Review of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Molly Burhans
The wait was finally over for Harry Potter fans everywhere on November 18th. The long awaited spinoff, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, arrived in theatres; people flocked to see what J. K. Rowling’s newest creation had to offer. I, personally, am a huge fan of the Harry Potter series, and I could not contain my excitement when I heard about the newest glimpse into the wizarding world.
On opening night my sister and I headed to the movie theatre, giddy with excitement. The movie began with the characteristic magical vibe. Due to the minimal plot details revealed in the trailer, everyone was curious as to what it would bring. Decades before Harry attends Hogwarts, Newt Scamander, the famous magizoologist who wrote Harry’s Care of Magical Creatures textbook, arrives in New York City with a trunk full of magical creatures. Almost immediately, some of these creatures escape. Newt attempts to find them with the help of a loyal no-maj (muggle), Jacob, and an American witch, Tina. Tina works for MACUSA, the American equivalent of the Ministry of Magic, and arrests Newt in an attempt to redeem herself for a previous slip-up. The story introduces us to many new concepts. In America, the Wizarding community is hiding fearfully from the no-majs, and there is corruption everywhere. We also learn about a dark form of magic: the obscurus. When magic is suppressed in young children, an uncontrollable obscurus develops in them; it kills them fairly quickly. This becomes a pivotal piece of magic in the plot, and is somewhat prominent in America due to wizard persecution by no-majs. A certain dark wizard mentioned in the Harry Potter series also makes an appearance.
In my opinion, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was fantastically disappointing. It was enjoyable and great to be back in the wizarding world, but this film lacked the magic of Rowling’s previous works. It was quite dark for an introduction to the series, and the characters weren’t nearly as developed as Rowling’s past characters. The plot was long and drawn out for the few main points involved. I did enjoy the humor intertwined throughout the film. Overall, however, I was very disappointed in this extension of the wizarding world. My advice to you would be to go into the movie with no expectations. Do NOT compare this to the beloved original Harry Potter series!
