The world of Harry Potter is back in a new installment of films, and this Harry Potter fan could not be more excited!  I was fortunate enough to get free screening passes for the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and I have to say that I was not disappointed in the least.  In fact, I’m excited to see what will come next as it is said that this new spinoff movie franchise will be expanded to five movies.  Here are my thoughts on the first movie Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them.

This movie is an adaptation of a short companion book to the main Harry Potter series which goes aptly by the name Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander.  The original book is more like a bestiary of the unique and interesting creatures that are found in the world of Harry Potter with no reference to the events that we see in the movie.  That is why so many people were curious as to how they could adapt such a small companion book into a feature length film.  And normally we would think that a movie like this is the screenwriter’s own expansion of the book and not related to what is considered canon in the Harry Potter world, but that is not the case in this movie.  The reason being: JK Rowling wrote the script for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie herself.  Once again fans are immersed in her amazing world and we can definitely say that everything in this movie is canon now because the movie legitimately is.

Warning!  For those of you who have not seen the movie or read the script book, read no further.  Spoilers ahead (unless you don’t mind those kinds of things)!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them takes place in an iconic era for American history, the roaring 20’s which is also an interesting time period for the world.  It is the decadent era just before the Great Depression and World War II.  I love this era especially in the Harry Potter universe.  Fantastic Beasts focuses on Newt Scamander and his suitcase world of fantastical creatures, but in the background we see a much darker story being told with the rise of Grindelwald in Europe and the terror it is invoking across the sea in the States.  Newt comes to the states, New York in particular, in order to set free a unique and beautiful creature that originally came from Arizona.  He gets caught up in troubles brewing when a mysterious creature is attacking New York, wizards and non-magics alike, and the MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America) think it is one of his creatures.  And that is all I will say on the plot as I don’t want to give away too many spoilers.

What I found most interesting for me is that I got the chance to see the magical world in the United States, and I think JK Rowling was pretty spot on as to how it would be like.  It is industrious and massive as well as, in some parts, progressive with a Madam President as a leader.  We see the exuberant and wild side of this wizarding world when Newt and his companions visit a saloon and we get to see all sorts of creatures, house-elves and all, mixing together with no thought to it as a nod to our cultural diversity.  At the same time, we see a very puritanical America as well.  It is seen mainly in the form of the Muggle group, the Second Salemers, who know of witchcraft and want to exterminate it with extreme force.  The Second Salemers are not the only vestiges we see of this more puritanical way of thinking as it can be seen, even in minor doses, in the American wizarding world as well.  Newt brings up an interesting point that the American magical community have a much stricter divide between non-magic people (Muggles in the British world) and the magical community.  This is understandable especially if you think back to the very real Salem Witch trials in America.  I think this brought in a very interesting and different dicotomy and dynamic than the magical world that we have grown to know of in the Harry Potter verse.

Newt Scamander

Being one who was sorted as a Ravenclaw but Hufflepuff at heart, I was so elated to finally have a Hufflepuff (other than Cedric Diggory) to do the house proud.  How can you not love the socially awkward, but geniunely kind and brave Newt Scamander and his harebrain ways?  I think his whimsical character that is both gentle and strong at the same time is a character that people will grow to love.  And I loved all the creatures he introduced to us and how he knew just the right way to handle each of them.  I think the most telling thing about his character that he says is when he was worried about the safety of some of his escaped beasts because they are amidst “some of the most vicious creatures on the planet…humans.”  He is definitely one that the fans find endearing in his own way.

Tone and Theme of the Movie

The movie has a much darker tone to it than a typical Harry Potter film (except the last two Harry Potter films).  I liked this darker, grittier side to it though there were some moments of levity especially with the introduction of the Muggle (non-maj) Jacob Kowalski.  I liked all the different levels that were in this.  Probably the darkest (and saddest) storyline in this entire movie had to go to Credence Barebone.  Major spoilers from here on out.

Credence is the adopted son of the leader of the Second Salemers.  He is a wizard, but, due to his upbringing and unfortunate situation, he severely represses his magical abilities.  This becomes so bad that an Obscurus becomes attached to him and takes him over.  An Obscurus is a dark, parasitic entity that is developed when a witch or wizard repress their powers and do not learn how to control them.  Credence’s life is so sad and bleak that one can not help but feel pity for him especially when he loses control and what happens to him at the end of the movie.

If you have seen the movie read further if not skip this part.  We see the Aurors kill Credence in his Obscurial form, but that may not have been the end of him. According to an interview with the producer David Heyman, they cut a pretty big scene from the movie where Credence is seen boarding a ship.  Where he is going?  We are not sure, but the next installment is supposed to be set in England and Paris.¹

The Goldstein Sisters and Jacob Kowalski

These three, along with Newt, really stole the audiences’s hearts.  I loved the very sweet relationship that developed between Queenie and Jacob as well as the much more quiet and subtle relationship that developed between Porpentina (or just Tina) and Newt.  Looking into Newt’s history we come to know that Tina will one day be his future wife which makes their relationship even more significant.  I have a feeling that there will be a lot of Queenie cosplay coming out of this as she really stood out as a character and Jacob was just so lovable.

The Appearance of Grindelwald and Mr. Graves

The definite villain of this story is Grindelwald, but he is mentioned only a few times in the story until the very end when he shows up.  And then there is Percival Graves (played by Colin Farrell).  I can not go into a lot of detail about him or how he connected to Grindelwald for spoiler purposes, but I loved how well he is portrayed.  He did not seem like a bad guy at first and there were times when I actually thought he had a soft spot for Tina Goldstein.  And there was one part in the movie that Percival Graves mentions Albus Dumbledore.  This is significant if you know the back history of Grindelwald and Dumbledore.  I really liked his role in the movie.

Overall, I really liked this movie.  I loved the fact that JK Rowling wrote the script and I loved the era chosen for it.  Newt really endeared himself to me, but I also loved Jacob and Queenie as well.  I thought there were a lot of topics it touched upon that I liked and I also really did like that it was noticeably more darker.  I would definitely see it again.  What are your thoughts on the movie?

1.) Gizmodo Article