*Warning: the following review may contain spoilers.*

If you’re looking for another Harry Potter Universe spin-off to enjoy, congratulations, this is the right movie for you. However, if you’re not a huge Harry Potter fan, don’t even try to make it through this movie. Filled with talented actors, beautiful scenes, and powerful animations, The Crimes of Grindelwald seems to be set for success. The only thing it’s missing? A coherent and understandable plot.

Set in the same universe as the beloved Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, The Crimes of Grindelwald follows the lives of various background characters in the original book series. Set seventy years before Harry Potter even steps foot into Hogwarts, this movie follows multiple storylines intricately weaved together. Unfortunately, the elaborate play between these intertwining plots may have been too ambitious.

“It was really a movie made specifically for Harry Potter superfans. I loved the movie because it was pretty much just a ton of reveals and information about the rest of the series and connections to the actual Harry Potter series.” Sophomore Arvind Chillarige says.

On the other end of the spectrum, people who aren’t as interested in the Harry Potter series were left entirely clueless for most of the movie. “Confusing” seemed to be a recurring theme in student opinions on the movie. “I thought the special effects were amazing, but I didn’t get the end. It was a bit confusing where the characters [disappeared] off to.” Junior Shyam Pandya admits.

Even people who invested in the series were left disappointed. “I thought the movie was slightly dragged out. It was kind of hard to keep watching when there was only one major action scene and nearly ninety-percent dialogue and background.” Junior Miguel Arada says. It seems that many others shared this opinion as well. “Plot-wise, there wasn’t much development. Honestly, they’re just milking the HP universe at this point.” Senior Megan Leng comments. “The movie was just a set up for the next one,” Sophomore Alina Lee states.

However, there is a silver lining. In building the background through multiple subplots, the audience was able to appreciate the character development of many major players, including the young Credence and Nagini. The Fantastic Beasts series shouldn’t have an issue with creating interest in their next installment either. Although most reviews thought the movie stated that it was “mediocre” at best, the majority of people still plan on seeing the rest of the series. Whether to just to fill in the plot holes presented by The Crimes of Grindelwald or to enjoy the Harry Potter Universe for as long as it lasts, most students still plan to watch the next installments in the franchise. Even with all the flaws, it does not seem like the slow-moving movie really did much damage to the franchise.

As the highly anticipated sequel to the first movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, The Crimes of Grindelwald failed to live up to both its predecessor and Potterheads’ expectations for the film. One can only hope that the plot picks up in the next installment. For now, us Potterheads will just have to content ourselves with reading the series. Again. For the hundredth time.