Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

With a number of my friends eager to see “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (I wish I could say it was because of the reviews I wrote, but that’s not the case), I found myself buying a ticket for the film a third time. I still enjoyed it thoroughly, though this latest experience does further compel me to tell you to see the film in 3D, not in the 2D format.

Set in 1926, the story follows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a wizard whose passion is magical creatures. While visiting New York, his briefcase, a portable zoo/veterinary hospital/shelter, is accidentally opened, releasing an array of creatures in the city. While he and his newfound friends, former Auror (magic policemen) Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), her sister Queenie (Alison Sudol) and non-wizard Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) scour the streets, they find themselves in the middle of a plot to spark a war between the Magic and Non-Magic worlds.

After finishing the dismal “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”, a play that feels more like a fan fiction than an actual continuation of the series, I’m sure you’re in the mood for some good Harry Potter-related material. This film is just what the doctor ordered. If you grew up with the series, you may be somewhat familiar with “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”. Replicas of Harry’s schoolbook have been available to us Muggles since 2001. You’ll be thrilled to see several creatures from that book brought to life. Now we don’t have to simply imagine what Demiguises, Erumpents and Murtlaps look like; we get to actually see them. Not only do they look great thanks to top-notch special effects (Though they look better in 3D than flat), they’re exciting because these are all original creatures. It’s not just the typical monsters that we get like dragons, griffins, gorgons etc. When Newt and his friends encounter one, you have no idea how it’s going to go.

Originality is the word when talking about “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” while the style of writing will be familiar if you’ve read J. K. Rowling’s other works (she does a good job penning a screenplay for the first time here), this is a tale that is completely different from the ones we lived through at Hogwarts. One of my favorite things about the novels is that they grow up with the reader. No one dies in the first two books because the readers aren’t ready for that; they just want an enthusiastic introduction to a world. In time, the characters become richer, the stories darker and more complex. That trend continues here. These are people that are not unlike you. Professionals chasing their dream of opening up a small business, people who are frustrated with their careers or dreamers that seek to educate, preserve and catalog the wonders found in the world around them. There’s something about these characters that you will latch onto and look forward to seeing again in the sequels (with any luck we’ll be getting many more.)

If you’re not familiar with Ron Weasley, Voldemort, Professor McGonagall or others, don’t worry. While you’ll get a richer experience out of “FBaWtFT” (particularly when the film begins focusing on the film’s antagonist, played Colin Farrell) but there’s plenty here for you. This is a charming adventure with big action-packed set pieces, plenty of good humor and some nice, memorable sequences. The best scene in the film is all about showing you the titular fantastic beasts. It’s filled with so many beautiful, weird and unique creatures that your heart melts. If you weren’t invested in the story and the characters before, you will be then. You wish these beasts were real so you could go out and touch them… except for the ones that are so odd and dangerous that you’d rather leave them to the professionals. This is a picture with heart that you’ll be excited to revisit. There are so many little details in the background and stories to tell here. You can see from quick glances that this is a place everyone was eager to explore; it’s not just a cash-grab. In fact, I think it’s rather ingenious as a way to expand a franchise. It takes the material found in the 64-page book and expands it elegantly.

There’s a lot to like in this fantasy adventure and now that a solid base has been established, I say bring it on again. I want to see more of everything on display here. Even if we don’t, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will have its own fandom thanks to the well-written characters, lovable protagonists, solid performances, inventiveness and dazzling special effects. (2D theatrical version on the big screen, December 6, 2016)