There is undeniable excitement accompanying the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which is more than understandable. The film is the first cinematic release from J.K. Rowling’s magical world to come along in a few years. However there’s also a fair amount of trepidation and skepticism on behalf of longstanding Harry Potter devotees who are finding themselves a tad bit nervous as to whether the legacy of their most beloved book/film series will be tarnished with the release of what is hoped to be the first in a planned spin-off film series. Luckily for them, they need not worry. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them may not be a perfect film, but it signifies the start of some truly great things to come.
In the film, Eddie Redmayne plays Newt Scamander, a British wizard specializing in the care and protection of the many magical creatures which exist in the wizarding world. We first encounter Newt when he arrives in 1920s New York to secure yet another creature for his collection. However, this is not a good time for such a trip. The American wizarding world is being hunted by a anti-witch group spearheaded by the cruel Mary Lou (Samantha Morton) while a mysterious force is causing havoc and destruction throughout the city. When one of Newt’s creatures becomes loose in the city, it sets off a chain of events which threatens to both expose and destroy the magical world of wizards. Soon, it becomes up to Newt and Porpentina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), an Officer from the American Congress of Magic, to stop it.
Make no mistake, not only does Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them have some things to prove, it needs to prove them in spite of the things working against them. For starters, the film is helplessly crushed under the weight of its predecessors. Each of the Harry Potter films were considered revolutionary in terms of grandiose filmmaking, with the visual bar being raised with each installment. Here, the pressure to deliver in terms of effects and sheer wonder is on. While this pressure more or less disappears (mainly thanks to the sturdy hand of longtime Harry Potter helmer David Yates, who pulls out one impressive visual effect after another), the one area that cannot be improved is the script. The film features the screenwriting debut of Rowling, who spun the story from a Harry Potter textbook she created for charity some years back. Without the safety net of an actual novel to use as a road map, the story struggles to come together most of the time with a plot that can oftentimes feel a bit dense. As a result, the tone of the film comes off as incredibly jarring, quickly shifting between dark moments, such as the scene in which a politician in killed in front of a room full of people, and lighter instances, like when Newt is playfully interacting with his collection of creatures.
Imperfect screenplay aside, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them still proves to be perfect escapist fare that is welcome and necessary during the holidays. The film boasts moments which are inventive and original, particularly where the creatures are concerned, with one intensely drawn to shiny objects and another which can foretell the future. Meanwhile, introducing Potter fans to the American side of the wizarding world makes for a great blank canvas with which to introduce a wide array of fun new elements like the scene in which Newt and Porpentina try giggle shots (shots of “alcohol” which induce giggling) in a local tavern. Above all, the main reason reason fans will embrace Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, despite whatever storytelling problems may arise, is because the makers behind it have successfully captured the sensibilities of the world Rowling initially created and the overall essence which made so many fall in love with it to begin with.
A film such as this is far from what can be considered an actor’s film, and the performances, for the most part, show it. Waterston brings a slight loveliness, but little else, to what should be the film’s heroine, while Morton, Colin Farrell, Carmen Egojo, and Ezra Miller as a mixture of heroes and villains (all of which could have been explored more) do what they can with their limited and stifled characters. Redmayne has the right idea, giving his character nervous, introverted ticks and quirks in an effort to make Newt memorable and lovable, which works. Besides him, though, only Dan Folger as a human man (or “Nomag,” as such folks are known) who is accidentally brought along for the ride and Alison Sudol as Queenie, Porpentina’s sister, manage some solid laughs and genuine sparks.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them wears its franchise wishes proudly on its sleeve; and that’s fair enough. There’s definitely plenty of room within this world and these characters to suggest that Rowling has the makings of another realm to explore in her magical universe. But nowhere do the film’s hopes for a sequel appear more evident than in the finale, which features a truly unexpected surprise. The out-of-nowhere move took everyone aback, and while reactions to it were mixed, everyone certainly agreed that in this day and age, the fact that such a secret was kept so well-hidden was truly something to marvel. Let’s just hope the series has more up its magical sleeve with regards for things to come.
Originally published at cinapse.co on November 18, 2016.
