K-SCORE: 56
Director: David Yates
Writer: J.K. Rowling
Based on: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight kind of, and Colin Farrell as Johnny Depp
Spoiler Level: Moderate
First impression: holy shit, they’re planning on making five of these? I love J.K. Rowling’s magical world in ways and quantities I didn’t originally know I could love a story. I grew up somehow always being the same age as Harry Potter and looking like Harry Potter and wanting to write books about magic. So that I’m looking at this two hour block of mediocrity and thinking: I don’t know whether I want to sit through four more of these, is not a good sign.
“everybody just kind of whispers at each other”
The concept of going back in the narrative to the era of Grindelwald and to spend time in America to see those differences in the magical world and to follow a man who goes on to author a Hogwarts textbook is all fine. The issue is singular, I believe, in this case. The characters aren’t good enough. It could be a fault of the direction as much or more than the writing. The film progresses with a muted tone where all of the characters appear somewhat befuddled and somewhat stubborn. Each has a motivation that is distinct, except the muggle, who is pleasantly flumbling around from time to time but ultimately serves no real purpose to the overall story. His inclusion is a factor of magical circumstance, I suppose, which would be cute enough if they found a good reason for him to be running around with Newt and Tina, but they don’t. Newt and Tina themselves, and even the villains and semi-villains of the film are boundering and fimblebottoming almost as much, even though they presumably have some knowledge of the magics going on around them. This is annoying, but not so annoying as their seeming inability to communicate. Everybody just kind of whispers at each other, which I guess is why they cast Eddie Redmayne for his talent for strange whispers has been well and thoroughly documented that time Jupiter ascended. That no one is effectively communicating makes verdicts of death sentences and proclamations that an Obscurus will soon destroy a city feel out-of-the blue and confusing instead of dramatic and exciting. The fault isn’t entirely with the static flutey hum of the direction, but also with the simple fact that none of the characters are that likable. Even if they were more distinct, I don’t see much to grab onto. Newt loves his creatures, but Redmayne’s performance somehow doesn’t invite you to love them with him. I’m not entirely sure why Tina is mixed into the whole thing, and can’t claim a single defining attribute of her character. The villains aren’t frightening or motivated by some compelling seemingly righteous cause. The ancillary characters aren’t particularly charming or all that interesting.
Another element that disappoints in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is surely symptomatic of its mediocrity more than it is a problem with the film. What I clung to most while watching and where I garnered the most joy was in picking out connecting details between its story and Harry Potter. Instead of getting excited for Newt’s adventure, I’m was thinking, “Ooh, I remember, that’s a bowtruckle.” Or, “Hehe, they mentioned Dumbledore. I wonder what he’s up to right now.” Or “I’m glad I got to see a depiction of a Niffler. They’re funny looking.” But, ultimately that makes this prequel and likely the whole series feel like it’s living in the past and inflating content in order to squeeze more cash out of a franchise, just like they did with The Hobbit. Saving grace: this is better than The Hobbit.