At the outset, being an ardent Potter freak, I may be a bit harsh on this one. Fantastic beasts… is pretty acceptable fare as a standalone feature, with mind blowing special effects, cute and endearing creatures, a new set of characters and peppered with humor every now and then. Where it falls short is in its weak development of the nemesis and poor plot development despite the dark overtones. Then of course, there is the association with the Potter-verse…
Many many moons ago, Rowling introduced us to the magical world of wizards and the legend of Harry Potter. 7 books and 8 movies that captured our imagination and stretched the bounds of our creativity with a deep focus on narrative, character development and expert story telling. With this latest offering, while she and the director David Yates, try to tell us we are back in that universe – it feels more like a homage than an actual homecoming for us Potter fans.
Fantastic Beasts.. (despite the very odd and long title) starts off on a wonderful note and keeps you interested initially, with characters, spells and creatures, both familiar and new, However, it ends up spending more time and considerable creativity on the new beasts than the story or characters themselves. The protagonist(s) don’t get enough detailing or backstory to make you feel connected and care for them. Neither is there an undercurrent of impending dread or deep roots (along the lines of ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’)
Fantastic Beasts..is best when its just having a bit of fun and not trying to take itself too seriously. Its dark moments stick out in sharp contrast and actually spoil proceedings rather than enhance them. It is towards its climax and final moments that Fantastic Beasts..spins the yarn a bit more and introduces elements that make you somewhat keen on the sequels that will inevitably follow.
Eddie Redmayne gives everything to his character of Newt. He is Newt, with eyes that show love and wonder for his magical creatures, a touch of anguish when they are in trouble and sincerity all the way through. Dan Fogler does an even more noticeable job, with the most enjoyable character of Kowalski and steals your attention every now and then. Katherine Waterston is relatively disappointing, in part due to her weak character of Goldstein. Colin Farrell is too intense and sombre as Mr. Graves.
Rowling’s return to the wizarding world is a fresh and unique offering which while its set in the same universe, misses a bit of the old magic in its story telling. Still, with the new beasts for company and the final plot twists, it may make for even better sequels in the years to come. As a Potter fan, go with low expectations and while not fantastic, these beasts might just grab some attention.
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