“Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them”: Review

As any first year Hogwarts student knows, Newt Scamander’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them contains the history of Magizoology (magical animals) and describes 85 species found around the world.  What we didn’t know, really, was how Mr. Scamander helped bring dark wizard Grindelwald to justice in New York City in the 1920s.

JK Rowling created such an incredibly immersive world for her readers with the Harry Potter series. Fans of all ages across the globe celebrated when this 9th movie in the Wizarding World franchise was announced by Warner Brothers and Rowling herself (she wrote the film).

Eddie Redmayne stars as Scamander, who visits New York with a suitcase full of magical creatures. They of course escape. MACUSA (pronounced Ma-KUZ-ah, making it sound like part Japanese mafia at times) Magical Congress of the United States of America, worker Tina (Katherine Waterston) arrests Scamander after a fiasco in a bank where an escaped creature causes mayhem. It’s here they meet Nomaj (no magic, American version of Muggle) Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) who accidentally takes Newt’s suitcase.

Tina, it is revealed, has been dismissed as an active Auror, and now works in the wand license office.  She does her best to follow the rules re: Scamander and his magical creatures (the import to America of such is illegal we find out), and her boss Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) takes a more active interest in Newt.

Also happening in the city of NYC, a large force has been destroying homes and causing a tremendous amount of damage.  The local Aurors are at a loss, unsure as to what magical presence/spell/whatnot has been doing it. These unexplained happenings garner fuel to the New Salem Philanthropic Society, the anti-witch/magic movement Mary Lou (Samantha Morton) and her adopted children push all over the city.

Tina and Newt seek out Jacob, who of course opened the suitcase releasing creatures that destroyed his apartment. In order to keep the nomaj from blabbing about everything, Tina takes both Newt and Jacob back to her apartment.  Here we meet Tina’s sister, Queenie Goldstein, who happens to be able to read minds.

I don’t want to give away too much, as it may impact fans enjoyment as the story unfolds.  You’ll hear some familiar names mentioned, like Dumbledore, and even the LeStrange family.  Maybe not as many “I KNOW THAT NAME!” as I was expecting, but not enough to overwhelm the story.

There seems to be a pretty well defined dividing line between critics; some feel there isn’t enough magic in the film, while the rest find it enjoyable.  I disagree with the “not enough magic”, it feels well placed and not shoehorned in. What we see makes sense, the MACUSA offices running much like the English Ministry of Magic, and simple home magic (like the self governing ironing board in Tina and Queenie’s apartment).

There is also a large amount of prejudice in the film, so be prepared for that going in. The majority of the New York magical community looks down on the NoMajes, as well as seeing how MACUSA deals with wizards who break the law.  The black acid pool pensieve is interesting, but deeply disturbing at the same time.

The good:

Some absolutely stunning costumes and visual cues in the film along with a pretty good score by James Newton Howard.  Even though at times the main theme sounds dead on like Edward Scissorhands.

The bad:

Weak CG work and lighting issues.  There are places where the visual effects seem unfinished/unpolished compared to the rest of the production.  Specifically, any time Newt touches one of his creatures (all CGI), there is a disconnect between the texture of what he’s touching and his hand/hair.  The example I’ll use because it doesn’t spoil anything is him petting his large golden weather eagle.  It nuzzles his head, but doesn’t disturb a single hair on Newt’s head.  All that work creating a stunning creature, but then no attention to the detail of what happens when bird feathers rub against hair?  Come on guys.

SCORE:  7.5 OUT OF 10, saw in IMAX non 3d. Would see again!

This film will make a lot of money.  It has to, considering Warner Brothers is planning a FIVE FILM FRANCHISE around it, that may or may not include the battle between Grindelwald and Dumbledore. I’ll see all them just to get to that point, goodness.

Also, at my screening I got a bonus appearance of my friend and resident Potterhead, Crazy Callisto, who just happened to be wearing the Elhoffer Designs Gryffindor inspired sweater.

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them opens worldwide on Friday, November 18th 2016.