Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Harry Potter has played a really large role in my life. 

I grew up on the books starting around 3rd Grade. There was nothing more exciting than the release of the next new Harry Potter book, revealing the fate of The Boy Who Lived and his friends and enemies, including his showdown with He Who Must Not Be Named. 

That aside though, it was a pop culture phenomenon from basically the 3rd or 4th book onward until that final, fantastic concluding film. It was something that began when I was a little kid and ended while I was studying abroad in Australia, able to perceive how the rest of the world enjoyed this wondrous tale but also sadly tying a bow on a very important part of my childhood, teenage years, and young adulthood. To me, Harry Potter was and always will be more than "just a story". 

When I heard that they were looking to create Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I was intrigued, but knew that it would likely be shallow money grabbing from Warner Brothers. Pulling J.K. Rowling on to do the script though was exciting and it got me thinking more positively about the "prequel" of sorts. 

Truth be told, the Wizarding World has just as much untapped potential as realms/wolds like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, so it would be foolish for them to not invest in it more. But could they make it special again? Could they match the fantastic and classic story of Harry Potter?

The short answer is: not quite, but I'm curious to see where they go with the remaining four (four!) films in the series. 

"Do you think we're getting paid the same as Radcliffe?"
"Not a chance."

"Did we anger Hermione?
Should we go in there?"

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them immediately differentiates itself from its predecessor in two distinct ways: traveling back in time to the 1920s and taking place in New York City. These are welcome changes because it makes the material feel fresh again and there's something special to seeing all these iconic magic spells and effects without Harry, Ron, or Hermione around. It's a bit jarring for a second given that we had eight films with the same characters, but Beasts does a solid job at inviting you into this new world and starting anew. We follow Eddie Redmayne as Newt as he takes the mantle of the key character this time around. He's a peculiar fellow who's pretty much only interested in educating the wizarding world on beasts and why they're useful and shouldn't be killed. Several of his beasts escape in New York City and we're taken on a whirlwind of a ride that eventually reveals itself to be a bit deeper of a plot with a core villain. Unfortunately, not much of this can compare to the original Harry Potter tales, particularly when the intensity was ratcheted up in the previous films, but it's constructed enough to care about that I'd like to see where they go with more films. Fingers crossed the remaining movies are less like The Hobbit films and more like the original Harry Potter films when it comes to worthwhile content. 

Surprisingly, Beasts actually has very few connections to the world of Harry Potter, at least as of now. I really appreciated that aspect, even though deep down I do hope this is some sort of prequel for Voldemort or something of the sorts. A few names are dropped here and there, but all in all, this is a fairly different escapade with very few ties to the original. If you're a newcomer to the series, you'll likely be at a bit of a loss with spells and what not, but that's what you get for living under a rock! Once it's all over, Beasts is a fine film and one that carries the legacy of Harry Potter on nicely, but I couldn't help but only be mildly amused by it at any given point. I'm not sure I'd need to watch it again and even though its characters have a similar charm to the original series, it feels slightly less special. Maybe that's because we don't know where they're going with it yet, but I didn't feel as deep a connection with it as I did Harry Potter. 

"Do you know how much hair gel it
takes to slick this sucker back like this?"

This is a fun movie though. It's got some well-sprinkled humor that's sparingly used, but always gets a laugh. There are several "action" scenes that are amusing too, although I found the action editing to be strikingly poor in a few scenes. The creatures are well designed and some are adorable and they're used well throughout the film as kind of a "new" form of magic to accomplish tasks. Some look far better than others, but regardless, they've all got distinct personalities and Eddie, likely acting with a green screen, does his part in making them feel alive. There's also another really great iconic original score to go along with the film that, other than the first few scenes, departs from the Harry Potter theme I was sure they'd rely on and makes a name for itself. 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a good addition to the Harry Potter world. I think that, as a standalone film, it leaves a bit to be desired and I'll be interested to see how it ages with more films soon to follow. For now though, its an enjoyable time in a year that's mostly been disappointments with big tentpoles and I applaud the film for subtly keeping ties to the original series, but also differentiating itself quite a bit. 

CONS:

• Story doesn't feel quite as important as the previous series. At least not yet
• Some poor action editing
• Inconsistent creature CGI
• I imagine it leaves newcomers in the dust

PROS:

• Fun cast of characters and actors/actresses that play said characters
• Differentiates itself from the previous series by changing time periods and locations
• Gives hints at the old series and what's to come. I'm glad Rowling is at the story's helm -- I have faith in her
• Solid comedy when used
• Great special effects and action sequences most of the time. It's fun
• Memorable original score
• Appreciated entry that leaves room for growth in future installments

Rath's Review Score | 7.5/10