Do you know what franchise people just can't get enough of? Harry Potter. Since first turning up in his first book, and later in the iconic movies, the boy wizard has become a worldwide sensation. As such, why would we, the general film audiences, ever consider that Warner Bros wouldn't ever attempt to exploit the franchise after the main series had come to an end. It seems naïve now to think that we ever thought that would be the case. Thus, we now have a confirmed FIVE MOVIE FRANCHISE (talk about confidence) revolving around the adventures of magizoologist Newt Scamander and some incredible creatures under the heading of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." So, does the first movie in this new series live up to the expectations of the fans and fulfil our dreams? Or does it confirm the fears of all audiences since the movies announcement that Warner Bros are actually flogging a dead horse? Let's jump in.
If I have to give Warner Bros one credit in the area of plot, it's that they do not lean too heavily on the Harry Potter franchise itself for plot help. Although there are a few references, do not expect to see any familiar faces popping up in this movie. This is firmly Newt Scamander's story, as he travels to New York in the 1920s, seemingly intending to not be there long before a clumsy No-Maj (what the Americans call Muggles) called Jacob lets some of the creatures that inhabit his magical, bigger-on-the-inside suitcase loose by accident. Now, it's up to Newt, Jacob, an American law enforcement agent named Tina, and her sister Queenie to round up these creatures, all while being pursued by the American equivalent of the Ministry of Magic. Simple enough, and it sounds like a lot of fun. And fun it is, at least while the movie decides to focus on this plot! It's a reminder of a simpler time, of the first Harry Potter movies before that darkness, death, and unbearable romantic drama of the later movies. However, the inclusion of a number of subplots makes this movie far messier than any of the Potter flicks. Not only do we have this main plot thread (which should have been enough), but we also have tension over the whereabouts of another Voldemort-like Dark wizard, an inconsequential story with a newspaper organisation, and, perhaps most strangely of all, the relationship of another American wizard with a family of magic haters which delves into themes such as prejudice and even child abuse. Ultimately, the issue is that these themes do not blend, and it feels like there were many different ideas for different movies being used all at once here. Trust me, it's a little jarring to cut from wizards jumping around in Central Park to a character being beaten by their adopted mother.
Let's talk casting. Eddie Redmayne is fine in the movie as new protagonist Newt Scamander, but it's nothing really revolutionary from what we've seen Redmayne play in recent years: the socially awkward, mumbling stereotype (although he does get a bit more development as the movie goes on that will hopefully be a more interesting plot thread for future movies to explore). Katherine Waterston's Tina is an equally troubled character. Again, it seems like there were some really good ideas here, particularly with regards her past and relationship with the MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America) Defence Department, but it's never really explored in enough depth to establish an emotional connection to the character. The two members of the main four who fare best are Dan Fogler's Jacob and Alison Sudol's Queenie, largely due to their electric chemistry and the humour the two actors bring to the movie in place of the more quiet leads. Honestly, one of, if not my favourite character in the movie was Colin Farrell's Percival Graves. Although you don't see as much of him as I would have liked at the beginning, as we see more, he moves more away from a stereotypical law enforcer and becomes a more interesting menace for the latter half. The character is only made more enjoyable by Farrell's delightfully sinister performance, particularly in scenes with Ezra Miller's Credence. If I have to pinpoint one major issue with the cast, however, it comes at the tail end of the movie. It's no secret that Johnny Depp has been cast for the inevitable sequels for this new franchise, and, no spoilers here, but by the end you know who he's playing. While it's not a disappointing casting (though the disappointment comes hand in hand with the reveal for me, and you'll understand why when you see the movie), it ultimately feels unnecessarily tagged on, and was likely included once Warner Bros decided to milk this franchise for as much as they could get from it.
That said, the secondary cast is largely put to waste here. Although they give interesting and often scene stealing performances, the characters are so poorly developed and under-utilised that I have to wonder why some high-profile actors were even hired for this movie. Take Ron Perlman for example. Trust me, I got a smile seeing Hellboy as a goblin gangster running a magical underground club in 1920s New York, but I can't help but feel like he was wasted in this role, and could have had much more fun in a more substantial role later in the series, establishing considering how it's been padded out considerably. Other wasted actors include Jon Voight, and Carmen Ejogo. The latter is perhaps the most disappointing, due to her role as Madam President of the MACUSA Seraphina Picquery. We never get the impression throughout the movie that she is a strong enough witch to be considered the most powerful magical politician in America. If you thought the politicians in the Harry Potter movies were bad, you are going to be mortified by the stupidity and incompetence that this group display throughout the movie.
