In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, J.K. Rowling takes us to the magical, wizarding world of Harry Potter once more, but in a new, fantastic (pun-intended) way.
The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander, played by Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, has just arrived in New York City — but not unnoticed, of course. Having a suitcase full of magical beasts, a No-Maj (American for Muggle) and an underlining evil surrounding the city, this movie really put out all of the stops to be an absolute joy to Potterheads everywhere.
Within the Harry Potter Universe, Newt Scamander’s book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was first published in 1927 and became a massive bestseller in the wizard world. It eventually became an approved textbook at Hogwarts, and Harry Potter even used it for his classes. Remember Chocolate Frogs and their cards? Well, Newt Scamander has a card of his own, which of course is a huge honor.
There are even more references to the original series throughout the movie. At one point, it is revealed that Newt is greatly favored by Albus Dumbledore, and he even tried to prevent Newt’s expulsion from Hogwarts. In the very beginning of the movie, it is revealed that Gellert Grindelwald is causing mass chaos across the world . . . but especially in America. However, he has yet to be found. Maybe at some point over the next few movies, we will finally see the famous duel between him and Albus Dumbledore.
That is one of three story-lines in Fantastic Beasts, but don’t worry, it’s not hard to follow. What’s so fascinating is how they all come together in the end.
The only flaw in the film is the amount of CGI. It’s understandable that sometimes it’s necessary to have CGI, but some of the beasts just didn’t feel like they were real. Obviously in real life they are not, but you would expect a franchise like this to make it seem as realistic as possible, especially when you compare the special effects to the original Harry Potter movies.
Overall though, wow. I give this movie at least a 2.5 out of 4 stars, if not 3. I’m very interested to see where this series goes, because even though it is similar to the original Harry Potter movies, it still feels different.
This isn’t a children’s story anymore; it’s about adults, which really hasn’t been explored in the first eight Harry Potter Films.
Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers Studios