THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World defined the 2000s with the Harry Potter books and films. When the franchise originally concluded with the finale, the Deathly Hallows, fans wondered if there was more to explore in this fictional universe. Luckily, we got a whole lot more than what we bargained for in a good way.
PLOT
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them takes place in 1926, decades before Harry Potter was ever born. Magizoologist Newton Scamander is visiting New York as inspiration to write a book of magical creatures. When passing along, he briefly observes Mary Lou Barebone, a non magical head of the New Salem Philanthropic Society, an anti magic group who consider all wizards & witches to be dangerous. One creature known as a Niffler, escapes from Newt's suitcase and sneaks into a bank to steal shiny objects it's attracted to. When Newt enters the bank to recapture it, he encounters another No-Maj named Jacob Kowalski, a baker who is trying to seek a loan to get a bakery started. Before he could catch the creature again, Jacob alerts him that an egg of his is hatching. This leads to the wizard ultimately deciding to pulling him towards him and leaving the bank before being spotted by other Muggles. He almost obliviates him, wipes his memory of magic, but the latter hits him and accidentally switches cases. The only other person to notice the commotion between them is Porpetina 'Tina' Goldstein, a witch that is a demoted auror of the Magical Congress of the United States (MACUSA). She takes him to MACUSA headquarters for failing to obliviate a No-Maj after exposing him to magic, but is dismissed by the Congress' President Seraphina Picquery and Magical Security Director Percival Graves when discovering that his case was Jacob's, which is full of pastries. When the No-Maj returns home, he opens Newt's suitcase, which inadvertently frees a few creatures into the city and causes a high amount of property damage. However, Newt & Tina quickly cover it up by having Muggles believe it to be a gas explosion and undo the damage. Tina takes Newt and Jacob to her apartment, in which she lives with her sister Queenie, a legilimens witch who can read minds. The intent of this decision is to gain proof of her case of Newt's recklessness. During their stay, Newt is able to show Jacob the inside of his suitcase, which is a pocket dimension where his collected beasts are occupied. They are able to capture two missing beasts, the Niffler and an Erumpent whose horn contains explosive fluid. When Tina finds out they left, she is able to trap them into Newt's suitcase and take them to MACUSA. It turns out to be bad timing again when No-Maj Senator Henry Shaw Jr. (Josh Cowdery) is killed. Newt identifies the actions to be done by an Obscurus, a parasite that develops inside children when their magical abilities are suppressed. Graves insists that Newt is a dark wizard due to finding an Obscurus in his suitcase, which gives him the order to destroy the case, obliviate Jacob and execute Scamander & Tina. When Queenie senses her sister in danger, she rescues her & both men, and retrieve the case. Thanks to the goblin informant known as Gnarlak (Ron Perlman), they are able to find the last of the escaped beasts: a Demiguise that can turn invisible & see the future, and an Occamy, a winged serpent that can shrink & enlarge as it pleases. In between this adventure, Graves has been speaking to a Muggle in secret, Creedence Barebone, the teenage adopted son of the abusive Mary Lou. He offers to teach him magic if he can find the Obscurus. He does find a wand under the bed of his sister Modesty (Faith Wood-Blagrove) and when their mother sees it, she believes it to be his. Before she could punish him again, the Obscurus kills her and the eldest daughter Chastity (Jenn Murray). When Graves finds Mary Lou dead, he chooses to dismiss him and refuse to teach him as promised. When he finds Modesty, Creedence reveals himself to be the host of the Obscurus. Although most hosts can’t survive past the age of 10, he has lasted longer due to the magic’s intensity. He then attacks the city in broad daylight, which causes Newt to intervene. Tina tries to calm him down, as her first attempt to protect him caused her demotion, but Graves still tries to convince him to listen to her. When he returns to human form, he gets cornered by MACUSA aurors into a subway tunnel, causing the Obscurus to be shattered, but Newt notices a wisp of it to flee. When Graves admits to planning to unleash the parasite, and attempting to frame Scamander, he shares his tire of hiding when MACUSA’s laws only protect No-Majs at the expense of the magical community. Newt then helps the aurors apprehend him before he could try to escape, and uncover that he is actually Gellert Grindelwald in disguise, an infamous dark wizard. Newt then releases a Thunderbird named Frank who disperses a potion that obliviates all Muggles of NY from above as rainfall. Queenie kisses Jacob goodbye before he loses his memories as well. And before Newt returns to England, he gives him occamy egg shells that are made of silver, which helps the No-Maj have collateral for his bakery. The film ends with him reuniting with Queenie at his booming bakery business, appearing to remember her just a little.
