Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them movie review

Besides my friend and fellow blogger Florencio a.k.a. FPJ, if there’s anyone who is another Potterhead like me who can make a good review of the new movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, that would be me. Unless a fellow Potterhead will also write a review of the movie. I boast of my original U.K. released of the Harry Potter books I have been published by Bloomsbury. Most of the books here are from U.S. publisher Scholastic.

It was only more than ten years ago, when the first Potter movie (Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone) was first released after the released of the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I thought the Wizarding World saga ends with the movies since JK Rowling haven’t decided yet to write another book until the story of Newt Scamander.

At first, I thought of bringing the stories of Tales of Beedle the Bard since it was mentioned as a direct reference to the Harry Potter movies especially the last two movies or the last book (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows). But it is more like a material for short movies.

The story explores the Wizarding World which JK Rowling created but in another timeline but before Harry Potter’s time. If you know your Harry Potter, you would know that the time he spent his schooling years at Hogwarts was in the 90’s. Harry was born in the early 80’s. Newt Scamander is a magizooolgist set somewhere in 1920’s. By this era, we all know there are automobiles and electricity and the main transport between countries is by ship.

Like any wizarding name, Newt Scamander suits the character. His names are similar to two animals: Newt and Salamander. But his name is derived from Newton (reference to Sir Isaac Newton who is also rumored to dub in alchemy) and Scamander the Greek river god.  The only reference mentioned for Newt Scamander in Harry’s time was that he wrote the textbook for Hogwarts’ subject Care of Magical Creatures and no Wizarding household is without a copy.

Eddie Redmayne is the ideal actor to play the part of Newt. But it seems similar to what he did as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. Both performance and character appear eccentric. Since this is the story of expanding the Wizarding World, it gives us an idea what it looks like outside Britain. It brings us to another country of Wizards. As the only British representation of Wizards, Newt shows us what kind of Wizarding situation in U.S.A.

J.K. Rowling did good work in writing her own work in a screenplay. I know only a couple of book authors who can do this because it is hard to do. This is also her first original work in movie format but she still owns the rights.  The reason probably why start showing the Wizarding World in U.S. because Hollywood produced all Harry Potter movies and continued with Fantastic Beasts. It is also a good thing to show how different the British wizards from U.S.

The story shows the political system in U.S.’s wizarding world. I just wonder if the No-Maj (that’s what they call us non-magical beings in U.S.) U.S. president is aware of the Wizarding World because in the books, the British Prime Minister is the only muggle aware of the Wizarding World.

What makes Newt Scamander unique from Harry Potter is that he is not there to be a hero. Harry Potter was destined for great things. Newt is only a magizoologist. Somehow I can’t help but compare Newt as the wizarding version of a Pokemon trainer. But no matter how different this era is, they still use the same spells in Harry Potter movies and introduced new ones.

Since the movie is titled Fantastic Beasts, the magical creatures are mostly fictional but there are some that are based on myths. As for the special effects, the creatures are so lifelike and watching it in IMAX 3D made you feel like immersed in one of the scenes. Just like the previous Harry Potter movies, there are some unexpected twists that will make you shocked.

As of now, I have discovered new information about the expanding Wizarding World story arc but I am not sure yet if it’s already part of the JK Rowling’s canon. I watched the Philippine movie premiere last November 16^th in IMAX cinema SM Mall of Asia before the midnight screening on the opening day.

I gave this movie 4 wands out of 5. For more fan movie reviews and Potterhead updates, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook

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