Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald has finally landed on digital, along with a new extended cut that I absolutely need to talk about!
In case you didn’t already know, the home release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald includes an extended cut of the film, which has around 7-minutes of added footage. I know that might not sound like much, but it certainly adds up when you’re watching the movie. Before I get to my review, however, I’ve got to say that while I had several issues with the theatrical version, I found it to be an extremely enjoyable instalment of the Wizarding World series. For the most part, J.K. Rowling and director David Yates did an excellent job of expanding the universe and exploring the characters, while also introducing new concepts and themes to the franchise.
So, what did I think of the extended cut?
Well, I should probably start by saying that while the extended cut only includes 7-minutes of added material, I believe it is the superior version of the movie. That’s not to say the added footage fixes every issue I have with the film (there are still major pacing and narrative problems), but the extended version certainly improves the narrative flow of the film and gives the audience some much-needed information, especially in the opening act. There are certain moments of dialogue in the extended cut, specifically between Newt (Eddie Redmayne) and Dumbledore (Jude Law), that help tidy the messy narrative and make the overly complex tale much easier to follow. Honestly, now that I’ve seen the extended cut and compared it to the original, it’s difficult to understand why some of these moments (especially crucial lines of dialogue) were cut from the theatrical release, as the significantly improve the muddled story and give the audience critical information about the series.
The extended cut also offers some exciting and fulfiling new character moments, especially for supporting characters like Credence (Ezra Miller), Leta (Zoë Kravitz), and Nagini (Claudia Kim), who were somewhat neglected in the theatrical version of the film. Of course, I won’t go into any specifics and spoil what the new sequences reveal, however, I will say that the majority of new scenes add more depth to the overall narrative and give the audience a better chance to connect with some of the supporting characters. Much like the added lines of dialogue, there are certain moments added here, such as the ballroom sequence (yes, the one from the trailers), that add a great deal of context to the film and yet again, I’m struggling to understand why David Yates and Warner Bros. decided to leave them on the cutting room floor.
Overall, the extended cut of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald still suffers from several issues that injured the theatrical version, but many of the additional scenes and lines of dialogue and further context to the narrative, making the film feel neater and more satisfying. Thanks to a few entirely new sequences, we’re also able to develop a more substantial connection with a number of supporting characters, making it easier to follow the story and enjoy this wizarding adventure.
Coming from someone who had a lot of fun with the theatrical cut, this version simply offers more to enjoy, but I also feel like someone watching Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald for the first time would have a more enjoyable experience with the extended cut.
Have you watched the extended cut of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald yet? Let me know what you thought in the comments section below, and if you enjoyed this miniature review, please follow The Blog That Must Not Be Named on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
I saw the deleted scenes on youtube (about 14 minutes) and agree that it would’ve help make a lot more sense. I think this film should have been simpler with some of the storylines edited or else extended into two films to give all of the characters enough space for their arcs.
Credence Barebone is the character I wanted to know more about so I liked the scene of him and Nagini; with very little dialogue the audience is able to get the sensation of empathy and tenderness between them. It also reveals he’s able to have some of control over his abilities–but I want to see that explored and discussed in a future film. How did he just get “lucky” to survive with an Obscurus inside of him for so long or is it part of his bloodline that allows him to contain that much power?
There’s still plenty about Credence that we don’t know, but I don’t doubt Rowling will explore that in-depth in the next few films.