Filmology Rating: 3 out of 4

In 1926, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) comes into New York City with a suitcase full of Magical creatures. Unfortunately, some of those creatures happen to escape when Newt runs into a muggle named Jacob (Dan Fogler) and gets their suitcases mixed up with one another. With magical creatures on the loose, tensions are high between the wizarding community and muggle (or No-Maj referred to by the English).

The ever so talented J.K. Rowling once again has written and brought forth our next installment of this wonderfully creative and entertaining universe that has captivated millions all around the globe. I was also very pleased to see that they brought back director David Yates as well who has previous directed some of the Harry Potter films (and will also be doing the future films as well). Together they once again bring the entertainment and wonderment to the big screen.

This entertainment and pure wonderment I think has always been the biggest selling point of the Harry Potter franchise. Harry Potter and now Fantastic Beasts offer through the brilliant writing of Rowling, such a unique and creative world that we can’t help but be sucked in a state of childlike wonder. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was no different. The visual effects along with the action sequences where right up there with what we have been accustomed to with the previous films. If for no other reason, see this film for the adorable magical creatures. I guarantee that you will want some of them as pets by the time the film is over with!

Now that we have established that this movie is own point with its visual effects and its creativity, how well does it stack up in other categories? Well…. I think that if you are a fan of the earlier Harry Potter films, you will like this movie a lot more. However if you are more of fan of the darker and intense later Harry Potter films, then you might leave wanting a little more. This film definitely had an early Harry Potter vibe to it. Fantastic Beasts is very light hearted for about 90% of the film (there is a darker side plot that leads into future films but that isn’t necessarily the main focus throughout the film). So if this sounds like a good thing to you or bad thing to you, I’ll let you be the judge of that.

Now let’s get into my biggest flaw and this might be something more personal for me that a lot of people might not agree with. I was not sold on Eddie Redmayne and his portrayal of Newt. Yes this man won an Oscar for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in the movie The Theory of Everything and then was nominated again last year in the Danish Girl, but I am still not sold on him yet. I felt as if every other character in this film carried Newt. He was surrounded by a very lovable and talented cast that delivered and yet I felt nothing from Eddie. I mean his character was fine but he just lacked depth and strength that you want in a main character. Eddie just wasn’t a Harry Potter in this film. My opinion, please feel free and disagree with me.

Overall Fantastic Beasts was another successful J. K. Rowling film that once again brought the magical wonderment to the big screen.

Rating: See It

-Nick

With every franchise review I try to explain my relationship to the franchise and where I am coming from.  Like most millennials, I grew up loving the Harry Potter book series written by JK Rowling and having a love/hate relationship with the films.  I was one of the fans who wanted the films to include every aspect from the books, I went so far as to write a letter to Warner Brothers about every aspect that they missed with “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” that included page numbers, quotes, and reasons why I thought they missed the boat on the film.  Sadly I never did hear back and my letter probably ended up in the trash but I was proud of my fandom.  With that being said, I was never excited for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  I though the Potter world was complete and after reading the lackluster “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” I wish that it would have been finished, but then the 2016 presidential election happened and I found myself longing for world of wonders that I use to love.  

Welcome to 1926 New York City.  The American wizarding community and those without magic, No-Maj, are on the brink of conflict.  The wizarding community is striving to hide itself from the No-Maj world while still being able to use the magic that they have used for generations.  Meanwhile, tensions are heating up as Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne, arrives to take a creature he found to Arizona.  Newt ends up getting caught in a battle between a group of wizard haters called Second Salem and the wizarding world.    

Now I thought that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, directed by David Yates, who also directed the last four films of the Harry Potter series, and written by the creator herself JK Rowling was nothing but a cash grab.  Basically I ended up being correct.  If you were reading the plot summary above and wondering how Newt Scamander fits into the overall plot of Fantastic Beasts you will be either glad or completely angered to find out that Newt has no actual importance to the plot of the film.  Instead he is off performing slapstick to try and get some of the creatures back into his briefcase that were accidently released by Jacob Kowalski, played by Dan Fogler.  The film sidetracks from the main plot of Graves, played by Colin Farrell, investigating murders of dark magic to talk about a world of computer generated monstrosities.  Most of the creatures look incredibly fake and the scene in which you meet most of the creatures which is meant to be breathtaking comes off completely hollow.  

Another thing that feels hollow is the acting from Katherine Waterston and Colin Farrell.  Waterston has the look of someone who clearly doesn’t want to be on the set and lacks any enthusiasm.  Looking back on her filmography, I can only remember seeing her in Inherent Vice but I didn’t like her in that film either.  As for Farrell it’s a true disappointment that he lacks a sense of purpose in this film.  He comes across bland, like he could be played by anyone who was pulled off the street and told to read lines.  Graves has no grandiose speeches or purpose in the film which makes the performance given by Farrell good but frustrating.  Farrell has proven that he can be a fantastic actor when given little material to work with in films like Daredevil and Saving Mr. Banks.  The thesis of Fantastic Beasts should be called Fantastic Beasts and the Missed Opportunities.       
 
I’m always a huge fan of story, I can forgive bad acting if the film gives me a compelling story to follow but this film struggles to flesh out three different factions into one compelling climax.  The climax is a summer movie cliche, but instead of you getting the feeling of being forced to the back of your seat with your mind exploding from the intensity and images that you are seeing, you find yourself slumming back into your seat trying desperately not to fall asleep.   

I came out of the film disappointed but now turning my notes into actually words I find myself with a deep burning anger that I’m going to be forced to watch a wizarding world that I adore fall to the world of capitalism that will continue to give us hollow versions of universes that I use to love.

Rating: Skip It

-Jonny G

To say that the general populace was excited for the cinematic return of the Harry Potter universe would be a gross understatement. Years have passed since the final film in the Harry Potter series and fans have been itching for a return to the universe. In comes “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” as somewhat of a prequel to the series. Written by original author J.K. Rowling, and directed by Harry Potter veteran David Yates, “Fantastic Beasts” is assembled by the hands of individuals who are native to the Harry Potter universe. This cinematic pairing brings a great deal of magic back to the big screen, but a few key spells are missing. 

Magical beast enthusiast Newt Scamander serves as the central protagonist of “Fantastic Beasts.” Newt (played by Eddie Redmayne) is an eccentric individual who feels more at home around magical creatures than other people. Upon arriving in New York, one of Newt’s creatures escapes and hilarity ensues. Newt’s attempts to recapture the creature lead to a run in with the down on his luck No-Maj (muggle) Jacob Kowalski, and American Auror Tina Goldstein. The pair of them become entangled with Newt as he attempts to recapture his escaped beasts in a city where mysterious creatures have the magical community on edge. 

Noticeably missing from my synopsis are the many other characters and plotlines that exist in “Fantastic Beasts.” Their absence is a result of both providing a concise synopsis, and a general lack of specific focus on the part of the film. Like the many superhero franchises on the market, “Fantastic Beasts” feels more compelled to build a larger film universe. This approach sacrifices the possibility for a focused and unique film. While the film is never so convoluted that it can’t be followed, it doesn’t provide any emotional resonance that goes beyond the surface level relationships between some of the characters. Most of the magic of the original Harry Potter films were in its’ characters, not its’ spells. All the wondrous CGI magic on screen can only do so much to hide the lack of magic below the surface. A better film would have held a firmer grasp on its’ title and delivered a stronger message on the many fantastic beasts and the need for their protection. As fans and viewers, we can be aware of the importance of Newt Scamander’s work in regards to the universe, but his own film should make us feel it. 

Rating: Rent It 

-Tyler