‘The Crimes of Grindelwald’ Brings Back the Magic

Who Didn’t Want to Attend Hogwarts?

The Harry Potter franchise is the foundation of many people’s childhood. It was a story that had it all, from typical teenage problems to flying broomsticks and dragons. If you don’t remember the book parties that were held at Borders or Barnes and Noble when each novel was released, the truth is you’re probably too young and have embraced an era of digital screens and virtual happiness.

Just this past weekend, I was able to sit down and reminisce by watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Not only did I get to enjoy the film, but the next day, two friends of mine who went to London last year gifted me a Marauder’s Map poster from their trip. It was in storage for SEVEN MONTHS, and just as I decided to crack open the DVD player to watch my childhood, this happened…Call it luck or coincidence, but in my mind magic is real.

The film itself was a tearful experience from start to finish as I remembered how spectacular it felt to believe that I could one day ride Buckbeak or cast my own Patronus. Alfonso Cuaron’s masterpiece even gave me nightmares! I mean, come on. The Dementors and Werewolf were insanely realistic for 2004 (it beats the Orcs in the Hobbit films, that’s for sure).

The wonder behind the Harry Potter saga is that the audience created a connection with the books and the movies. The books were great don’t get me wrong, but the movies had their own little visual spark that enamored fans. For me, it was being able to look up to Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. These heroes stuck together and grew up with one another, which gave a younger me the ability to see what I could become in my adolescence. It’s such an incredible thing to realize that this series of films took ten years to make, and the characters went from innocent eleven-year-olds, to mature and respectable adults (it’s not like the child stars or Instagram/social media icons of today, who do something dumb every day of the year).

“The internet has been a boon and a curse for teenagers.” – JK Rowling

Flying Back in Time Before Harry Defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

Now, JK Rowling and Warner Brothers have expanded on the Universe through the creation of Fantastic Beasts. The first movie was not a disappointment, and although it missed my favorite characters from Harry Potter, it created appealing new ones that quickly won over my heart. This film is exactly what adult me needed. Time flies, and we can’t always look up to teenagers to give us the key to success or fantasy. Eddie Redmayne brings a quirky Newt Scamander to life that is pleasing to watch and you really feel sympathy for as he cares for his magical creatures. However, the franchise does seem to be more dark—unnerving even.

The second film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, will bring back all of the first film’s best characters, and even adding Johnny Depp as the second most evil Wizard in the history of the Magical World, Grindelwald. However, if you know your Hogwarts trivia, you know that the inclusion of Grindelwald means that Dumbledore has to make a comeback. Jude Law will rejuvenate the wise headmaster and play Albus in this continuation. 

The creator of this world continues to impress in many fields. Rowling could have just settled and stopped with the Harry Potter books, but instead she became a screenwriter and has been working hard on these films. Without her, this concept would have never worked because she is the key to the necessary suspension of disbelief. Her dialogue is fathomable, the plots are well-developed, and the charm from the incantations continues to live on. Her strong attention to these characters and storylines is why Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will be pleasant and kindhearted—and this is without the trailer. To sum it up: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is admitting new students.

Not only does the teaser bring me spontaneous merriment, but it looks beautiful. Scamander and his friends leave America and journey around Europe to see how they can put an end to Grindelwald’s continuous reign of terror. Jude Law’s performance in these two minutes is already everything a fan could ask for: witty, endearing, and confident. The spells look more epic as ever too, as we see two Wizards slam the ground to create an all-powerful crack in the earth.

Make sure you check out extra information on their site to get secret plot twists and reveals for the film: Pottermore. If you haven’t taken the ultimate, final, and legit quiz to see which house you’re in, you have homework to do (as assigned by me, your new Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts…I’ve always wanted to say that).

Before I leave you all to rejoice in the magic, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, an original play by Rowling, has been announced to run in San Francisco starting 2019. This show has destroyed records in Europe and is known for its remarkable special effects. It will be split into two different shows: Part one as a Matinee showing, intermission; and Part two as an evening show in order to grant the audience an enchanting day. I apologize for any distress and anxiety I may have caused for those who don’t have any patience and want to see the show now; all I can say is that your supernatural dreams will come true:

“With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory.” – Lupin, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. 

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is set to release on November 16th.

-Franco Machado-Pesce