However, one area this franchise has always nailed down and this movie continues to excel in is visual effects, both practical and special. Of course, this movie focuses much more heavily on CGI than some of the earlier movies in the series (for obvious reasons) but at least some use of practical effects is always appreciated nowadays in the sea of CGI explosions and slop that flood the cinemas every week. Perhaps the most important point, the titular fantastic beasts of the movie all look excellent. A blend of cartoon-like and realistic, the immersion of the audience in the movie the filmmakers is never broken by an unrealistic looking or unfinished effect, something that was especially a concern considering the amount of interaction that was obviously going to be required between the actors and imaginary creatures in front of them (watch out for one scene in particular with Eddie Redmayne in a zoo and imagine him having to perform that scene with nothing in front of him). However, that said, there is one complaint I have about the movie when talking about the beasts and that is, somewhat surprisingly, some more actual Fantastic Beasts would have been nice. There are around 5 creatures in the movie that escape the suitcase, plus another which I won't spoil here. While all imaginative and ingenious designs in their own right, this rather small amount does not really justify the movie having the title it does for me. One more area where the effects work is absolutely stellar is the action, which is also choreographed extremely well. Since these are all adult wizards, the action is actually more aggressive and violent than we have seen in many other Potter flicks (except perhaps the final two parter). Duels are relentless as the two wizards involved attack each other without mercy, the implementation of beasts into combat is something other magic-based movies have never really dived into, and it is a fun and more interesting element to see the magical teleportation technique (which other Potterheads will know as Apparition) to try and allow wizards to get ahead of their enemies. Clearly, the action in this movie will keep you guessing and interested without fail.
Some other technical aspects of the movie, on the other hand, are a mixed bag to say the least. Of course, the cinematography is on point, with the sweeping camera shots tracking wizards and witches as they swiftly move through the city in pursuit of each other, or as they chase down magical beats though the street. The cinematography itself is always clear and you will always be able to tell what is happening on screen. It may seem silly to highlight this as a potential issue, but it is always worth highlighting when a movie does something particularly well when so many others make a mess of this area. One aspect, however, which does not fare so well, is the editing of the piece, particularly near the beginning of the movie. The movie as a whole feels like it has been put together quite sloppily and in a rather jumbled way. It's instances like this where it is either down to obvious re-shoots or straight-up poor editing. Or both. There's one particularly lasting offender of this failure. There;s one moment near the start when two characters are walking toward each other. The movie cuts extremely quickly between the to faces in around 2 or 3 seconds before the scene climaxes in what was likely intended as an impactful moment. However, the editing is so jarring and unclear that it actually takes a moment to come to grips and understand what had actually just happened. In short, this clearly should have been handled much better than how it has turned out.
There was one person who was certainly not in an enviable position when he signed on to this movie: James Newton Howard. Not sure who that is? I don't blame you to be totally honest, but he is the composer of the score for the movie, and was taking over from Harry Potter score regulars John Williams, Nicholas Hopper, and Alexandre Desplat. For people like me who love film scores and soundtracks, that's clearly quite the formidable task, especially considering the iconic nature of the Harry Potter soundtracks. But, as you could probably guess, there's a reason I'm highlighting it here in a paragraph of it's own, and that is because the score in this movie is absolutely phenomenal. The recurring choir piece that you hear throughout the movie has the incredible effect of being magical and wondrous when need be but also haunting and often spine-tingling. When this is the case, you know you have a good soundtrack for your movie. One other piece I'll highlight is the motif that plays as Newt and Tina walk into the MACUSA for the first time. There's so many other moments int the movie that are enhanced by this soundtrack, but I won't spoil them here for you. Music is such an important part of making a movie, and it's good to see that Howard has lived up to the legacy of an already legendary franchise.
To sum up my thoughts of this movie, as a Harry Potter fan, I thought it was great. In that regard, it ticked all the right boxes: fun characters, impressive visuals, but most importantly, it brought me and millions of other fans back into this wizarding world. However, when I look back on the movie more critically and think about any potential issues, the problems of the movie become far more apparent. The plot is not as strong as the other movies set in this universe, possibly because they were written by experienced screenwriters who were using a book as a strong basis. I have a great deal of respect for J.K. Rowling and all of her creativity to forge this universe and all of the new aspects and creatures that are added into this movie. However, as this is her first screenplay, and all of her ideas may have to be slimmed down into 2 hours, this may provide a simple explanation for the numerous plot holes and overabundance of tonally confused subplots. Not to mention the one criticism of this movie I never thought I might have coming out of it: some more of the actual Fantastic Beasts would have been nice. Overall, this is a fair foundation for this new series but there is plenty of room for improvement. I am looking forward to seeing more of these characters and watching their development in the future, and I think that if you're looking for a fun movie to watch this weekend, this one is worth a watch.
Pros
- Some great performances
- Interesting character backstories
- Amazing visuals
- Incredible action
Cons
- An often jumbled and confused plot
- Sloppy editing
- Some more "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"
Release Date: 18th of November, 2016
Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, and Ron Perlman
Notes: Hi guys, just a few notes at the end of this review. First off, for anyone confused at why the rating is that high, I was torn between a 6 and a 7 for a while, but my nostalgia and ultimate enjoyment of the movie was what pushed this one up for me. Secondly, and far more importantly, there haven't been a lot of reviews or content up here recently, and I've missed a lot of movies. I'm really hoping to get back into this but I'm still very busy so I might have to start doing smaller reviews than my usual style. Thank you all for continuing to view this little project, especially considering the number of reviews that are out there on the Internet.