THOUGHTS
Growing up as a fan, I was disappointed how I missed out seeing the Harry Potter films in theaters (minus the Half Blood Prince). And because of that, I refused to miss out on this new cinematic experience. Once I got the chance, I was honestly blown away with what I got. Rowling and returning director David Yates were able to take a step back and not slip by successfully transpiring us once again. With the outstanding visual effects that make each creature look realer than ever and unique costume design that make each character standout, you're just as immersed into this universe as first introduced. Thanks to the visual effects paying off, each creature after another becomes as much of a highlight as the secret plot that gets built up for the eventual follow ups. It is hard to pick a favorite of the bunch, but as of right now, I would pick Frank the Thunderbird just for appearing the most gorgeous. The fact that we mostly focus on this magical scavenger hunt makes the film so much fun to get through. Aside from that, I think this movie continues to be as worthwhile as the predecessors because this outrageous adventure reminded me how we must protect our wildlife no matter how dangerous/valuable they are. Thanks to Eddie Redmayne's incredible performance of Newt Scamander, he is the one who tells viewers how precious and important the wildlife is to this world. He even becomes more relatable due to how he just has a stronger connection to these creatures more than the people around him, but that doesn't stop him from trying. He is so nurturing to each and every one of them because from his personal experience, he learns to give and not take. Obviously, had he not been so clumsy, he would've obliviated Jacob instantly. It ended up being a blessing in disguise because in the end, he sparked a great friendship with him. They ended up connecting so well because of how they both fit in their worlds, see each other's sincerity and show different views that make them love their lives even more than before. Due to his unspoken heartbreak over his ex girlfriend Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz), it pushes him to be strongly attached to creatures rather than humans. But aside from Jacob, he becomes attached to Tina in the long run, as she would for him because they both see each other's tenderness, which helps strengthen their relationship. While Redmayne steals every scene he is in, there are still many interesting characters that keeps things just as interesting, thanks to the colorful cast that play them. I have always enjoyed Dan Fogler for his past comedic roles, and he straight up became in the role of Jacob Kowalski. Throughout the film, he is without question warmest and friendliest figure you'll ever encounter, which comes from how new he is to a world he never thought to exist in. Despite being involved in all new surroundings, he does his best to keep his guard up and catch up with everything else that would come his way. It is glad to see him stick around because you can tell he enjoys everything he is witnessing, no matter how strange it would seem in a different muggle's set of eyes. Katherine Waterston leaves a good impression as Tina Goldstein because she presents her as the determined and courageous individual of the bunch. She is someone who can't help but look out for others, no matter what repercussions would come after. She got demoted for defending Credence, but was still worth it anyway because she knew that if no one cared for the innocent, he likely would've caused chaos much sooner. She may not be as adventurous as Newt, but she sure brought that out to get things done. In her first outing, Alison Sudol was downright awesome for playing Queenie for being the most free spirited and empathetic of the bunch. She clicks with Jacob so well as he would for her because they quickly accept each other for who they are and look past whatever flaws they have. I don't blame her for ensuring he keeps his memories because the last thing she wants to lose is someone she loves. So when she sees him at the bakery in the end, it is safe to say that they quickly picked up where they left off. In her brief screen time, I think Carmen Ejogo still makes an impact by portraying President Seraphina as domineering and haughty as one leader would be in a hot seat. If you were in her shoes, you would make the same decisions she did to secure safety of the wizarding world. Ezra Miller accurately portrays Credence as a troubled soul who is completely misguided thanks to Graves/Grindelwald. Due to the unnecessary wrath he suffered from the ruthless Mary Lou, played viciously by Samantha Morton, he chose to spread that same pain. Since he doesn't hesitate taking lives of those who cross him, there is no denial that he is far from redemption. Last but not least, it was a dead giveaway from the haircut that Graves and Grindelwald were one and the same. However, the buildup to it is still worthwhile. While Colin Farrell originally presents Graves as shrewd as he is supposably recognized for, Johnny Depp quickly takes over as the idealistic yet sadistic figure this character is known for in only one seconds of an appearance here. Considering that he becomes the main antagonist of this prequel saga, it is crazy to see how this would be the beginning of a new wild adventure for this franchise. And since the real Graves does not return by the end of this film, it is saddening to say that he likely did not survive Grindelwald's wrath. Although this movie is generally great for what it is, it doesn’t excuse some moments where I scratch my head nonstop out of anger and confusion. Like for instance, it is smart that Newt’s suitcase has a ‘Muggle Worthy’ mode, but how is that not on all the time? Had he done that, I don’t think the creatures would be breaking free 24/7 and he wouldn't need to tie it. Also, why was Newt the only one to see the Niffler out and about outside the bank? It was in broad daylight and there’s no way everyone is interested in what Mary Lou has to say. And why did it get hesitant at nighttime to continue stealing? It didn’t give a damn in daylight and I doubt it’s because of Newt since he made it harder for Newt during the day anyway. It is interesting to know that American wizards have different slang compared to British wizards, whereas they say ‘No-Maj’ instead of ‘Muggle’, but how has she not known that before? Maybe she never had time to travel, but that should be common knowledge for Wizard culture. I don’t mind seeing Jacob help Newt recapture the missing beasts, but why didn’t Tina help? If she was so determined to regain her respect by turning them in to MACUSA, she should’ve helped capture the beasts while she was it because she acted way too calm about those who escaped by the time she returned home. And why is it so easy for her to interrupt presidential meetings? This is a world of witches and wizards, they should be more secure about this. Frank the Thunderbird is easily the most beautiful creature of the bunch we get to see, but how was it able to avoid being seen in Arizona for so long? It’s bigger than a school bus for crying out loud. Since Grindelwald is Graves, it is smart to order execution upon Newt and Tina, but how come there isn’t a second voice on that matter? I’m sure President Seraphina would not straight up allow this no matter how worried she gets. I understand that visiting Gnarlak continues the suspense, but how come the invisible beast wasn’t big news? Anything invisible in the 20th century should be a big deal when spotted. Also, I can believe that Credence has far from a clear mind when he attacks, but what good reason did he have to spare Graves? He insulted him when finding out Mary Lou. With so much angst/rage inside him, it makes sense for him to be personally attacked. I then get riled up to the fact that the banker from the opening gets obliviated when he technically wasn’t exposed to the rain. He took a shower inside his home. If the obliviated rain drained to the sewers that connected to the showers, that should be clear as well. Ignore this, and you’ll still be having a ball. In conclusion, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a great spin-off for taking advantage of its creativity and living up to the name. If you love the world that gave us Harry Potter, you’ll enjoy this film as well.
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