Fantastic Beasts is a magical return to the Wizarding World
This weekend saw the release of a film based in one of the most popular, loved franchises the world has ever seen. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them easily won the box office with a whooping $75 million domestic intake and $143.3 million across the globe, significantly less than the former Harry Potter films, but a win nonetheless. I was lucky enough to see it in a pre-show the Thursday night it was released, and I found it to be an incredible film for both Potter fans and as a stand-alone.
From the trailers, I very much expected Fantastic Beasts to be a comedic adventure in the 1920’s American Wizarding World, following a few wizards and witches as they try to find all of Newt Scamander’s escaped, magical creatures. It is incredibly more than just that though, as the narrative tells a timely story about tolerance and fear of the unknown.
Newt Scamander, a writer and Magizoologist, arrives in 1926 New York’s secret wizarding community from Europe at the start of the film, and immediately gets caught up into trouble. He is carrying a suitcase full of magical, outlawed creatures, and when muggle (or no-maj as the American wizards call them) Jacob Kowalski knocks into the case, a series of events occur in which several of the creatures get loose in New York. The creatures are not the only problem however, as a mysterious being is causing mass destruction of the city and threatening to reveal the magical community, and the threat of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is hanging over them.
Although I cannot go into too much detail without giving spoilers, a main theme of the film, and what made it of real consequence and importance, is people fearing what they don’t know. Several groups mistakenly see danger where there is none, and do not tolerate people and creatures that mean no harm. Specifically, the wizarding community has outlawed the magical creatures that Newt has befriended because they see them as a threat, but in reality, they are helpful, kind beings that end up saving people, not hurting them.
As for the creatures, they are clearly created from CGI (computer-generated-imagery), yet their creative design and personality allows them to glow as characters, not just feats of the newest technology. The special effects are quite impressive, and comparable to those in the recent Dr. Strange film. The creatures each stand out in their own way, the small, platypus-like Niffler being my favorite.
The human characters stand out too. Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne, is especially relatable because of his awkward, compassionate character. And Jacob Kowalski, the non-magical protagonist of the group, reflects our own awe and amazing upon first discovering J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. Sisters Tina and Queenie Goldstein are the females in the story, and each stands out in their own way as fully fleshed-out and relevant characters.
Overall, I would certainly recommend seeing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them over the holiday season, whether you’re a resident Harry Potter fan or not.
