Fantastic Beasts: the Crimes of Grindelwald

This second episode in the five-film Fantastic Beasts franchise makes for a sumptuously absorbing spectacle. A complex plot and the introduction of more characters adds narrative richness and a deepening mythology to the Wizarding World created by JK Rowling, who is at the peak of her magical storytelling powers. The action opens in 1927, where Newt Scamander (the ever-reliable Eddie Redmayne) journeys to Paris alongside assorted friends, family and villains to learn why escaped convict Grindelwald (sinister Johnny Depp) is searching for the mysterious Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller). The story works in various trips to Hogwarts, adding a further Harry Potter shimmer to the magisterial mix, with Albus Dumbledore (a sprightly Jude Law) playing a key role in the dazzling escapades that unfold. Directed with fast-paced efficiency and an epic sense of wonder by Potterverse veteran David Yates, this blockbuster continues to build on the fabulous formula.