As the release of the third Fantastic Beasts film approaches, I have been reflecting on our last collective journey into the Wizarding World, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. I was a big fan of the first Fantastic Beasts movie and excited for the release of the sequel in 2018. I did legitimately enjoy spending a few more hours with Newt and his creatures. The film had plenty of delightful moments and surprises for me. Overall though, I felt the movie lacked a cohesive story and was a weaker entry in the Wizarding World franchise. If you've followed any discussion of Crimes of Grindelwald, you'll know that I am being much more generous than the consensus online. This film was divisive among fans and panned pretty hard by critics. (For one measure, it has a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes)
While I definitely recognize this film has room for improvement, I think my criticisms differ from the conventional wisdom. A common criticism made about this movie is that including Newt’s story in the Dumbledore/Grindelwald conflict is inherently flawed. I disagree. After all, the Harry Potter series successfully combines students attending boarding school with a war against evil. I think this movie had a path to success and I want to take a crack at fixing it. My goal here is to restructure Crimes of Grindelwald into a satisfying film by moving around some exposition and character groupings, all the while preserving the existing essence of the film - meaning I want to keep most of the same locations, scenes, action sequences, character relationships, and mysteries. There are a lot of great ideas in this movie that I think can be better supported!
While critics may quibble about a lot of different details, here's what I think were the fundamental issues that hurt this movie's general appeal:
Issue 1: This is too little interaction between the core characters. It is odd that the movie ditches the dynamic of the Newt/Jacob/Tina/Queenie group from the first Fantastic Beasts film. A huge stretch of the movie involves Tina looking for Credence alone, Queenie looking for Tina alone, and Newt/Jacob looking for Tina - not to mention Credence, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald each doing their own thing. Our main character Newt doesn’t meet either of the plot's two central characters, Credence or Grindelwald, until the very end of the movie. This is supposed to be a character driven movie, but it is difficult for the audience to get invested in the conflicts and relationships between characters who barely interact. This also leads to a lack of dialogue to understand the characters or give exposition, which ties into my next point.
Issue 2: The central mystery of “Who is Credence?” is explored at a poor pace. Essentially there are two hours of pretty cryptic clues and then a massive exposition dump just before the final battle. Yusuf Kama gives a quite complicated family history of the Lestranges very quickly, which seems to be delivered as a twist reveal of Credence’s story. However, we immediately find out Yusuf was wrong when Leta explains Credence is just a random baby she found during a shipwreck. There needs to be a less confusing build up, and the supposed twist can’t be immediately invalidated.
Issue 3: There is an awesome wizard circus with magic animals in a Fantastic Beasts movie and we only spend a few minutes there! Okay, maybe this is not a fatal flaw, but a fun point I'll expand on later.
My aim here is to keep the endpoints of the film pretty much intact. I don’t know where the series is going or how the mysteries will be resolved, so I don’t want to change any setup if possible. Hopefully when Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is released this refactoring will still make sense. I also want to keep most of the magic and action sequences in place just because I am trying to make this movie better, not make a whole new movie. My first two changes will be a bit bigger, but with an updated first act, we can make just a few subtle tweaks in the back half to let the story really click into place.
With all that in mind, here are my suggested changes:
Change 1: Reunite our four heroes early in the movie
Original movie: Queenie and Jacob show up at Newt’s house. Queenie has magically drugged Jacob and is trying to marry him in London. Jacob explains he got his memories back after losing them in the last movie. Newt undoes the spell and Jacob and Queenie get into a fight. Queenie leaves to find Tina in Paris. Newt and Jacob embark to find Tina and Queenie in Paris. Tina is in Paris looking for Credence.
New movie: Instead, let’s have Queenie, Jacob, and Tina all meet Newt in London. Queenie and Jacob have started dating again but need Newt’s help to fix Jacob’s memory (which was erased by the venom of one of Newt’s beasts in the first movie). Newt does some magic so Jacob’s memory can slowly return over the course of the film. Newt can explain he refused to help the Ministry or Dumbledore pursue Credence, but Tina convinces him to help her do it. They all go to Paris to look for Credence together.
Why? This will give more time to build up to Queenie and Jacob’s conflict, give more weight to Jacob’s ending in the first movie, and use these characters’ core relationships to get them back together. And we remove the problematic love spell stuff that kind of undermines the audience's investment in Jacob and Queenie's relationship.
Change 2: Everyone meets up at the cool wizard circus
Original movie: Tina goes to the Circus Arcanus to find Credence. Credence happens at this time to cause chaos so he and Nagini can run away, and the circus packs up and moves out. Yusuf was also at the circus, and kidnaps Tina. Newt and Jacob bumble around Paris looking for Tina until they meet Yusuf who also imprisons them. Newt, Tina, and Jacob break out, knock out Yusuf, and bring him to Flamel’s safehouse. Meanwhile, Queenie bumbles around Paris looking for Tina. Also, Yusuf is treating a magical eyeball parasite.
