Casey Combs |Contributor"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" is another adventure film from the fictional world created by author J.K. Rowling. The film is the sequel to the "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," which came out in 2016."The Crimes of Grindelwald" is set a few months after the events of the last movie. While main characters, magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and auror Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), are on opposite sides of the world, the dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), escapes prison. This leads to a harrowing chase to his new headquarters in Paris. Along the way we meet both new and familiar characters, including a young Professor Albus Dumbledore, whom fans of Harry Potter will be quick to recognize.Although he did not appear much in this film, Jude Law gave a great performance as Dumbledore, drawing on the speech patterns and mannerisms that many already know and love of the older character from the Potter movies.Redmayne also proved once again that he was made for the role of Newt Scamander. Before filming for the first movie in the series, the actor underwent training from zoologists to learn how they walk and act around their animal subjects. Even though there are many characters to keep up with, Redmayne steals the show.The visuals of this installment are spectacular, and the action is sure to keep watchers on the edge of their seats. Rowling continues to build on the magic and wonder of her wizarding world, creating an intricate plot that somehow weaves perfectly into the main Harry Potter franchise, and connecting plots and characters together over multiple generations of her world. There is a major plot twist at the very end of the film and also insinuations throughout the film that Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald had a past relationship (and maybe were once lovers), which would have a significant impact on both franchises if proven true.Unfortunately, the middle of this film may seem bogged down by information for those who are not extremely familiar with the world of wizardry. Even hard-core Harry Potter fans will likely need a refresher on all of the connecting characters and subplots. However, all of this information did not take away from the overall story or quality of the film.Overall, "The Crimes of Grindelwald" is full of magic and is sure to capture the hearts of both new and old fans of Rowling's wizarding world. The film is playing at the Regal Augusta Exchange, GTC Riverwatch and GTC Evans Cinemas.Film in a boxTitle: “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”Director: David Yates.Writer: J.K. Rowling.Stars: Johnny Dep, Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston.Length: 134 minutes.Rating: PG-13.Studio: Heyday Films (Warner Brothers).Contact Casey Combs at cacombs@augusta.edu.