Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

KeithR

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May 7, 2010
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I have a confession to make - I love Harry Potter. Have read all of the books (except Order of the Phoenix) and watch the full slate of movies every two years or so (like Lord of the Rings, Bourne, etc). So I was pretty excited to see what JK Rowling (screenwriter for Beasts as well) had in store for us in this new direction. To set the stage, this is a new series of 6 movies that takes place in the 1920s - so a prequel to the Harry Potter story. Harry's parents aren't part of the story as of yet either. David Yates directed the film - and he did the final 4 Harry Potter sequels. Yates took a dark turn with the series which some didn't prefer, but I quite enjoyed as it blended a younger subject material with adult themes. The story is basically that Newt Scamanger arrives in NYC with a briefcase full of magical animals, which happen to escape upon landing.

Well, the critics seemed to give Fantastic Beasts above average reviews, but I left disappointed. Notably, there is a lack of plot and character development in the movie and while the final 20 minutes were exciting, the rest was quite boring. There really isn't any story told in the first hour +. Eddie Redmayne (Academy Award winner) gives a somewhat milquetoast performance and seems to talk out of one side of his mouth for two hours as the protagonist. There really is no charm in any of the characters except for; ironically, a Muggle. The magical beasts could be more exciting than the lead actress and there wasn't any of the magic of the original Harry Potter series (and trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron). There also was a political slant used in regard to protecting animals (in this case, magical ones) that was a bit weird.

The film reminded me of the Hobbit as compared with the Lord of the Rings - bigger and badder CGI, but weaker plot and characters. The entire film is filled with "magical", animated components and of course was done in 3D (I don't like 3d movies in general and saw the 2d version). I can only hope this installment was weak as they had to set the table for the future stories - as I wouldn't rate this movie much higher than a B-.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vso5o11LuGU
 
Last edited:

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I have a confession to make - I love Harry Potter. Have read all of the books (except Order of the Phoenix) and watch the full slate of movies every two years or so (like Lord of the Rings, Bourne, etc). So I was pretty excited to see what JK Rowling (screenwriter for Beasts as well) had in store for us in this new direction. To set the stage, this is a new series of 6 movies that takes place in the 1920s - so a prequel to the Harry Potter story. Harry's parents aren't part of the story as of yet either. David Yates directed the film - and he did the final 4 Harry Potter sequels. Yates took a dark turn with the series which some didn't prefer, but I quite enjoyed as it blended a younger subject material with adult themes. The story is basically that Newt Scamanger arrives in NYC with a briefcase full of magical animals, which happen to escape upon landing.

Well, the critics seemed to give Fantastic Beasts above average reviews, but I left disappointed. Notably, there is a lack of plot and character development in the movie and while the final 20 minutes has some excitement, the rest was quite boring. There really isn't any story told in the first hour +. Eddie Redmayne (Academy Award winner) gives a somewhat milquetoast performance and seems to talk out of one side of his mouth for two hours as the protagonist. There is really no charm in any of the characters except for; ironically, a Muggle and the end had some cringeworthy moments related to the characters relationships. The magical beasts could be more exciting than the lead actress and there wasn't any of the charm of the original Harry Potter series. There also was a political slant used in regard to protecting animals (in this case, magical ones) that was a bit weird.

The film reminded me of the Hobbit as compared with the Lord of the Rings - bigger and badder CGI, but weaker plot and characters. The entire film is filled with "magical", animated components and of course was done in 3D (I don't like 3d movies in general and saw the 2d version). I can only hope this installment was weak as they had to set the table for the future stories - as I wouldn't rate this movie much higher than a B-.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vso5o11LuGU

Like you I have also read ALL of the books which BTW I liked better than the movies. This film was on my short list but with so many memorable openings slated this month it might be put on the back burner
 

KeithR

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May 7, 2010
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Encino, CA
Steve, I think you might then be disappointed with Beasts - there is not as much "world" to create like was so artfully done in the books.

Manchester by the Sea, La La Land, and Fences up next for me. Perhaps the new Will Smith movie too. Rogue One is probably a pass unless better than last year's Star Wars reboot.
 

Ronm1

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Feb 21, 2011
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Keith
Unlike you I haven't read all the books. Couple of reasons, I lean towards bios or historical stuff and I just didn't like JK's writing style. I have the books and tried a few times can't do it. On the other hand I find the films to be immensely enjoyable and well done. The continuity helps a lot and how the main actors have grown in their roles. I actually like Yates darker take.
 

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