I saw the first Fantastic Beast film prior to this one, and while it had its fair share of problems, I really did enjoy most of the film. It's a fun action and character flick, manages to sell some very good character development with a good deal of fun and tense action.

This movie however somehow manages to set up what is going to be a very disappointing end to a trilogy. While the first Fantastic Beasts film managed to sell a very convincing three act structure led by a clear A and B plot, Beasts 2 has so many plots occurring at the same time it's hard to follow them.

To make matters worse, Johnny Depp as Grindelwald is not given a chance to shine. He gives a good performance, but the script just isn't there, for any character. Especially Dumbledore.

This just doesn't feel like the Albus Dumbledore I know from the books or films. Even as a thirty to fifty year old man.

There's fan service and plot holes galore, made dozens of times worse by the poor character writing, pacing, and plot. These don't feel like the same characters from the last film, and worst of all, most big reveals or plot beats come across as either retcons, nonsensical, or at times worst.

In simpler terms, this film can't even get by on the skin of its teeth like the last film.

I actually wanted nothing more than a film depicting the first Global Wizarding War and Grindelwald's reign of terror. The problem is, everything is so messy and rushed, that they don't have enough time to flesh out anything.

And again, anything that is developed is too rushed and or clumsy and nonsensical to be considered solid.

The film's fatal flaw is that this series probably wasn't planned as a trilogy except without pushing from marketing and the studio. This didn't need to be a trilogy, but they combined two very different aspects of the Harry Potter universe into this rushed mess of a film to make more money. And what we got is just this odd disappointment.

At this point, with Johnny Depp leaving the franchise, there's nothing left but a very predictable and boring third film in this ever dwindling Harry Potter movie franchise.

In my opinion, if JKR, Warner Brother's and the Wizarding World corporates want to save the movie franchise they need to make films the fans actually want to see in a coherent way. Like of course, a Marauders film that can be an alternate universe of the book's original events.

Or even a Marauder's AU miniseries.

This is of course entering fanfiction/AU territory, but at this point with how incongruent with canon they've gotten it wouldn't be a step too far.