Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is released domestically and in most other territories on November 16. This will mark the second in a reported 5 film series of Fantastic Beasts movies. Written by Harry Potter author JK Rowling herself, fans are keen to see where the story will be taken after a decent if not mesmerizing first movie.

Well, the assorted press has started releasing their reviews for the movie now following advance screenings. Today we have collated some, but certainly not all of these reviews for you to check out. I would say that of all the reviews I have had time to find and read so far, things are generally positive without anyone raving about the movie. If I had to guess I would say it’s averaging out as pretty positive though with some specific criticisms in places. But, enough of my nonsense, check some of the reviews out below.

The Wrap –

As it stands, there are so many universes, monsters, baddies, references and foreshadowing going on it’s very difficult to keep up – although granted, it felt cosy to be reintroduced to certain parts of the world after all these years. It looks glorious and comes tantalisingly close to some ground-breaking storylines (#protectthesecrets) but you’ve got to have your wits about you to keep up. Potterheads will lap it up and there are enough cuddly beasts for the little ones, but had me cross-eyed with overplotitis.

Variety –

We are whisked from New York to London and then on to Paris. The plot has circus scenes, including South Korean actress Claudia Kim as the shape-shifting Nagini undergoing an extraordinary transformation, as well as chases and explosions. In one ill-judged montage, we peer into the future and the characters catch glimpses of the Second World War and of atomic bombs. With so different narrative strands, the storytelling risks becoming tangled. Even so, The Crimes of Grindelwald is rich and intriguing fare that will leave viewers impatient for the next sequel (if only so they can make more sense of what has been going on here.) [4/5]

THR –

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is another strong entry in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World saga. Rowling has improved upon the first Fantastic Beasts film by fleshing out her characters in a way that’s engaging, though not everybody receives as much attention. Both Johnny Depp and Eddie Redmayne are – forgive the pun – fantastic in their respective roles. [8/10]

RELATED: Fantastic Beasts Producer David Heyman Doesn’t Think the Films Just Speak To Today’s Current Political Climate

Den of Geek –

The “Potter” saga is a rich, sprawling and beloved tale, and the inspired “Beasts” films are seemingly committed to filling in important nooks and crannies: Hufflepuffs and Slytherins alike will enjoy seeing Dumbledore as an emotionally troubled teacher decades before becoming Harry’s eccentric mentor. “Crimes” is missing some of the goofy appeal of the original “Beasts,” where stopping lovable creatures from making a mess of the Big Apple comprised much of the conflict. But the world keeps turning and the threats get bigger for heroic wand-wavers, even the resident magizoologist.

The New York Times –

An enjoyable foray into JK Rowling’s imagination, bolstered by a more appealing Eddie Redmayne, but you can’t help feel The Crimes Of Grindelwald is still treading water until future chapters. [3/5]

Indie Wire –

Politically, it’s on-point, on-the-nose, and in line with Rowling’s vocal rebukes to Trumpism. Dramatically, it’s thin, because the film makes the one significant defection to the dark side feel like a by-product of story necessity, not credible motivation. Newt, meanwhile, never conveys anything resembling an impure impulse. He’s as tame as the cuddliest beasts stuffed into his suitcase, and even less fantastic than the series he headlines. [C]

So there you have it, folks, I don’t see anything here to make me think twice about taking my son to see the movie. But that’s just my personal take on the reviews here. LRM hope to have our own review up as soon as we can manage it, so stay tuned for that.

Let us know what you think of the reviews and whether you are planning to see the movie upon release or not. Hit us up in the comments below, as always.

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SOURCE: Various (linked above)

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