While visually gorgeous, the storytelling is confusing, overburdened with characters, and it left me feeling like I wasn’t in the club. None of the other movies made me feel this way. And the ending, which was supposed to be such a “reveal,” made my head spin. I had no idea what had just happened. Didn’t understand the contact. And I am a diehard Harry Potter fan. The acting is great, the casting is great—but the actual arc of the story didn’t make it into my heart. So it’s a waste of a lot of great talent, if you ask me.

Confusing and disjointed. Spent most of the movie waiting for things to come together and make sense. Was really looking forward to this sequel but it turned out to be very disappointing.

For the serious fans who this series is meant for, the promise of at least six more hours of Fantastic Beasts action likely means a lot more thrilling beasts, barriers, and beats to explore. Everyone else may find that all the little personal bits of character business and frantic complications aren’t much of a substitute for a clear and compelling plot with a single meaningful protagonist.

Tasha Robinson

The Verge

Telling an audience this stuff is important is one thing: making them actually feel that it is is the magical part, and Grindelwald bungles the trick.

Robbie Collin

The Telegraph