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| Courtesy of Warner Bros. |
Not to mention that the story is structured almost flawlessly. By the end, everything clicks into place perfectly and you realize Rowling’s brilliance – she had the entire epic mapped out from the start, before she knew it would become a global phenomenon.
My initial reaction was “why mess with a good thing?” I can’t count the number of nearly-perfect stories that obliterate the audience’s trust and goodwill because they fail to stick the landing. Rowling pulled off the impossible. Why risk doing with Harry Potter what George Lucas did with the Star Wars prequels?
I’m happy to report that my dread was unwarranted. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is not 133-minutes of narrative wheel-spinning or a quick way to pad Rowling’s already hefty bank account. Instead, it’s a captivating dive into an unexplored corner of a world viewers already love.
It’s 1926 and “magizoologist” Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has arrived in New York City as part of his global expedition to research and rescue magical creatures. Through a comical mishap, his enchanted suitcase ends up in the hands of Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), an aspiring baker and “no-maj” (what Americans call muggles). When several weird and fascinating beasts are accidentally released as a result, the mismatched duo find themselves running around the city in an attempt to recapture them.
Helping them on their mission are disgraced auror Porpentina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) – who views the situation as an opportunity to get back into her bosses’ good graces – and her delightful, mind-reading sister Queenie (Alison Sudol, channeling Marilyn Monroe). However, much like Harry Potter making friends and learning about Hogwarts played out alongside a far darker tale of Voldemort reclaiming power, “Fantastic Beasts” has more thematic weight than it initially suggests.
Scamander and his pals chasing after odd animals is cute window dressing for an ominous, much more interesting narrative in which wizards and no-majs are on the brink of war. Taking advantage of this precarious situation are dark wizards like the mysterious Gellert Grindelwald and a duplicitous American agent (Colin Farrell), as well as bigoted no-majs (Samantha Morton and Ezra Miller) who fear what they don’t understand. As the two plots merge together, the film reveals an ambitious scope and offers a timely plea for education, tolerance and understanding.
The chief reason I bought into the world of Fantastic Beasts so quickly is because it reunites the brilliant creative minds responsible for the original Harry Potter franchise. Rowling wrote the screenplay herself (remarkably, her first), director David Yates helmed half of the original series (Order of the Phoenix through Deathly Hallows, Part 2) and their fellow producers David Heyman and Steve Kloves return as well. Scamander and his pals might be new to viewers (although a few names and images might inspire gasps of recognition from hardcore fans), but within minutes it feels like reconnecting with old friends.
The character is an impeccable blend of the gawkiness, charm and slight (probably inadvertent) pretension that Redmayne constantly emanates. In one scene, he nonchalantly tells his new friend Kowalski that “people find me annoying” and his matter-of-fact tone – essentially accepting the label and getting on with his life – is so perfect that I burst out laughing.
Waterston is good as well, making Porpentina Goldstein more complicated than the typical love interest or sidekick. The character doesn’t treat Scamander well initially and she makes some devastating mistakes as a result, so Waterston wisely doesn’t try to downplay her unpleasant traits.
However, I’m guessing a lot of viewers will come away raving about Fogler and Sudol above all. Their characters – by far the most interesting – are the film’s emotional center and the actors steal every scene they’re in. I’d honestly watch a romantic comedy spinoff about Kowalski and Queenie trying to make a relationship work and the crazy hijinks that would inevitably ensue.
When Rowling recently announced Fantastic Beasts was actually the start of a five-film series, rather than the trilogy she initially envisioned, I groaned with fatigue and started to have Hobbit flashbacks. Now, having seen the movie, I’ll happily revisit this world a few more times. If upcoming installments can continue to build a complex mythology while retaining the focus on compelling characters, stunning visuals and inspired set pieces, we’ll be in for a magical ride (pun fully intended).
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is rated PG-13 for some fantasy action violence.
Grade: B+
Helping them on their mission are disgraced auror Porpentina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) – who views the situation as an opportunity to get back into her bosses’ good graces – and her delightful, mind-reading sister Queenie (Alison Sudol, channeling Marilyn Monroe). However, much like Harry Potter making friends and learning about Hogwarts played out alongside a far darker tale of Voldemort reclaiming power, “Fantastic Beasts” has more thematic weight than it initially suggests.
Scamander and his pals chasing after odd animals is cute window dressing for an ominous, much more interesting narrative in which wizards and no-majs are on the brink of war. Taking advantage of this precarious situation are dark wizards like the mysterious Gellert Grindelwald and a duplicitous American agent (Colin Farrell), as well as bigoted no-majs (Samantha Morton and Ezra Miller) who fear what they don’t understand. As the two plots merge together, the film reveals an ambitious scope and offers a timely plea for education, tolerance and understanding.
The chief reason I bought into the world of Fantastic Beasts so quickly is because it reunites the brilliant creative minds responsible for the original Harry Potter franchise. Rowling wrote the screenplay herself (remarkably, her first), director David Yates helmed half of the original series (Order of the Phoenix through Deathly Hallows, Part 2) and their fellow producers David Heyman and Steve Kloves return as well. Scamander and his pals might be new to viewers (although a few names and images might inspire gasps of recognition from hardcore fans), but within minutes it feels like reconnecting with old friends.
After years of starring in period pieces and Oscar bait, Redmayne has finally found the ideal role for his strengths and idiosyncrasies. Despite the fact that he comes across as a perfectly charming fellow in interviews, I’ve never quite connected with him as a performer. It usually seems like he’s “Acting™” rather than naturally inhabiting the part, but he’s terrific as Scamander.
The character is an impeccable blend of the gawkiness, charm and slight (probably inadvertent) pretension that Redmayne constantly emanates. In one scene, he nonchalantly tells his new friend Kowalski that “people find me annoying” and his matter-of-fact tone – essentially accepting the label and getting on with his life – is so perfect that I burst out laughing.
Waterston is good as well, making Porpentina Goldstein more complicated than the typical love interest or sidekick. The character doesn’t treat Scamander well initially and she makes some devastating mistakes as a result, so Waterston wisely doesn’t try to downplay her unpleasant traits.
However, I’m guessing a lot of viewers will come away raving about Fogler and Sudol above all. Their characters – by far the most interesting – are the film’s emotional center and the actors steal every scene they’re in. I’d honestly watch a romantic comedy spinoff about Kowalski and Queenie trying to make a relationship work and the crazy hijinks that would inevitably ensue.
When Rowling recently announced Fantastic Beasts was actually the start of a five-film series, rather than the trilogy she initially envisioned, I groaned with fatigue and started to have Hobbit flashbacks. Now, having seen the movie, I’ll happily revisit this world a few more times. If upcoming installments can continue to build a complex mythology while retaining the focus on compelling characters, stunning visuals and inspired set pieces, we’ll be in for a magical ride (pun fully intended).
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is rated PG-13 for some fantasy action violence.
Grade: B+
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