New movie: We’ll spend a bit more time with everyone at the Circus Arcanus. Grindelwald will first find Credence at the circus, and tell him he can help find out who he is. Newt and friends also go to the circus to look for Credence. They meet Yusuf who hints at a connection with Credence. Then Grindelwald can go out to the crowd and give a little bad guy speech on how he is against the statute of secrecy, and invite people to his upcoming rally. Queenie looks intrigued, and encounters a minion of Grindelwald who notices her mind-reading powers. This all inspires Credence to break out with Nagini and cause chaos at the circus. Tina tries to capture Grindelwald. Newt tries to help using his Swooping Evil (Pokéball bird) to capture Grindelwald, as in the first Fantastic Beasts film, but Grindelwald kills it and escapes. Everyone scatters and the circus packs up and moves out. In the chaos, Yusuf is injured by a parasite-creature at the circus jumping into his eye. The group brings Yusuf back to the safehouse to help him recover.
Why? This is where I need to inject the most of my own creativity, but my main point is most of the characters should converge at some conflict earlier on. At this point in the original film, all the characters are spread out into 5 or 6 different plot lines without very clear motivations. This could be a perfect point in the film to consolidate the threads while deepening the characters' relationships. I think Grindelwald needs some personal conflict with the core group earlier in the movie. Showing him escape Tina and kill Newt’s beast that the audience knows from the first film would give us and the characters a more visceral hatred of Grindelwald, and ratchet up the threat by showing him overcome how he was captured last time. (The film originally tries to accomplish this by showing Grindelwald killing a random baby. That was a bit on the nose for me. Baby murders should stay as Voldemort's thing… and Leta’s I suppose)
This makes our introduction to Yusuf more straightforward. At the very end of Crimes of Grindelwald and in the trailer for Secrets of Dumbledore, Yusuf seems to have been welcomed to the team of good guys, which is odd considering he had spent this movie attempting kidnappings and murders. Having Yusuf join the team due to intrigue and injury seems a better path for his character, and still leads to him going to the safehouse with an injury as in the original film.
This new sequence can also tease Queenie’s later betrayal, and set up her Legilimens powers as a reason that Grindelwald would want to recruit her.
And crucially, all of this gives us more time in this amazing wizard circus set piece, which I think was a huge wasted opportunity in the original film. (If I was going to completely overhaul the film, I’d make the circus the main premise and call it “Fantastic Beasts of the Circus Arcanus”. That sounds like the title of a family blockbuster adventure!)
Change 3: Queenie fights with Jacob and leaves, but later
Original movie: Queenie and Jacob fight very early in the movie and she leaves to look for Tina.
New movie: After getting to the safehouse, Jacob’s memory keeps fading back in, he remembers that muggle-witch relations are illegal in the U.S. Jacob and Queenie fight about their relationship, and Newt and Tina fail to support Queenie, so Queenie gets mad and leaves the group to wander Paris. (Then Queenie’s story continues as in the original film. Grindelwald’s minion Rosier finds Queenie and takes her to meet Grindelwald.)
Why? This change allows Queenie to spend more time with the other characters instead of being isolated wandering around on her own for most of the movie, while still setting up her same character arc. We get to see her relationships with the other characters for a while before she leaves. Since she is in conflict with all her friends instead of just Jacob, and since we see her interested in Grindelwald earlier in “Change 2”, her later betrayal is more earned.
Change 4: Yusuf explains the Lestrange family, but earlier
Original movie: Yusuf explains the Lestrange family tree near the end of the movie.
New movie: Once Yusuf has recovered with the crew at Flamel safehouse, he can explain his family history and how he thinks Credence is related to the Lestranges (conveniently omitting that he believes he vowed to kill Credence). He will also tell everyone there is a family record in the French ministry that can prove it.
Why? This confusing backstory of the Lestranges is now known earlier in the movie, where it can have space to be taken in instead of being crammed between action sequences. Plus, now this reveal can have an impact as I will explain in “Change 5”.
The following may be an oversight of mine, but I don't think it was made very clear why Newt later knows to go to the French ministry for the Lestrange record, except vaguely from being friends with Leta. There will be stronger story progression and exposition if this is revealed to Newt alongside the audience at some point.
(To be fair, I believe something like this was intended in the original cut of the film. The sewer Yusuf uses as a prison has the Lestrange family tree on the wall which was mentioned in promotions for the movie. Ultimately this detail is not mentioned in the theatrical cut or extended edition.)
Change 5: Newt and Tina help Credence fight Grimmson
Original movie: Newt used magic gold powder to track Tina early in the film. Separately, a British ministry bounty hunter named Grimmson finds Credence and Nagini and they fight.
