a movie plot hole, but I thought the memes about it were really funny so this one is more for fun 😆)
Dumbledore is very young looking in this one, obviously, it all takes place before the original Harry Potter books/movies. But that means he ages very fast in the original Harry Potter when it flashes back to when Dumbledore is retrieving Tom Riddle. Because that’s not a long time after this Crimes of Grindelwald instalment. Being a Hogwarts Professor must be very stressful, resulting in quicker, visible aging 😆
•Dumbledore is teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts... wasn’t he a Transfiguration Prof?? Or am I remembering wrong? 🤔
•Then you get a slight bombshell involving Credence dropped at the end, and I was annoyed about nothing really big happening the entire time, and then at the end Rowling just kinda going “Imma just leave this here for a bit” and leaving me with this cliffhanger for a few years😐
Maybe I just feel this way because the first one had such a satisfying ending to me so I expected this one to as well, idk 😂 (might I also mention that said bomb shell MIGHT also be a plot hole?? Because I don’t remember this being mentioned with involving characters really at all in the original Harry Potter... 🤷🏻♀️)
BUT all in all, I got my Newt and Jacob moments, there were a couple of fantastic beasts as promised (also, BABY Nifflers!?🥺), it was still relatively magical, AND, *bonus* it took place in Paris mostly(which I loved because I love Paris— even though I’ve never been😂) so despite its flaws and numerous plot holes, it was still fairly enjoyable pour moi, so it’s a solid 4/5 for me 👌🏻
EDIT:
ALSO, we have the little gem of a moment where Newt tells Tina she has eyes like a salamander’s and I thought that whole thing was so funny but cute because it was Newt🥺👌🏻😭😂
**May 14, 2019**
4 STARS FOR:
Fantastic Back Stories: The Crimes of Plot Holes✨
Unlike the riveting plot and adventure that captivated me from start to finish that we had in book/movie one, this one felt like a whole lot of traveling with not much else happening other than that (felt a lot like a filler). That’s not to say it was all entirely boring, I did like it, just not as much as the first one 🤷🏻♀️
It’s like.. there was traveling, and then there were a lot of mini plot lines with each character, but not many of them really went that far anywhere, you know? And all the backstories of all the characters. Like all of them. There IS such a thing as TOO MUCH back story, yeah? Could be just me, but🤷🏻♀️
Also, READ THE REST AT YOUR OWN RISK because I might unintentionally reveal something🙈
So yeah,
You’ve been warned 🤷🏻♀️
SO, time for some points that made this not receive 5 stars:
•Why was Nagini there? I mean, she was great but... not really necessary at the moment...
•Queenie, hunny, Rowling did you dirty in this one. That’s all I’m sayin ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
•Leta Lestrange, that whole plot line involving her was weird to me. Idk why really, I personally just felt it was all delivered in a weird way?? (Is it just me??) and I can’t even really remember it. (I should go back and read it😅) also I HATE when a new character is introduced and I start to genuinely like them then they die. Like we JUST met you😑 (Okay, so Rowling did YOU dirty too, Leta ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
Side note: I’m not a diehard Tina + Newt fan sooo... Theseus stole Leta from Newt (now where was THAT back story, HMM???🤨) change my mind 🤷🏻♀️
•Does it actually make sense that Professor McGonagall (I’m sure I butchered the spelling of her name) was there?? Like is she even supposed to be alive yet? Because if I recall correctly she’s not supposed to be... Do I spy a *plot hole* or nah??? 👀
•(So this one is more of a movie plot hole, but I thought the memes about it were really funny so this one is more for fun 😆)
Dumbledore is very young looking in this one, obviously, it all takes place before the original Harry Potter books/movies. But that means he ages very fast in the original Harry Potter when it flashes back to when Dumbledore is retrieving Tom Riddle. Because that’s not a long time after this Crimes of Grindelwald instalment. Being a Hogwarts Professor must be very stressful, resulting in quicker, visible aging 😆
•Dumbledore is teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts... wasn’t he a Transfiguration Prof?? Or am I remembering wrong? 🤔
•Then you get a slight bombshell involving Credence dropped at the end, and I was annoyed about nothing really big happening the entire time, and then at the end Rowling just kinda going “Imma just leave this here for a bit” and leaving me with this cliffhanger for a few years😐
Maybe I just feel this way because the first one had such a satisfying ending to me so I expected this one to as well, idk 😂 (might I also mention that said bomb shell MIGHT also be a plot hole?? Because I don’t remember this being mentioned with involving characters really at all in the original Harry Potter... 🤷🏻♀️)
BUT all in all, I got my Newt and Jacob moments, there were a couple of fantastic beasts as promised (also, BABY Nifflers!?🥺), it was still relatively magical, AND, *bonus* it took place in Paris mostly(which I loved because I love Paris— even though I’ve never been😂) so despite its flaws and numerous plot holes, it was still fairly enjoyable pour moi, so it’s a solid 4/5 for me 👌🏻
EDIT:
ALSO, we have the little gem of a moment where Newt tells Tina she has eyes like a salamander’s and I thought that whole thing was so funny but cute because it was Newt🥺👌🏻😭😂
**May 14, 2019**
February 23, 2019
This story was wholly unnecessary. Just a shameless attempt at milking nostalgia off a beloved franchise. But there is a way to do that without insulting the intelligence of your fans, offending them or taking them for a ride. The whole 'let's-see-the-big-bad-origins' plot has been done to death. Look at The Hobbit and Star Wars. And JK really couldn't think not to go down that path? Besides, wasn't it already explained in the deathly hallows??
The queerbaiting, the veiled racism, the tokenism is all just a smidge of the the worst harry potter fanfiction to ever exist.
