The Crimes of Grindelwald, the sequel to J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, just hit theatres after a much-anticipated two years of waiting, and it certainly did not disappoint, as a box office success and scintillating addition to the Wizarding World universe.

Acting remained amazing for this sequel of a prequel. Eddie Redmayne was perfectly awkward as protagonist Newt Scamander, with really relatable acting for the introverts of the world. Johnny Depp was, well, Johnny Depp, really portraying villain Gellert Grindelwald superbly. Ezra Miller really seemed like a tortured obscurial, and I have no complaints about the rest of the cast, either.

CGI and directing met my expectations fully. Once I was immersed, I never questioned the reality of the movie, and Harry Potter director David Yates made me feel like nifflers stealing blood pact gems were a completely normal occurrence. The action sequences, if a bit too frequent, were riveting, and I was always wondering what surprise would come next. The screenplay, likewise, was tremendous, knowing just when to infuse humor and how to make the plot breathtaking.

Anybody with an intricate knowledge of the Harry Potter books will be able to spot several Easter eggs laid there just for them. I thought it was particularly cool how it depicted cleaning up after owls in the Ministry- something only briefly mentioned in the seventh chapter of The Order of the Phoenix (they were later replaced with paper airplanes). Little details like that really made the film for me, personally.

I like the inclusions of Leta Lestrange and Albus Dumbledore in this edition. It’s pretty neat to gain some hints about what led to the situation we all know so well in the original heptalogy. The plot twist at the end is particularly engrossing for fans of the seventh book.

There are some drawbacks to the film, however. It fails to capture the dual awe that could be felt in the first movie’s depiction of a magical 1920s New York, and, of course, in the beasts. It can be extremely confusing for people who are only casual observers of the Wizarding World universe; non-Potterheads might experience confusion several times. Rowling might be becoming too niche with this new direction.

Overall, I’d strongly recommend this to Harry Potter fans. If you didn’t watch the first nine movies, you should probably enjoy those before you go to see this, just so you don’t feel in over your head. It’s well worth a watch, so get to it!

One side note, irrelevant to the movie: while I was viewing this at Colonie Center Mall, there was an evacuation because somebody was smoking in the bathrooms and set off the fire alarm. As an Albany High Student used to hectic seven-minute evacuations, I really must praise the efficient procedures the mall has in place, and the fast response time of the Fire Department. Good job!