When news first came out that they were releasing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I was a little hesitant. I mean, the title it was derived from is a standard textbook that students from Hogwarts used to learn about magical creatures. Sure, it's from the Harry Potter canon, but one that was written as a fun companion content for fans of the book series, and the movie actually focuses on 'author' Newt Scamander and his adventures prior to publishing his book. I felt a bit more enthusiastic when it was announced that J.K. Rowling herself was penning the screenplay. So, I did what the Film Critic Hulk advised on Twitter a couple of years back... that one shouldn't watch trailers of anticipated films to ensure that you know as little as possible coming into the viewing. I took this to heart, even avoiding the plethora of articles that preceded the film's release.
In 1926, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in New York with a case full of magical creatures. When a niffler escapes from his case, he ends up revealing his identity as a wizard to aspiring baker Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) and catches the attention of Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), an employee of the Magical Congress of the United States of American or MACUSA. Tina, anxious to once again prove herself after her demotion that cost her the title of Auror, brings Newt in on charges of carrying magical creatures, considered to be illegal borne out of fear that the magical world will be discovered by the non-magical people or No-Maj. But when they discover that Newt and Jacob accidentally switched cases, Tina and Newt ends up spending time together tracking down Jacob and, with her sister Queenie (Alison Sudol), attempt to find more magical creatures that escaped Newt's case. Meanwhile, MACUSA's Director of Magical Security Percical Graves (Colin Farrell) approaches Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) to help him find an Obscurial, a task made difficult with Credence's mother Mary Lou Barebone (Samantha Morton) the head of an anti-wizard group.
Since I made sure to avoid as much marketing material for the film as possible, I was expecting a fun and funny adventure romp with an unlikely hero at its center. While those are still true, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them turned out to be a much more sophisticated storytelling creature than I expected. The film's intro of showcasing newspaper articles (of the moving magical variety) doesn't just set the tone and give viewers an idea of how the magical world operates in the 1920s. In some of the clippings, the articles also hint at the growing threat of dark wizardry, with Gellert Grindelwald at the forefront. Grindelwald is a familiar name to those who followed the original book and film series, a famous Dark Wizard who had history with Albus Dumbledore and who Voldemort turned to when searching for the Elder Wand. By highlighting Grindelwald, and the constant mentions of his name throughout the film, I was alerted to the fact that this might very well be a film that is so much more than just catching wayward pets.
Let me make it clear, however, that this is Newt Scamander's film, the character portrayed by Eddie Redmayne with an adorable awkwardness which is all the more highlighted by his great love for the strange creatures he houses in his case. While he might stutter in his replies, Newt shows a level of calm confidence when dealing with runaway animals and in battling formidable wizards. He beautifully balances Tina's stubborn need to redeem herself with open-mindedness and with a lot more patience than she actually initially deserved. And it's obvious that he doesn't follow the same discrimination against No-Majs or Muggles practiced by others of his ilk, treating Jacob as an equal even if their attempts to capture magical creatures together tend to be comedic. He's especially vulnerable in his interactions with Queenie, knowing that her ability in Legilimens to read minds reveals all that he thinks or remembers, including those that bring him pain (I am particularly interested in how the specter of Leta Lestrange will figure in the future adventures of Newt).
And it is through Newt that we understand what an Obscurial is, usually a child who suppressed their magic because of traumatizing events such as discrimination or abuse, with their powers eventually being unleashed to cause enormous destruction and their own deaths. This particular tidbit about Obscurus further expands our understanding of the wizarding world and building on the rich culture and themes that author J.K. Rowling has already graced us with over the years. This, along with the constantly mentioned hunt for Grindelwald, reveals that a bigger narrative is at play. That Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is just the start of another saga in the Harry Potter series, something that rings all the more true when they announced that it's the first of five planned films, with the entire series spanning 19 years in its telling. I'm guessing that Grindelwald's role as a Dark Wizard will feature heavily... although, really, I can only happily speculate at this point.
Under the guidance of director David Yates, the film is a spectacle to watch, with its new setting in 1920s New York, the mischievous creatures Newt is in charge of (as well as the suitcase interior he uses to house all of them), and the tension of the wizarding community at the time. With the last four installments of the Harry Potter film series also directed by David Yates, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them features a feel that fits in well with the overall franchise, making this a fun viewing experience for old fans and should provide inspiration for new viewers to give the original series a go. And the film doesn't just rely on the franchise's popularity, with its excellent world-building (expanding, I should say) and a new set of characters to love.
It took a while to get around to watching Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which was bad, but at least I got to watch it before the next film came out. :P I don't know where J.K. Rowling and David Yates (who I'm hoping will direct all the films... because, hey, I like my continuity) are taking the Fantastic Beasts films, but by the ghost of Sirius Black, I'll happily go along.
Happy viewing!!
P.S. Is it weird if I ask that they do an end credit scene at the fifth film where Newt's grandson Rolf and Luna Lovegood have their meet cute?Labels: Adaptation, Adventure, Fantastic Beasts, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantasy, Film, Film Series, Harry Potter, Must-Watch
