Fantastic Beasts Review
Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them was really up and down for me before its release. I got excited first hearing about it and the fact that JK Rowling was writing the script seemed promising. However, as time went on it just naturally fell off my radar and when Warner Bros started talking about a 5 movie series, I got a little worried. Then, the Johnny Depp casting news got me even less excited. Then, a majority of positive reviews came out so I thought I’d at least give it a shot, especially with its relation to Harry Potter.
After walking out of the theatre, I was really glad I took the time to see it. Right of the bat, Fantastic Beasts isn’t as good as any of the main Harry Potter movies but it’s very enjoyable and it does capture a lot of the magic of the original franchise.
Let’s start off with the positives. The acting is pretty solid all the way around with a particularly strong performance from Colin Farrell. All the actors’ chemistry was a major plus as well. I thought the story was strong and all the beasts were charming, entertaining, and creative. Now that I bring up the word charming, I think that’s the perfect way to describe the movie. That’s its real strength. The wand battles are just as riveting as those in the original franchise and I loved all the subtle nods to terms and people we already know from the wizarding world. There are small little moments like when one of the characters prepares a meal with a wand that add much needed whimsical elements to the film.
Now for the negatives… Even though most of the acting was great, Eddie Redmayne seems to be doing the same thing every time. He is always slightly awkward and very peculiar in his habits and movements. Also, Dan Fogler felt like he was overdoing the classic 1920’s New York accent. Aside from that, there is one scene when Eddie Redmayne does a really really weird dance thingy to capture a beast and bottom line is it shouldn’t have been put. It’s completely out of place. There is an ending reveal that took me completely out of the film and even if I want to visit this world again, I’m not sure there’s 4 more movies worth of material. I guess we just need to have faith in JK Rowling since she is writing the scripts. The final negative I want to touch on, is that I think the reason this film has a lot of charm and magical elements similar to the Harry Potter movies but doesn’t beat out any of the original films is its setting. I myself really enjoy 1920’s America period pieces. Unfortunately, I think an underlying element of the original franchise that was so strong was it taking place in Britain and being set at the majestic castle of Hogwarts.
Overall though, I’d recommend this film if you are a Potter fan because for most of the film I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed myself. I’m looking forward to seeing this movie again and that’s usually a good sign. In terms of rating, I am going to try a 1-10 scale from now on and Fantastic Beasts gets a 7.5/10.
