"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" movie review
image from screenrant.com
Do you hear that? That’s the sound of the Harry Potter fandom stampeding to the theaters nearest to them. That’s right, the Wizarding World from the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling is back on screen!
If you have not seen this film yet, I strongly urge you to go. The film is enjoyable from start to finish, without a dull moment or wasted scene. In my opinion, the first of the Fantastic Beasts series is as enjoyable as the later Harry Potter films, and, in many ways, better than the Harry Potter films.
Put down your pitchforks and plastic wands, I said better than the Harry Potter films, not necessarily the books. I know, the Harry Potter books are like the Bible of nerd culture. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" was written as a screenplay by Rowling, so it translated onto the screen in a much more organic way, than the Harry Potter books which had to be chopped and crammed into films.
"Fantastic Beasts" is also much more gratuitous in featuring advanced magic, which makes sense because we are no longer dealing with young wizards in school, but adults in the real world capable of using magic on a regular basis.
The cast and characters is as whimsical and fun as they were when we were kids. However, the setting of "Fantastic Beasts" seemed a bit darker, and dealt with more worldly issues than the Harry Potter films did. The film certainly is intended for an older audience, aimed for the now grown-up fans of Harry Potter, but also holds the attention of younger audiences, and people less familiar with the Harry Potter books and movies. If you feel as though seeing "Fantastic Beasts" would be a waste since you aren’t familiar with the Wizarding World, do not fear, "Fantastic Beasts" is a prequel to the Harry Potter series. It takes place some 70 years before the events of HP; therefore, the film can stand on its own as a complete story, not purely a continuation of an old one.
Seeing this film in any specialized format is not necessary. So save money by not getting a 3D ticket. Even though I did see it on a larger screen with a 4K projector, it didn’t seem to make that large of a difference or justify the pricier ticket. Also, there are NO bonus scenes or teasers after the credits. So, feel free to leave the theater when the house lights come on without the fear of missing bonus content. The film is over two hours long. Be prepared with some bootleg snacks (let’s be real, we all do it).
Enjoy the movies!
