Fantastic Beasts Is A Fun Potterless Follow-on

Harry Potter fans, rejoice: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is finally here.

The newest entry in the Wizarding World cinematic universe kicks off a new five-movie franchise set in J.K. Rowling’s magical world. It touches on several highly topical themes. For the first time in a Rowling movie, the main cast are adults, albeit rather young adults. As the title suggests, it introduces a veritable Monster Manual of fantastical creatures. And while it’s definitely not a Harry Potter movie, there are many familiar Potterverse touchstones: wand duels, hapless muggles, and evil wizards.

Set in 1920s New York City, Fantastic Beasts takes place 70 years before the beginning of Harry Potter’s story. Ingenuous wizard Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne, Jupiter Ascending) is visiting America in search of magical animals for his book, the titular Fantastic Beasts. Aspiring baker Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler, Fanboys) bumps into him and inadvertently swaps valises, accidentally releasing one of the creatures in Newt’s case. Scamander and Kowalski are thrown together as they try to capture escaped creatures. Ex-Auror Porpentina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston, Boardwalk Empire) drags them to the Magical Congress of the USA on charges of possessing magical creatures. There they meet Director of Magical Security, Percival Graves (Collin Farrell, Total Recall); he imposes a harsh sentence on Scamander, along with Goldstein for aiding him, while secretly pursuing his own agenda. A zealous anti-witch league, a dangerously unstable teen, and a plot to track down a new Chosen One for dubious purpose round out the story without giving away too much.

Fantastic Beasts is indelibly a Harry Potter movie. The atmosphere, the CG creatures, the familiar cries of Alohomora! and Expelliarmus! will be familiar to anyone who’s seen one. Directed by David Yates, veteran of the final four Harry Potter movies, it retains the look and feel, the pacing, and the menace he brought to those latter movies. Here, however, he often injects broad humor and slapstick comedy, reminiscent of Laurel & Hardy (right down to Newt’s tall, thin frame and Kowalski’s shorter, rolly-polly build). It’s a welcome addition, providing a light, fun counterbalance to the existential themes and threats.

Speaking of which, Fantastic Beasts touches on some serious, troubling issues: segregation, oppression, and demonization of Other. The Magical Congress of the USA, a Ministry of Magic analog, requires all magicals to remain deeply hidden to avoid notice by No-Majs (aka muggles) and risk a new wave of pogroms. The rift this creates between wizards who want to remain hidden and those who want to reveal themselves is reminiscent of the one that divides Professor Xavier’s X-Men and Erik Lehnsherr’s Brotherhood of Mutants. The New Salem Philanthropic Society advocates a ‘New Salem,’ championing the return of witch burning with terrifying zealotry. Yates also paints a grim picture of what happens when magical children are shamed into suppressing their powers. It’s the teen angst of earlier HP movies, turned inward, then exploded outward. It’s predictably horrifying. I wish these themes had been more fully explored, as they were often more fascinating than wizard duels or CGI critters.  

The production design screams “Roaring 20’s New York City” — art deco, speakeasies, Billy Holliday jazz, and lots of fedoras and trenchcoats. Characters can be a bit over-the-top “New Yoik.” Queenie (Alison Sudol) is the quintessential 20’s flapper, from her squeaky accent to her flibbertigibbet mannerisms. She’s a high-spirited character but she doesn’t feel altogether real. Ron Perlman’s gangster goblin Gnarlack is Dutch Schultz with a pointy nose and ears; it’s fun (and very Ron Perlman) but awfully cliched.  

Beyond that, the cast are quite good. All are older, accomplished actors who bring a more polished performance than many of the younger actors in earlier movies. Redmayne’s Scamander is a shy, bookish wizard, often more concerned with his creatures than with people. Dan Fogler is entertaining as the bumbling No-Maj sidekick; his cherubic smile is endearing. Collin Farrell radiates subtle menace and dramatic power.

At times, Fantastic Beasts feels like it was developed as a theme park ride and the movie was filmed as a two-hour ad. Pacing is occasionally uneven; huge action scenes end with a poof!, followed by comedy scenes. Some of the action goes on too long, the finale in particular. It’s chock full of the dark, too-fast, muddy visuals common to many current sci-fi and action movies.  

The score alludes to John Williams’ iconic music, but it is painfully deliberate in telegraphing what is happening, what the audience should be feeling. During the action scenes in particular, the audio is almost unbearably loud.

As a first installment, Fantastic Beasts does a solid job of introducing the characters, setting, and conflicts that will form the core of the new franchise. Both longtime HP devotees and new fans will find a lot to like.  And while it’s occasionally workmanlike and uninspired, it counters with broad comedy and heavy themes that will resonate with its audience and provide a strong foundation for the next four movies.

Ephemera:

• The Wonder Woman trailer looks amazing, mostly. Its first half — Wonder Woman’s origin story — is powerful and compelling; Gal Godot breathes life into the iconic character. My concern is its second half; it looks like Zack Snyder had a heavy hand in the writing and stylistic direction, full of fetished violence and massive ‘splosions.
• The Lego Batman Movie trailer was fantastic; funny, full of wink-wink references, and very reminiscent of what made The Lego Movie so wonderful.
• No post-credits scene.  Thanks, WB.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Warner Brothers; PG-13): B-