I left the theatre two years ago severely disappointed. I hadn't seen the film since then so I thought that maybe I should give it another shot. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as bad as I remembered but there was still enough issues that, if the world the story exists in wasn't so interesting, Fantastic Beasts 2 would be completely forgettable.

The first half has a fantastic set up. Grindelwald is portrayed as evil and calculating, Jude Law is convincing as a young Dumbledore, and Newt is immediately more interesting in this second volume than the first.

And then something odd happens with about 30 minutes to go in the movie. Without getting into spoilers: We get nonsensical character decisions, soap-opera level plot twists that make no sense and are wedged in for shock value, and suddenly it feels like there are too many characters without enough story to justify them being there.

For a film that, let's be honest, exists to set up the third volume it overcomplicates itself when it doesn't need to. There is an interesting set of core characters that need room to breathe in this film and they are suffocated by over-exposition and convoluted intertwining plots that don't make sense.

It's too bad, really. Crimes of Grindelwald isn't a complete and utter failure but it is frustrating when a film has the ingredients to be successful and it falls short.

Initial reaction was a 4/10. Two years later I give it a 6/10.