Anyways, now J.K. Rowling has written a movie sort of based around the origins of that book (I suppose is a way of describing it). It focuses on Newt Scamander in the magical community (before Harry Potter took place) as he collects and studies magical creatures, during the time of the dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald.
So, what did I think? Utterly phenomenal! I mean, really, really amazing! Where do I even begin?
I guess I will start by saying that if you've never read/seen Harry Potter, you will be a little confused because there are several references to that universe. Even though it takes place in a different time frame it still talks of Hogwarts, muggles, Grindelwald, Dumbledore, obliviate, squibs, etc. Most of these things are explained in the movie, though not in depth. I believe it would be extremely helpful if you already knew what they were so that you could focus on the developing plot at hand. However, I do not think it is required. It can still be viewed and enjoyed by someone who is not an avid fan.
I did like exploring the magical community in America though. That was an interesting ride. I only knew a little bit about it before this movie, so I enjoyed delving into that.
The visuals were off the charts! The designs on those beasts were super creative and not at all generic or boring. I was enraptured the entire time. I want to go back and actually read Newt's book and find out about all those creatures. The visuals for the creatures were not the only thing to impress me though. Overall, the film was visually stunning. Sets, costumes, special effects, cinematography, everything was amazing. I might say that perhaps it spent a little too much time on the beasts-- just looking at them, talking about them, and whatever-- when they served no purpose, but I can't really complain because the movie is called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them after all.
By far, my favorite part(s) were the characters. See, while I loved the Harry Potter films, they lacked a certain amount of depth. They were so busy trying to get the story across that there was no room for real character development, witty lines, and other great moments/scenes that are usually included in books and/or original drafts. That's the struggle with adaptions, a lot is cut out and missed. The Harry Potter books are amazing, but a lot is missed in the movies, not just plot-wise, but character-wise. So that is why I really appreciate this movie. It's an original screenplay by a great author. She had time to put in her character development, original lines, and story-building scenes. The characters in this film were all so great and so memorable; funny, flawed, relatable as characters should be. No cliches at all! There are so many great moments, very J.K. Rowling-esque. I love her style!
The acting was phenomenal! Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander was spot on. I had no notion of what that character was supposed to be like, but he played whatever it was supposed to be so perfectly; a little awkward, yet likably charming and intelligent, but not in that annoying cliched way that a lot of movies do. The other actors were great too. All had great chemistry together and fit into their characters flawlessly.
The one thing I have to criticize was the story, it was a little shaky at some parts (ex: the explanation of "the child", including "burn the witch" type character(s) in the 20th century [seriously?], an ending that didn't entirely wrap the story arch together, and a few others). However, overall, it was an enjoyable ride.
I 100% recommend this movie! So fantastic! (Ha!) 9/10.
TRAILER
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