FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (PG-13)
Released by Warner Brothers Pictures
Review by Adam Mast
The HARRY POTTER franchise may have officially come to an end but beloved author J.K. Rowling clearly has more stories to tell in the same universe. FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM takes place several years before the events depicted in HARRY POTTER but it isn’t only the time frame that’s changed. FANTASTIC BEASTS offers up a change of locale, too.
Set in 1920’s New York, FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM finds creature-collecting wizard Newt Scamander (played by Eddie Redmayne) travelling to the city that never sleeps and teaming with witch Poerpentina “Tina” Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) and muggle (aka, a regular human being) Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) to protect the magical contents of Newt’s spacious suitcase. But the adventure won’t stop there. This unlikely and reluctant trio will also attempt to solve the mystery behind a dark force that appears to be hellbent on crushing anything that gets in its way…Including the unsuspecting residents of New York City! Who ya gonna call? Sorry…Wrong movie.
First and foremost, FANTASTIC BEASTS earns points for steering clear of a blatant HARRY POTTER rehash. This really is a brand new story with entirely new characters. This film is, perhaps, a little too convoluted and politically charged for its own good but the positives definitely outweigh the negative.
Structurally speaking, FANTASTIC BEASTS owes more to the likes of Marvel Studios then past HARRY POTTER entries, and this goes beyond the magic content at the heart of both this picture and the recently released DOCTOR STRANGE. There are times when FANTASTIC BEASTS plays like an X-MEN in a wizard’s clothing. Furthermore, there’s a lot of world building going on here and clearly, director David Yates (who just so happened to direct the last four HARRY POTTER films) and screenwriter Rowling are setting things up for future installments. Regardless of what one might think of the Marvel-influence analogy, it should be noted that FANTASTIC BEASTS one ups DOCTOR STRANGE in terms of heart and character. And, it has a more interesting villain to boot.
In terms of performance, this film’s biggest misstep might be in the casting of lead Eddie Redmayne. The Oscar winning actor can be effective (see his award worthy work in THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING) but in FANTASTIC BEASTS, it’s clear that Redmayne and his slightly aloof Newt are upstaged by a more than capable roster of supporting players. Most notably, Katherine Wasterson, Dan Fogler, and Alison Sudol. A beautiful Waterson brings warmth and sweetness to the proceedings as eager witch Tina. Jovial, scene-stealing Fogler is a ton of fun and for an actor we’re used to seeing in fratboy-style comedies (see BALLS OF FURY), his aspiring baker Jacob proves to be an entertaining change of pace. Lovely Sudol hits all the right notes as Tina’s flirty and vivacious sister, Queenie, and her bond with Jacob is amongst the strongest aspects of the picture.
FANTASTIC BEASTS is rounded out by an exceptional supporting cast including Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Zoë Kravitz, Ron Perlman, and Ezra Miller. There’s also a fairly sizable cameo in this picture, and while the identity of this particular performer has been revealed in several circles, we’ll refrain from any spoilers here.
Yes, FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM is dense and exposition heavy, and it may prove to be a little too scary for some children but there’s no doubt that Yates, Rowling and their team of magicians, have fashioned a gorgeous production. The art direction is absolutely breathtaking, James Newton Howard‘s score is stellar, and the visual effects team clearly worked overtime here. Add to this a handful of wonderful performances and you have a movie that’s well worth seeing in the theater. Particularly if you’re a Rowling fan.
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