Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Review

133min

Genre:     Family, Adventure, Fantasy

Director:  David Yates

Cast:       Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Colin Farrell…and more

Writer:    J.K. Rowling

-Synopsis-

Inspired by her 2001 book of the same name, J.K. Rowling  turns screenwriter in this spinoff/prequel to the iconic ‘Harry Potter’ books & films; following the fortunes of “magizoologist” and former Hogwarts student “Newt Scamander” and his adventures in 1920s New York city, with its magical inhabitants and unsuspecting “muggles”, where his quest to save his fantastical creatures puts him on a collision course with emerging dark forces in the “Big Apple”.

Five years after we last saw the preeminent “boy wizard” on our screens Warner Bros. convinces Rowling to expand on her 2001 book, meant to be “Potter’s” own historical “Magizoology” textbook, and gives us the story behind the story in this epic throwback and expansion of her “Wizarding World”… and the beginning of yet another lucrative media franchise.

Eddie Redmayne stars as young, socially awkward and quintessentially quaint British wizard-academic “Newt Scamander”; on an American voyage of conservation which turns into an urban scavenger hunt when a host of weird and wonderful creatures escape from his magical case. With the help of new wizard friends like “Tina” (Katherine Waterston) who show him the ways of the reclusive New York wizarding community, and “muggles” like “Kowalski” (Dan Fogler) who open up the world of the unsuspecting “no-maj”; “Scamander” is inadvertently pulled into a quest to stop a sinister dark force which threatens lives and the peace between the “Big Apple’s” inhabitants.

Director and veteran of the final four ‘Harry Potter’ films David Yates returns to helm this latest chapter of the “Potterverse”, bringing with him the experience of effectively melding together the many elements that make a film of this scale appealing. You can expect spectacular visuals and immaculate production design which wonderfully re-creates New York in the roaring 20s, not to mention all the impressive effects $180 million can buy, bringing to life wonderful creatures that range from cute to fearsome, majestic to grotesque… and always mischievous.

However Yates & co. had the daunting task of balancing these splendid sights & sounds with an intricate narrative featuring plenty of heart and emotion but also a dark side, in a film which both stands on its own and bleeds into a cinematic universe so familiar to millions. Not to mention introducing a host of new characters and producing a film which entertains multiple generations, all while launching a new multi-billion dollar franchise through another four announced ‘Fantastic Beasts’ movies… and for our money they’ve done as good a job as could be expected.

‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is no doubt an enthralling visual spectacle but it also weaves distinct moral themes into its fantastical narrative, using echoes of wartime paranoia and 17th century American witch-hunts and persecutions to develop a timely message of acceptance, and create a menacing construct which serves as a clear warning against violence and repression.

And with a lead character who’s essentially a magical “Doctor Dolittle” or wizard David Attenborough, the film has a clear conservation message with “Scamander” educating his own kind, who have been fearful of these creatures, about how enriching and useful they can be. But fear not there’s plenty of levity and pure joy in the film, with the dynamic between the central quartet of characters and the chemistry between the actors who play them proving to be some of the funnier and more delightful parts of the movie.

Despite the clear financial draw, re-visiting or re-imagining a cinematic and literary universe that’s so beloved and familiar comes with its risks; there is the inevitable moaning from super-fans about being overloaded by material and a “dilution” or ruining of the books and films that they’ve grown up with, and of which they somehow claim ownership. There’s no doubt that ‘Fantastic Beasts’ doesn’t have the foundations of years of established characters and material for fans to cling to before the film hits the screens, having to expand a universe and develop characters and relationships from scratch.

And let’s be honest ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is not exactly a game-changer or a modern masterpiece, but rather a mass-appeal blockbuster inspired by everything from the ‘Harry Potter’ series to other fantasy blockbusters and indeed classic fairy-tales, complete with familiar story arcs and re-worked archetypal characters. But there’s so much to enjoy here that it makes this franchise spinoff opener a highly enjoyable experience on multiple levels, and arguably a more promising debut than 2001’s ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’.

Thanks to worthy performances from both the central and supporting cast, a captivating narrative with a good balance between light & dark and spectacular visuals, not to mention some welcome story twists and a major ending reveal; ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is fun for the whole family and a promising start to a new era. And thanks to the period setting and adult characters with potential for emotional layering, this might be prove to be a more promising fantasy series for non-Potter fans and adult audiences than the original was.

The Bottom Line…

J.K. Rowling, David Yates & co. overcome the risks of “Potter overload” and tarnishing a beloved series by crafting a thoroughly entertaining blockbuster for the whole family. ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ may not re-invent the film fantasy wheel or provide anything particularly profound, but thanks to a strong cast and spectacular sights & sounds, as well as plenty of heart and humour, the first film in the new and inevitably lucrative era of the Rowling’s “Wizarding World” is a highly enjoyable and expertly crafted ensemble piece, with promise for the future.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

J.K. Rowling’s hugely successful book series is brought to the screen and the rest of the world is introduced to ‘Harry Potter’; a neglected young British orphan who learns the truth about his family and his destiny as the”chosen one” boy wizard, finding belonging and learning the ways of wizardry at a fantastical boarding school, only to be put on an inevitable collision course with the dark force who sealed his parent’s fate.

Directed by Chris Columbus and starring Daniel Radcliffe, Richard Harris and Maggie Smith among others.

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