Fantastic Beasts 2 struggles to cast captivating spell for long

After all those wonderful Harry Potter books and equally wonderful movie adaptations it would be fair to say we all thought J.K. Rowling walked on water. Now she is treading water. Perhaps even sinking.

After all those wonderful Harry Potter books — and of course, those equally wonderful movie adaptations — it would be fair to say we all thought J.K. Rowling walked on water.

Now that we are two movies into the author and screenwriter’s new Potter-ish series project Fantastic Beasts, a new consensus is taking shape.

J.K. Rowling is treading water. Perhaps sinking in our estimations, even.

Callum Turner, Zoe Kravitz and Eddie Redmayne in a scene from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Picture: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP

This is not to mark down the new Fantastic Beasts instalment The Crimes of Grindelwald as a legitimate dud. The gorgeous period visuals and the lavish production values make this one of the best designed movies of 2018.

If you simply wish to immerse and lose yourself in a vivid, pre-Harry incarnation of the Potter-verse, then The Crimes of Grindelwald will do the trick just nicely.

However, when it comes to conjuring true movie magic from the exploits of series hero Newt Scamander and his many friends and foes, this sequel (like its predecessor) struggles to cast a captivating spell for long.

Jude Law in a scene from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Picture: Warner Bros/Roadshow Pictures.

And as the sole screenwriter of The Crimes of Grindelwald, Rowling must accept a fair whack of the blame.

The new movie has too many characters doing too much yapping.

Mostly about stuff that is either too hard to follow, or too soft to get invested in.

The garbled story doesn’t flow in any particular direction. At best, it slowly oozes towards an ickily inconclusive finale.

Johnny Depp in a scene from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Picture: Warner Bros/Roadshow Pictures via AP

Jude Law in a scene from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Picture: Warner Bros/Roadshow Pictures.

As before, the plot plays out in the mid-to-late 1920s. However, this time, there is a major change of location, with the action shifting from a dark, drab New York City to a grey, gay Paris.

It is here that the wicked Dark Wizard known as Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp, playing it relatively straight aside from overdoing it with the blonde hair dye) has escaped from the magic authorities to whip up a war against No-Majs (what they used to call Muggles back then, apparently).

Claudia Kim and Ezra Miller in a scene from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Picture: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros via AP

Claudia Kim and Ezra Miller in a scene from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Picture: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros via AP

It is the belief of those who oppose Grindelwald and the rising anti-human movement he is spearheading that only one man can stop him: his former close friend Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law, doing some fine work in the brief scenes sent his way).

While Dumbledore has his reasons for ultimately declining the mission, he makes sure the onerous task goes to his favourite former student Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne).

You remember Newt, right? He’s the twitchy “magizoologist” with the wispy voice and a suitcase full of funny, freaky creatures.

Eddie Redmayne in a scene from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Picture: Warner Bros/Roadshow Pictures.

Zoe Kravitz and Johnny Depp in a scene from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Picture: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros via AP

As in the first Fantastic Beasts adventure, Newt isn’t the most engaging or exciting character around which to frame a movie.

The filmmakers seem to sense this too, as he does go missing in action often here due to all the excess storytelling baggage that needs to be offloaded throughout.

Considering the urgency of Newt’s assignment to get the better of the fiendish Grindelwald — and also track down angst-ridden dangerman Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) — do we really need constant updates on Newt’s romantic inclinations as well?

Not really.

Katherine Waterston in a scene from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Picture: Warner Bros via AP

eddie Redmayne as Newt in a scene from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Picture: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros via AP

The same goes for so-so sub-plotting that keeps sending a reserve team of additional goodies, baddies and beasties into the field of play.

Not to mention the movie’s need to include some rather obvious shout-outs to stuff that will happen further down the track when Harry P is enrolled at Hogwart’s.

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD (m)

Rating: Two and a half stars (2.5 out of 5)

Director: David Yates (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp, Katherine Waterston, Jude Law, Dan Fogler, Zoe Kravitz, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller.

A not-so-fantastic story that slowly oozes towards an ickily inconclusive finale.