New movie: This fight will be moved later into the movie since nothing of consequence really happens to Credence between the fight and the climax at the tomb (other than Credence and Grindelwald’s conversation, which has been replaced earlier in “Change 2”). Newt can use the magic gold powder to track where Credence went after leaving the circus. Newt and Tina find Credence during his fight with the bounty hunter Grimmson and help Credence win. Newt and Tina tell Credence the info they have learned from Yusuf, that they think he is a Lestrange. Credence is skeptical, but Newt says they can prove it by getting the family tree from the French ministry. Now the rest of Newt and Tina’s story basically plays out the same, but Credence and Nagini tag along to the French ministry break-in. (And subsequently to the tomb)
Why? First of all, I want to keep the fun magic tracking sequence that I excised earlier, so Newt can use those methods to follow Credence. The Grimmson vs. Credence fight doesn't have much impact in the original movie besides being a neat action sequence. Now, we'll pay off Newt's rivalry with Grimmson set up in the original film, and use this moment as a turning point in the plot. This lets Credence and Nagini join the fun main adventure of the movie, and it uses the Lestrange family story to motivate the characters. It gives a chance for the movie to reiterate the Lestrange story for stronger exposition. I also think there isn’t a strong explanation for why Newt and Tina try to break into the French ministry to steal the family tree in the original film, and this solidly sets up that sequence. But maybe most importantly this will give a clear sense of progression in the story - Newt’s goal is to find Credence, and he accomplishes it (for now).
Change 6: A shorter Credence reveal leads to Credence feeling betrayed
Original movie: It turns out the Lestrange family tree is actually at the Lestrange tomb and most of the characters end up there together. Yusuf explains his and Credence’s family history, and that he believes he has made an unbreakable vow to kill Credence. Leta explains that Credence is actually not a Lestrange, but a random baby who she swapped out on a boat, and the family tree proves it. Credence is sad because he still wants to know who he is.
New movie: It turns out the Lestrange family record is actually at the Lestrange tomb and most of the characters end up there together. (We skip Yusuf’s family story because we explained it earlier in “Change 3”) Yusuf reveals that he believes he has made an unbreakable vow to kill Credence. Leta explains that Credence is actually not a Lestrange, but a random baby who she swapped out on a boat, and the family tree proves it. Credence is mad at Newt and Tina for being wrong about his identity.
Why? This scene is much more compelling if the Lestrange family backstory has been used by Newt to motivate Credence. Now the twist has immediate repercussions on his character motivation rather than being just another piece of plot. Yusuf's attempt to kill is more shocking if he didn't spend the whole movie kidnapping people. Credence’s choice to join Grindelwald will be more emotional if he first joined Newt, but has to go to Grindelwald as his last resort when Newt seemingly failed him.
Wrapping Up
Anything I didn’t mention can basically stay the same in this new version of the movie, and the movie ends the same way. (I know it may seem like I changed quite a lot, but there are plenty of things I didn’t touch - Grindelwald’s breakout, Newt’s visit to the Ministry, Newt’s basement, the Zuowu, everything with Dumbledore, Nicolas Flamel, Theseus, Leta, et cetera, et cetera. There’s a lot of stuff in this movie!) If you want a quick refresher on how it all ends: Grindelwald holds a gathering and asks his followers to join him by walking through some magic loyalty-testing fire. Credence trusts that Grindelwald knows his true identity so he goes through the fire. Queenie joins Grindelwald too. Newt and Dumbledore team up to break a blood pact between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Grindelwald reveals that Credence is a secret Dumbledore!
Overall, while these changes keep most of the same core aspects of the film, I think it moves the characters and exposition around in a way that really makes the film better paced and enjoyable. This now really is Newt’s movie. He is motivated by the main plot of recruiting Credence early on and there are fewer threads where we cut away from him. We learn information about the mystery of Credence along with Newt, and Newt actually helps Credence get from point A to point B instead of just showing up for story time at the end. We get Grindelwald to personally beat Newt and Tina and do some animal murder so that the characters and audience actually feel some visceral hatred for this guy. Jacob’s memory loss in the first film isn't glossed over, but is used to get the gang back together. We spend time with Jacob and Queenie together so we can be sad when Queenie leaves and even sadder when she joins Grindelwald. We see Newt and Tina pitch their case to Credence so that his decision at the end of the movie has weight. And the exposition comes slowly so we care about the big twist at the end.
There are of course other rough edges that could be cleaned up, and bits of continuity that could be tweaked to line up better with the established Wizarding World canon. But my attempt at a minimal set of changes is already long enough without me tacking on another rant! I think these points address the major flaws that made this film a bit of a slog to general audiences. It's too bad the potential of this entry will remain untapped, but I am hopeful Secrets of Dumbledore will bring a course correction to the franchise.
About the author: Bonkers Bricks lives in the U.S.A. and has been avid fan of the Harry Potter books and films since 2001. A LEGO enthusiast as well, he has amassed a collection of LEGO Harry Potter and LEGO Fantastic Beasts merchandise spanning over twenty years. Follow @BonkersBricks on Instagram for updates on his LEGO Wizarding World.