10 Awesome Movie Scenes Trapped In Awful Movies

9. Grindelwald's Escape (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald)

Johnny Depp Crimes Grindewald
Warner Bros.

One thing that a wizarding world movie should never be is boring, but The Crimes Of Grindelwald is a snooze-fest, with too many characters trudging through too many subplots, spouting endless expositional speeches along the way, all topped off with a confusing final twist for good measure.

But it did show signs of excitement initially, with an opening escape sequence featuring Gellert Grindelwald busting out of a flying prison wagon. With lightning, rain, and dark clouds giving the scene a creepy gothic atmosphere, Grindelwald flits in and around the wagon like a demon, demonstrating how powerful and dangerous he can be even when the odds are not in his favour.

One important thing this movie needed to do was to show that Grindelwald is the right villain to carry the franchise forward, and his wicked, ruthless portrayal in these opening minutes ticked that box.

That aside, the scene is just flat-out entertaining. Wizarding world movies are capable of pulling off sequences that are unlike anything else on offer, and with broomsticks whipping through the air, bright bursts of light emanating from wands, and a scary Gremlin-esque creature to boot, the whole sequence feels, well, magical: this is one of the best action scenes in the entire Harry Potter franchise.

Contributor
Contributor

Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.