Know what would have made a better movie? Something about the fucking fantastic beasts AS ADVERTISED. Know what else would have made a better movie? The origin of the hogwarts houses. Or the lives of the OG characters many years on. And tbh, if there is someone's backstory who deserved exploration in the Harry Potter universe it's... it's um... Hold on, everyone's origin was explained. The franchise was already perfect. And in this case, more just made it worse.
The queerbaiting, the veiled racism, the tokenism is all just a smidge of the the worst harry potter fanfiction to ever exist.
Know what would have made a better movie? Something about the fucking fantastic beasts AS ADVERTISED. Know what else would have made a better movie? The origin of the hogwarts houses. Or the lives of the OG characters many years on. And tbh, if there is someone's backstory who deserved exploration in the Harry Potter universe it's... it's um... Hold on, everyone's origin was explained. The franchise was already perfect. And in this case, more just made it worse.
November 3, 2019
4.5 fantastic ★★★★✬
⤐ Overall.
Obviously I loved it. The content is no surprise here I am just mainly in awe about the beautiful layout.
This book is for you if… you want to enjoy a beautifully designed book that advances your harry potter collection, both physically and spiritually.
⤐ Overall.
Obviously I loved it. The content is no surprise here I am just mainly in awe about the beautiful layout.
November 19, 2018
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay is awesome and brilliantly written. I loved every moment. Its totally 5 star.
November 17, 2018
Gestern habe ich den Film im Kino gesehen und heute kam das Buch an 😏😍. Absolut perfektes Timing! Deswegen habe ich es heute gleich gelesen 😂.
Ehrlich gesagt habe ich die Drehbücher von Band 1 und 2 beide jeweils kurz nach dem Film gelesen 🤔. Deswegen habe ich die Szenen bereits im Kopf. Wäre das nicht der Fall, würde mir die Aufmachung als Drehbuch wahrscheinlich nicht so gut gefallen 😂.
Mehr werde ich dazu nicht sagen 😎, ich werde schweigen 😏😝, weil ich euch sonst bestimmt irgendwie spoilern würde.
Ehrlich gesagt habe ich die Drehbücher von Band 1 und 2 beide jeweils kurz nach dem Film gelesen 🤔. Deswegen habe ich die Szenen bereits im Kopf. Wäre das nicht der Fall, würde mir die Aufmachung als Drehbuch wahrscheinlich nicht so gut gefallen 😂.
Mehr werde ich dazu nicht sagen 😎, ich werde schweigen 😏😝, weil ich euch sonst bestimmt irgendwie spoilern würde.
February 9, 2019
I will always and forever love anything that involves the wizarding world in any way. I wish I could live in it and immerse myself in it forever but sadly that’s not possible so I have to settle for these small glimpses into it. This is definitely not my favourite out of all the books involving this world but I still absolutely loved it! I’m loving the new set of characters and getting to know them, although the screenplay format is a bit of a challenge at times. I really love Newt’s magical creatures as well, they really add an awesome dimension to this story and I adore it. And anything featuring Dumbledore can’t help but be good, right?!
December 28, 2018
I know this might sound weird but I enjoyed reading the screenplay a lot more than actually watching the movie. When I left the theatre after seeing it a few weeks ago, I was so disappointed because the movie dragged on so much, was pretty boring and overall just couldn't match up to the first one. But there were many details in the screenplay that I hadn't even noticed in the movie and it was also such a quick read because scenes that dragged on for several minutes in the movie, were often summarised in two or three pages here which made this so much more enjoyable.
So the movie itself I would've probably rated 2 or 2.5 stars which is why I settled on 3 stars for the screenplay.
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So the movie itself I would've probably rated 2 or 2.5 stars which is why I settled on 3 stars for the screenplay.
instagram || my blog || twitter
January 31, 2019
I was very upset when I saw everyone is going crazy over watching the new Fantastic Beasts movie on the big screen and I couldn’t because of the unavoidable pressures of so called adulthood. So I watched it after the torrent came and then read the book, oops, sorry, the screenplay!
Frankly speaking, I neither liked the movie nor the screenplay. I wish it was all done in the first part as that was truly magical to me. The Crimes of Grindelwald was nothing but confusing and exaggerating. I was happy with the first book of the series and I wouldn’t have minded at all if there wasn’t this one. The ending of the first book was enough spellbinding to keep me contented throughout my life! And then came this with a sloppy starting and not so pleasing ending.
Personally, I have always liked the whole concept of Voldemort being the most frantic villain of the wizarding world and I really couldn’t accept Grindelwald in his place. Well yes, I know that they are completely different with totally diverse aims, I am still not impressed with this Grindelwald theory. To me, he was better as a story in Reeta Skeeter’s report only.
Well, it was an extremely anticipated read for me and I am greatly disappointed!
P.s. Jonny Depp as Grindelwald was utterly irritating. Perhaps, he won’t ever be able to come out of his Captain Jack Sparrow’s avatar!
Frankly speaking, I neither liked the movie nor the screenplay. I wish it was all done in the first part as that was truly magical to me. The Crimes of Grindelwald was nothing but confusing and exaggerating. I was happy with the first book of the series and I wouldn’t have minded at all if there wasn’t this one. The ending of the first book was enough spellbinding to keep me contented throughout my life! And then came this with a sloppy starting and not so pleasing ending.
Personally, I have always liked the whole concept of Voldemort being the most frantic villain of the wizarding world and I really couldn’t accept Grindelwald in his place. Well yes, I know that they are completely different with totally diverse aims, I am still not impressed with this Grindelwald theory. To me, he was better as a story in Reeta Skeeter’s report only.
Well, it was an extremely anticipated read for me and I am greatly disappointed!
P.s. Jonny Depp as Grindelwald was utterly irritating. Perhaps, he won’t ever be able to come out of his Captain Jack Sparrow’s avatar!
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